CARS OF 2011

2010 was one of the best years for Indian car lovers and consumers alike, with a never-seen-before influx of high quality automobiles flooding the streets, from India and abroad. While the country warms up to the romance of wheels on one hand, and international vehicle manufacturers continue to realize the untapped potential of this massive market on the other, 2011 promises to be another cracker. Be it affordable hatchbacks, sleek saloons or the most delectable performance machines on the planet - it's all happening.

New Looks, New Goods ( Face lifts and Variants )

These may not be all new-cars, but will offer a lot more to buyers who have now grown to trust these vehicles as brands thanks to their extended presence. Not just that, these upgrades and facelifts will give the cars an edge over their rivals, or in some cases just bring them up to speed - both of which are good scenarios for the market.

Chevrolet Beat Diesel
Coming in : May 2011 Expected price : Rs 4-5 lakh

Tata Safari Facelift
Coming in: March 2011, Expected price: Rs 8-12 lakh

Chevrolet Tavera Rehash
Coming in: Late 2011, Expected price: Rs 6.5-9.5 lakh

Mahindra Logan Facelift
Coming in: Mid 2011, Expected price: Rs 5-7 lakh

Audi TT Diesel
Coming in: Mid 2011, Expected price: Rs 45-50 lakh

Mercedes-Benz C-Class
Coming in: Mid-2011, expected price: Rs 30-35 lakh

High-End Entries

It's not just about the volume market - some of the world's most acclaimed and prestigious cars are on their way to Indian shores in 2011 too. The Ferraris, Porsches and Bentleys may be out of reach for most of us, but there are cars like the new Maruti Suzuki Kizashi and the Renault Fluence that will up the ante this year!

Maruti Suzuki Kizashi
Coming in: February 2011, Expected price: Rs 15-17 lakh

Star Attractions (sub- Rs 10 lakh)

These are the cars that will find real favour amongst Indian masses, and bring the much sought-after volumes to the manufacturers. The most eagerly awaited cars will remain the hatchbacks, and some big global names have India-specific products up their sleeves for 2011. Here's the complete list!

Maruti Suzuki Swift
Coming in: Mid-2011, Expected price: Rs 4-5.5 lakh

Nissan Sunny
Coming in: Late 2011, Expected price: Rs 7-9 lakh

Tata Venture
Coming in: March 2011, Expected price: Rs 3.5-4 lakh

Ford Fiesta
Coming in: February 2011, Expected price: Rs 7-9 lakh

Honda Brio
Coming in: June 2011, Expected price: Rs 4-5 lakh

Toyota Etios Liva
Coming in: March 2011, Expected price: Rs 4.5-6 lakh

Who will make it to 2020?

People & Politics

In the next ten years, development will become the main political issue with different social groups demanding their share of the India growth story, writes Arati Jerath.

The clearest evidence that the political paradigm is changing came from Nitish Kumar's sweeping victory in the 2010 Bihar assembly elections. He cooked up a storm with a development plank that pushed traditional politics, both of patronage and identity, to the margins of irrelevance and gave him numbers that all political leaders dream of but rarely get. It was a personal triumph for Nitish but the real significance of his win lies in what it says about the emergence of development as a key political issue in today's India.

With the economy projected to continue growing at between 7-9% annually over the next decade, there is every reason to believe that development and governance issues will increasingly dominate public discourse with different social groups demanding their share of the GDP pie. The Congress party's politics of patronage of vote banks had currency in an underdeveloped economy. Caste and religion-based identity politics took over as the process of economic and social empowerment began with the opening up of the economy. Today, after a period of rapid growth, politics is set to enter another phase, which is likely to be defined by battles for a more equitable distribution of wealth and resources.

The lessons from Bihar are slowly being assimilated. Nitish's mastery over the emerging new idiom reaped him huge electoral dividends. Now Mayawati is seeking to emulate him as she scrambles to set her house in order before the 2012 state polls. Like Nitish next door, she too is concentrating her energies on targeted development projects for marginalized communities. Dalit villages are at the top of her list, but she is also trying to ensure that roads, electricity, water, schools and primary health care centres reach areas populated by extremely backward castes and minorities. In fact, UP's utilization record of funds allocated for development of minority concentration districts is one of the best — almost 60%. She is revisiting the law and order issue as well by cracking down on goonda elements, including those in her own party. This is the same woman who relished courting controversy with Ambedkar parks in pink sandstone and giant statues of herself in a bid to promote her Dalit politics.

It is important to understand the nature of the development politics taking shape. It's not just a simple matter of building roads or providing electricity. The question to which voters are demanding an answer is: development for whom? Nitish's success lay in the focused manner in which he took development to different social groups to create a wider constituency beyond his narrow caste base. This is identity politics of a different kind in which mobilization is not merely on the basis of caste but also on economic, gender and age subgroups.

The coming decade will see an acceleration of the factors responsible for altering the political dynamics in the country. The three important ones are the mainstreaming of marginalized social groups, the communications revolution and increasing urbanization. The biggest success of Indian democracy has been empowerment of castes and communities that existed outside the social pale. The spread of adult franchise, a series of affirmative steps like reservations, a slew of welfare measures and the growth of market forces are changing the feudal nature of social and economic relations. The rise of caste-based parties, the land battles at Singur, even the spread of Naxalism are all signs that those at the bottom are demanding to be heard.

Increasing connectivity has only strengthened the process of empowerment. Mobile phone connections have already zoomed beyond 600 million and are expected to cross 1 billion by 2015, while television penetration, according to industry estimates, will cross the 60% mark by 2020. It means people in every corner of the country are rapidly getting connected and acquiring independent means of accessing information. It also means that voters can no longer be fooled by mere rhetoric and empty promises. They want delivery and are acquiring the means to monitor it.
The third factor, urbanization, has the potential to take politics beyond caste to include class. More than one third of the population is likely to be living in cities and towns by 2020 and their concerns and issues will be shaped by their urban environment and the growing disparity between the rich and the poor, between those who live in gated communities and drive shiny, big cars and those who live in slums without basic civic amenities and have to make do with shoddy public transport.

A transforming India means a changing polity. Those who keep pace with the times will emerge as the powerhouses while others will fall behind. The visible process of fragmentation into subgroups, subregions and subcultures gives regional forces an advantage over national parties which have to work with a larger canvas. Regional satraps like Nitish or Mayawati or Naveen Patnaik or even Narendra Modi and Yeddyurappa (who despite belonging to the BJP are really regional chieftains) are better connected to the grassroots. They also have the flexibility to knit together an electorally successful social alliance specific to their state without having to worry about the bigger national picture. The BJP was compelled by local Karnataka considerations to allow scam-hit Yeddyurappa to continue as chief minister even as it fought a high-pitched battle over corruption at the centre with the Congress.

Nitish's victory underlines the continuing relevance of the satraps. The Congress in its glory days was an umbrella party of strong regional leaders. Its decay began when Indira Gandhi started cutting them down one by one till the party stood decimated in numerically important states such as UP and Bihar. Today, regional chieftains have created their own political units while the Modis and Yeddyurappas survive in a national party like the BJP only because they have been given almost complete autonomy.

Yet, as Nitish understood and as Mayawati seems to be realizing, regional leaders have to expand their political horizons beyond caste identities to remain on top. They have to put together broader social coalitions while national parties will have to put aside their dreams of single-party rule and contend with political coalitions to run the centre. This is one reality that is unlikely to go away even as the political frame expands to include issues of development and governance.

Past tense

In politics, every player works and waits for a big moment. A real leader emerges when there is perfect harmony between his ideas and the people's mood. But, at some point, he has to fade away. The leaders who make desperate attempts to cling to their receding turf often face humiliation. Lalu Prasad, once the giant of Bihar politics, was rejected by the state in the latest election. Sunday Times looks at the canvas 10 years down the line to guess where some of the most durable leaders will be at the onset of the century's third decade

Arun Jaitley

At a time when the images of marauding kar sevaks demolishing a mosque haunted the BJP, a young lawyer made an attempt to bring the party's central discourse into the constitutional framework. For the newly emerging Indian middle class, Arun Jaitley was a welcome change. He defended his party but not its inclination towards religious fundamentalism. Over the years he has drawn a line between the BJP's position as a conservative party and the elements pulling it into the chaos of communal posturing. Articulating his party's support for the women's bill in the Rajya Sabha, Jaitley referred to a similar legislation in Pakistan. Perhaps no other BJP leader today would dare to take such a bold step. If the party recedes into the doctrine of religious revivalism in the coming years, moderates like Jaitley will be pushed to the margin. But a realisation that a hardline approach is a flawed strategy to win elections even for a majoritarian outfit like the BJP may allow Jaitley to raise new signposts for the party's future. Basically a strategist fond of setting the field for an election campaign, Jaitley can still be relevant beyond 2020. If he ties down the government on a tricky issue of constitutional inappropriateness and in the process prevents his party's swing towards the extreme right position, it's good news for India.

Mamata Banerjee

She has trudged into an arena which even the Devil will fear to tread — challenging the entrenched communists in their bastion. Indeed, so overwhelming was the penetration of Left politics into the psyche of West Bengal that many Congressmen were reconciled to a red star over Writers' Building. Not the feisty woman from a shantytown near Kolkata's Kalighat temple. Despite her incohesion, Mamata Banerjee has made the people believe that there can be life beyond Marxist politics. This itself is an achievement irrespective of the outcome of next year's assembly elections. However, given the polemical nature of her politics and her rapid-fire style, it will be difficult for Mamata to sustain her brand for a long time. Ten years down the line she is unlikely to ride the crest of the waves. In all probability history will remember her more as a street-fighter, more in the mould of Lech Walesa leading Solidarity in Gdansk shipyards, rather than a Nelson Mandela leading a mauled people into peace and stability through a smooth transition.


Sitaram Yechury

The Left always accuses the media of being on the side of big business. One from their ranks, however, has been a favourite of the 24x7 channels. The kind of media space CPM politburo member Sitaram Yechury commands is the envy of many senior ministers. The reason for his popularity is the Marxist leader's understanding of the language of change. Even when the CPM is facing the real threat of being ousted from power in both Kerala and Bengal after its disastrous performance in the 2009 general election, he still holds forth, arguing his party's viewpoint with perfect elan. He does not believe the advent of technology can radically alter politics. "Technology can change the mode of propaganda but the core issues will remain the same," he points out, dismissing the notion that density of mobile telephony can take the focus away from basic concerns. "Of course, the audiences will be better informed," he says. Rejecting the view that India is on the cusp of an economic resurgence, he says, "The crisis in the system will remain the same." But he agrees India is going beyond the staples of yesterday's politics. "Climate change will become crucially relevant to the basic issues," he points out. The 58-year-old Rajya Sabha member is amused by the prospects of fading away by 2020. "You're relevant as long as you can keep pace with the changes," he says.

Mayawati

At the core of UP chief minister Mayawati's politics is a deep-rooted sense of injustice among her followers who, as her mentor Kanshi Ram used to say, are the base of India's social pyramid. With about 15% of the Dalit vote secured in her basket, Mayawati would do business with an ally for additional support to capture power in UP. "My supporters will go out and vote for anybody I want them to, but theirs will not," she kept saying until a major segment of the Brahmins, exasperated by Mulayam Singh's brand of politics, entered into a social agreement with Mayawati and ensured 200 plus seats for the BSP in the last assembly elections. In a sharp reversal, a significant number of Dalits did not back the BSP in the 2009 election. They preferred Rahul Gandhi's Congress. Observers saw 2009 as the first hint of erosion in caste politics. If the voting pattern is repeated on a larger scale in the 2012 election that will spell disaster for 54-year-old Mayawati's brand of politics and her dream of becoming the country's first Dalit prime minister.

Future perfect

A brave new generation of leaders with fresh, innovative ideas may start calling the shots some time in the next decade. Bhaskar Roy takes a look at some of the future leaders and analyses their idea of India.

Jyotiraditya Scindia

Scindia, 39, has won three successive elections from Guna in the Gwalior region with ease. A close friend of Rahul Gandhi, he is a man of many passions: politics, sports and social issues. For the minister of state for commerce, the new decade will offer fresh possibilities and also a backlog of unresolved issues from the past. "Water is going to be a big issue in the near future," says Scindia. Safe drinking water will be scarce unless a plan is worked out on a war footing with the adoption of the right technology. With consumption levels rising every year, energy will be a cause for concern 10 years from now. The search for a substitute for fossil fuels needs new impetus since petroleum reserves are going to deplete within the next few decades. As a rising power, India will have to deal with such issues in the coming years, he says. The young leader sees Indian society being impacted as much by education and forward-looking legislations as by new technology. "Global warming is going to be a very big issue as it will have a bearing on crop patterns and food output."

Mausam Noor

The 30-year-old MP from the Bengal backwater of North Malda is a lawyer by training. But childhood images of crowds at the Malda mansion of her uncle, Congress strongman Ghani Khan Chowdhury, left a deep impression on her. She wanted to don Ghani Khan's political mantle but did not know that the opportunity would come so early. Before the 2009 election, Sonia Gandhi preferred her over the other claimants from within the clan for the seat. Defying the media stereotype of the glam brigade in Parliament, Mausam has got down to work in Bengal's politics polarised between the Marxists and Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool. "I courted arrest recently as part of a protest," she says. The big picture, she argues, is changing faster than the political class is ready for because of the inroads made by technology. "The world is looking at India as a big power, convergence of the two Indias is the need of the hour." By 2020, she believes, the average age of MPs will go down. "A younger leadership should represent a younger nation," she says. Issues and concerns, too, are going to change. With people's aspirations rising, connectivity improving, the delivery mechanism will have to be more efficient, she says.

Sachin Pilot

Pilot, 33, earned his stripes by snatching away the Ajmer seat from the BJP in a hard-fought battle in the 2009 general election. Savvy, charismatic and a member of Team Rahul, the junior minister in the telecom department has a clear roadmap to 2020. "Roads can still be bad in some parts of the country but the optical network connecting each of the 2.5 lakh panchayats will be strong," he says, claiming that this ambitious goal will be achieved by 2012. He sees challenges of urbanisation, migration, land alienation and insurgencies of the Naxalite variety as some of the major challenges for the country in the coming years. At the same time, Pilot sees technology as a great equaliser which will bring down the barricades of perceived disparities and biases. To a large extent, according to him, blackboards will be replaced by computer screens. As an outcome of technological penetration, society as a whole is going to raise more questions. With the rural population connected to the system through high-speed broadband, aspiration levels will rise making governance more transparent and responsive. "How do you communicate with the system in the 21st century? It's only through e-governance," he says, offering glimpses into the not-so-distant future.

Manick Tagore

The 35-year-old Youth Congress functionary from Sivaganga in Tamil Nadu is a giant killer. His schoolteacher father was an ardent fan of Rabindranath Tagore, says the first-term MP. "I was given the great poet's surname by my father." The opportunity to trounce a stalwart came unexpectedly. "Rahul Gandhi asked me to take on Vaiko in Virudhunagar. 'Make it a good fight', he said." Until then Manick had been busy organising elections for the youth body's state units. The little-known youth activist became famous overnight as the "boy who vanquished Vaiko". Like his mentor, Manick speaks the language of transformation at the grassroots. "Micro and medium scale industry is going to be the vehicle of change," he says, borrowing heavily from Rahul Gandhi. "If the Tatas set up a plant in my constituency that will employ a thousand people maximum. But micro-scale industry can absorb the excess labour from agriculture, and that's the future." He sees this as a future trend and a pointer to the direction India may take in the next decade.

Varun Gandhi

Like cousin Rahul, he is a Gandhi too. But Varun has walked across the fence into the Hindutva camp. The BJP MP from Pilibhit had triggered a furore by delivering a rabidly communal speech on the campaign trail during the last general election. If the world was shocked by his communal rhetoric, it certainly turned him into a saffron icon. Educated at the prestigious Rishi Valley School and Delhi's British School, the only son of Sanjay and Maneka Gandhi has moved to the right. "Rise above caste to build a unified Hindu society," he said while visiting flood victims in Mirzapur in UP earlier this year. For the saffron party, Varun could not have joined them at a more opportune time.

Down and out after two successive defeats, for the opposition party he is an answer to the Congress' future leader, Rahul Gandhi. Already a member of the BJP's national executive, Varun seems set to rise further in the party hierarchy. In the new decade, this Gandhi is sure to occupy one of the top chairs his party can offer as right-of-the-centre politics will continue to occupy political space in the coming decade.

Read more: Who will make it to 2020? - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/sunday-toi/special-report/Who-will-make-it-to-2020/articleshow/7164789.cms#ixzz19hJwsdrk

Protest against security procedures, Man strips at US airport

RICHMOND: Police say a man stripped to his underwear at an airport checkpoint in Virginia in a protest against security procedures.

Airport police said the man took off his shirt and trousers at Richmond International Airport on Thursday. He had scrawled across his chest a reference to the U.S. Constitution's protections against unreasonable search and seizure.

Police identified the man as 21-year-old Aaron B. Tobey of Charlottesville, Virginia. He told police he was a student at the University of Cincinnati.

Tobey was interviewed by airport police and federal authorities, issued a citation for disorderly conduct and released. He is scheduled for arraignment on Jan. 10.

Girl gangraped at knifepoint

NAGPUR: Cops have booked five youths, all having criminal records, for their alleged involvement in gang-raping a girl at Chadramani Nagar on Thursday evening. The minor girl was gagged and savaged repeatedly by her tormentors who also threatened her with a sharp weapon. Police said that the culprits were also from the same locality and probably knew the victim.

Rachna (name changed) had gone to a general store where she was approached by the culprits. Police said that the girl was forcibly whisked away by the accused in full view of the local residents who opted not to resist due to the criminal backgrounds of the perpetrators. Rachna was taken to a neighbour's place where she was raped.

The five culprits apparently forced themselves one by one on the girl while she was being threatened with a knife. Unconfirmed sources claimed that Rachna's younger brother too rushed to the place where her sister was being tortured. The goons are learnt to have fled the place after seeing him. Rachna's family members later contacted the cops.

Ajni police swung into action after the matter was reported to them. Rachna was rushed to Government Medical College and Hospital for treatment and medical examination. The cops had launched a manhunt but had made no arrest until late in the night.

Football: Top ten matches in 2010

London: There has been much discussion about what constitutes a 'top game' so for this list we have gone with an iconic match that you will immediately think of when discussing football in 2010.

1. Manchester United 3, Bayern Munich 2 (Champions League quarter-final second leg, April 7, 2010)

Responding to a 2-1 defecit from the first leg, Sir Alex Ferguson's side came out the blocks in scintillating fashion turning the tie on its head with goals from Darron Gibson and a brace from Nani. Ivica Olic brought Bayern back into the tie two minutes before the break and after Rafael had been sent off the Germans scented blood and Arjen Robben claimed a terrific winner to send Louis van Gaal's side through after a terrific game at Old Trafford.

The top 10 football matches of 2010

2. Fulham 4, Juventus 1 (Europa League round of 16 second leg, March 18, 2010)

Probably the most dramatic night ever witnessed by the Craven Cottage faithful. David Trezeguet's second minute opener put the Old Lady into a 4-1 aggregate lead but Roy Hodgson's team did not know when they were beaten on the way to the final of the Europa League where they would lose to Atletico Madrid. Bobby Zamora pulled the first back before Zoltan Gera claimed a brace to set up a dramatic end to the final 40 minutes. Clint Dempsey duly stepped up with a brilliant chipped goal to win the tie 5-4 on aggregate with eight minutes remaining in surely the most dramatic Europa League match to date.

3. Inter 3, Barcelona 1 (Champions League semi-final first leg, April 20, 2010)

Whilst the second leg in the Camp Nou saw an incredible rearguard performance from the Nerazzurri and crazed celebrations at full-time, this was the match where Jose Mourinho's side put one leg in the final. Barcelona rarely lose by two goals and it didn't look likely when Pedro slotted home the opener. Inter responded with goals by Wesley Sneijder, Maicon and Diego Milito to prove that Jose Mourinho's side were not just about defending but could also outscore even the best teams in Europe.

4. Manchester City 0, Tottenham 1 (Premier League, May 5, 2010)

The penultimate game of the Premier League season was billed as the 60 million Pound match by Fleet Street as Harry Redknapp's swashbuckling side headed to Eastlands looking to secure fourth spot and entry into the Champions League. Whoever would have made the premier competition in Europe would have finally laid rest to the 'Big Four' dominance in England and it was Tottenham who performed well on the night, attacking throughout despite a draw being enough to leave them in pole position to claim fourth. Peter Crouch's late goal sealed the win and set up the Tottenham adventure in Europe that has seen them beat European champions Inter at home and now face Milan over two legs in the first knockout round of the Champions League 2010-11.

5. Bayern Munich 0, Inter 2 (Champions League final, May 22, 2010)

The two sides came into this match looking to create history by securing a treble of domestic title, cup and the Champions League trophy. Jose Mourinho emerged as the major winner, claiming 'Big Ears' for the second time and securing his position as coach of Real Madrid just days later. Diego Milito was the main star with two goals in the match, exploiting some weak defending from Munich and showcasing his expert finishing. Massimo Moratti enjoyed his finest hour as Inter president and the question now at the San Siro is whether anyone can ever live up to the Special One?

6. Germany 4, England 1 (World Cup 2010 last 16, June 27, 2010)

Germany eviscerated both England and Argentina but this game warrants inclusion in our top 10 list because of the drama at the end of the first half that simply has to ensure FIFA adopt goal line technology. Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski had put Jogi Low's side 2-0 up with some typical attacking football. The Three Lions responded with a header from Matthew Upson and then looked to have drawn level before the break with a Frank Lampard effort that rebounded off the bar and clearly over the line. The goal was rejected by the Uruguayan officials and a stunning German performance was rewarded with second half goals from Thomas Mueller with Mesut Oezil memorably skinning Gareth Barry for the fourth.

7. Uruguay 1, Ghana 1 (Penalties 4-2) (World Cup quarter-final, July 2, 2010)

For many the World Cup failed to live up to the hype and certainly the opening weeks of the tournament in South Africa witnessed some turgid games. This match, or at least the final seconds of extra time, saw the most dramatic of circumstances that had they been in a film would have been denounced as unbelievable. Sulley Muntari's opener was cancelled out by Diego Forlan in normal time but the late scramble, which eventually saw Luis Suarez save with his hand on the line, receive a red card and then Asamoah Gyan miss a penalty to send Ghana through must be one of the craziest moments of insanity in World Cup history.

8. Holland 0, Spain 1 (World Cup Final, July 11, 2010)

Like the tournament that preceded it, this game failed to really ignite but the win for La Furia Roja was a victory for good football and the gold trophy was handed to the best team in South Africa. An aggressive Dutch side were shown in full glory with Nigel De Jong's now infamous Kung Fu kick on Xabi Alonso in the first half. Arjen Robben was presented with two great chances in the second period but the Dutch winger failed to take his opportunities and in extra time, Spain's tiki-taka finally paid off to secure another 1-0 win. Andres Iniesta fired past Stekelenburg after a searching ball from substitute Cesc Fabregas to set off wild celebrations in Johannesburg and Spain.

9. PSV 10, Feyenoord 0 (Eredivisie, October 24, 2010)

Feyenoord's current poor standing in Dutch football was highlighted for the world as PSV took them to the cleaners and scored 10 goals without reply. In their defence, Feyenoord had Kelvin Leerdam sent off but it was just 2-0 at half-time. Jonathan Reis claimed a hat-trick, both Jeremain Lens and Balazs Dzsudzsak notched braces and Ibrahim Afellay, Ola Toivonen and Orlando Engelaar also scored in what is Feyenoord's heaviest ever defeat.

10. Barcelona 5, Real Madrid 0 (La Liga, November 29, 2010)

Barcelona produced one of the greatest team performances of all time as they smashed their great rivals Real Madrid with some incredible football. Jose Mourinho described the loss as a "historically bad result for his club" and to see Los Blancos reduced to shadows showed many that this current Barca side will take some stopping. Xavi volleyed the opener past Casillas and Pedro scored number two to leave Madrid with a mountain to climb despte the best efforts of Cristiano Ronaldo. A quick fire brace by David Villa sealed the win early in the second half and a fifth from Jeffren in the 90th minute completed the stunning victory.

2010 is the Golden year for Indian sports

New Delhi: Individual brilliance shone through in record-breaking medal hauls at Commonwealth and Asian Games while the iconic Sachin Tendulkar raised the bar further on the cricket field in what turned out to be a golden year for Indian sports.

There were moments of pure ecstasy when the country's athletes notched up 101 medals (including 38 gold) in the Commonwealth Games here and 64 (14 gold) in the Asian Games in Guangzhou. It was the best ever medal haul in both events for a nation which hardly looks beyond cricket on its sporting calendar.

Speaking of India's unofficial national sport, cricket, there were cherishable moments all through 2010 and Tendulkar provided two of the biggest ones by fittingly becoming the first batsman to pull off a double century in one-dayers at the beginning of the year before signing off with another first of recording 50 Test hundreds.

2010 a golden year for Indian sports

But for a change, cricket and Tendulkar did not matter for at least 14 days in October as India hosted its biggest sporting event after the 1982 Asian Games.

The 19th Commonwealth Games were supposed to showcase India as the next big sporting destination but left fans with mixed feelings after a botched build-up but a historic medal haul.

The athletes were undoubtedly on an unprecedented high at the event in front of home fans but the administrators touched a nadir when they made the country a subject of international mockery with preparations so shoddy that it seemed that top participating nations would give the Games a miss.

In fact, administrators were the only source of embarrassment for Indian sports this year because going by on-field performance, 2010 can easily be counted among the most successful in Indian sporting history.

At the centre of it all was Suresh Kalmadi, the man who has headed the Indian Olympic Association for over a decade and was chairman of the organising committee for the CWG.

The messed build-up to CWG was squarely blamed on him but most importantly he was the focus of an alleged multi-crore scam in CWG deals now being investigated by the CBI.

The veteran administrator claimed innocence but damning evidence, some of it chronicled in national dailies, meant that his houses in Pune and Delhi were raided, adding another low to his chequered career.

The wrangling between the Sports Ministry and National Sports Federations over tenure limitation guidelines was also a messy chapter in Indian sports this year with administrators insisting on unlimited hold on their positions while the government calling for more accountability through time-bound tenures.

The ugly developments, however, could not take the sheen off the massive achievements on the field.

Shuttler Saina Nehwal continued her giant strides, breaking through the 'Great Wall of China' with five international titles to become the world number two in a highly successful 2010.

After a highly promising last year during which she won the Indonesian title, Saina proved once again why she is the brightest star in Indian badminton as she went several steps ahead this year.

The Hyderabadi became the first female Indian shuttler to win three back-to-back titles when she clinched the Indian Open Grand Prix Gold, Singapore Super Series and defended the Indonesian Open in June.

But the icing on the cake came in October when the 20-year-old won the Commonwealth Games gold medal at the Sri Fort Complex.

She didn't stop there and her insatiable hunger for success guided her to a third Super Series title when she won the Hong Kong Open last month to wipe out the disappointment of losing in the quarterfinals of the Asian Games.

Twin honours at the national level added to her aura as she was conferred the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and Padma Shree awards.

History was also scripted in the swimming pool when a 19-year-old Virdhawal Khade produced a performance to remember by ending Indian swimming's 24-year-old medal drought in the Asian Games, holding out promise for a better future.

The strapping six-footer from Kolhapur clinched a bronze in the 50m butterfly event of the Asian Games in Guangzhou, the India's second swimming medal at the event after Khazan Singh's 200m butterfly.

However, there was disappointment for the Indians in the other multi-discipline sporting extravaganza in Commonwealth Games. The Indian contingent had to bow to Australian, English and Canadian might, even as they advanced to finals in some events.

But even there, para-swimmer Prasanta Karmakar became the first Indian swimmer to fetch a medal by winning a bronze in the 50m freestyle event.

In the boxing ring, the year started with an unprecedented gold rush and ended pretty much the same way as new heights were scaled with Olympic hero Vijender Singh once again leading the charge by clinching two gold medals and a bronze.

The season began with three gold medals in the South Asian Games in Dhaka in February.

Just a month later, the boxers landed half a dozen gold medals with a cracker of a performance in front of adoring home fans in the Commonwealth Championships.

Trading punches in front of crowds that generally don't turn up for non-cricket sporting events in India, Vijender (75kg), South Asian Games gold medallist Amandeep (49kg), Suranjoy (52kg), Asian silver medallist Jai Bhagwan (60kg), Olympian Dinesh Kumar (81kg) and Paramjeet Samota (+91kg) fetched gold to further enhance the sport's rising profile in

the country.

The championship, in fact, was just a prelude to a fantastic performance in the Commonwealth Games that were to follow six months later, again in the capital.

It turned out to be a bitter-sweet campaign in the end with Vijender settling for bronze after a controversial loss in the semifinals and defending champion Akhil Kumar (56kg) signing off without a medal following a quarterfinal defeat.

But Suranjoy, Manoj Kumar (64kg) and Paramjit Samota (+91kg) ensured that Indian boxing pulled off its best-ever performance in the Games history by notching up gold medals.

A month later at the Asian Games, the Indian boxers managed a brilliant haul of two gold, three silver and four bronze medals without showing any sign of fatigue. The twin golds -- bagged by Vijender and 18-year-old Vikas Krishan (60kg) -- were the first after Dingko Singh clinched the yellow metal in 1998.

The men had a consistently good run but in the women's arena it was only 'The Magnificent' M C Mary Kom who made an impression.

The Manipuri mother of two added an unprecedented fifth world championship title to her kitty but the rest of the women boxers flopped at the September event, fetching just a bronze to go with Mary Kom's gold.

At the shooting range, fortunes ebbed and flowed but Indian shooters, led by the mercurial Gagan Narang, experienced more highs than lows in a year that saw them clinch a record 30 medals in the Commonwealth Games.

A measly haul of eight medals in the Asian Games in Guangzhou following the high at home was the only blip in an otherwise satisfactory year.

Apart from Narang, there were quite a few others such as Hariom Singh, Ronjan Sodhi, Asher Noria and Tejaswani Sawant who also caught the attention with their exploits over the last 12 months.

Narang and Hariom won quota places for the London Olympics in 2012, Sodhi won gold in the ISSF World Cup in Turkey before repeating his feat in Guangzhou, while Sawant and junior world champion Noria were the two world record holders of the year.

Courtesy her gold in the World Championship in Munich, Sawant became the first woman shooter from India to win the yellow metal.

In tennis, emergence of a new men's singles hope in Somdev Devvarman and resurgence of an injury-ravaged Sania Mirza were the highlights of a memorable 2010.

The country can now look upon Somdev to be the sport's torchbearer in men's singles while the doubles scene also brightens up with the estranged pair of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi reuniting next year -- ending a nine-year separation on the ATP circuit.

Being in and out of the top-100 ranking, Somdev reached a career high of 94 this October and justified his growing stature at the international arena.

He ended the year on a perfect note, by becoming the first Indian to win a tennis singles gold medal at the Asian Games.

Some less talked about sports also made a mark.

Indian archers had some hits as well as misses as they became a force to reckon with, ahead of the London Olympics in two years time.

The emergence of 16-year-old Deepika Kumari and the stunning comeback by 2004 Olympian Tarundeep Rai after being in the sidelines for about two years were some high points of 2010.

Daughter of an autorickshaw driver in Ranchi, Deepika was the best performer in the Commonwealth Games when she clinched the gold in individual section and helped the team win another yellow metal.

Asian Games was though a heart-breaking experience for Deepika who faltered to finish fourth in individual section, but the Army archer Tarundeep scripted history by bagging the first ever silver in individual recurve as India also won a bronze medal each in men's and women's team events.

However, the archers bagged just eight medals -- three gold, one silver and four bronze -- of the 24 up for grabs in the CWG.

In cue sports, Pankaj Advani was yet again cynosure of all eyes with his gold medal win at the Guangzhou Asian Games.

But there were disappointments as well.

Dope menace ebbed a bit in weightlifting but the country's lifters produced below-par performances in the two multi-sporting events of the year -- Commonwealth Games and Asian Games -- in which they were allowed to take part only after paying a hefty fine to the international parent body.

The lifters could win just eight medals, including two gold, in the CWG, a far cry from the 27 -- 11 gold, nine silver and seven bronze -- in 2002 Manchester Games and less than the three gold, five silver and a bronze the country won in Melbourne in 2006.

On the football field, it was not smooth sailing on the field but off it there have been many positives for Indian football, especially the AIFF's Rs 700 crore commercial deal with IMG-Reliance that is expected to pave the way for a better future for the sport in the country.

The national team continued with its exposure trips to prepare for the Asian Cup next year, touring Portugal where the players got opportunities to train in world class facilities and play against the second and third division clubs in the Iberian country.

In the final analysis, year 2010 was a roller-coaster ride for Indian sports in which the highs clearly outnumbered the lows.

New year party can be till 5 am Govt clears in Mumbai

Mumbai: The government has permitted bars and restaurants to remain open all through the night on December 31 for new year celebrations in Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai but boat parties along the coast have been banned for the third time in a row due to the terror threat.

"The state excise department has allowed bars, hotels and restaurants to remain open till 5 am on January 1, 2011. Usually, these establishments are shut by 1:30 hours but due to the New Year celebrations, the norms have been relaxed," Joint Police Commissioner (Law and Order) Rajnish Seth said.

"Boat parties along the coastline have been banned as a precautionary measure in the wake of intelligence inputs. Earlier also, for two years, the boat parties were not allowed due to security reasons," Seth added.

Mumbai can party till 5 am for New Year: Govt

Loudspeakers will be allowed to play till midnight in an open ground, instead of the usual 10 pm deadline.

The hotels which conduct performances in their premises can also play loudspeakers till midnight, he added.

With inputs that four alleged members of Pakistan-based terror outfit LeT have sneaked into the city to carry out "violent" attacks during New Year celebrations, a tight security blanket has been thrown across the metropolis.

Vigil has been heightened to avert any terror threat emanating from land, air and water during the celebrations, police said today.

Roads near the iconic Taj Mahal Hotel, one of the sites of the 26/11 terror attacks near Gateway of India, have been closed for 15 days from December 23 and the area has been put under surveillance, police said, adding, parking on the roads around the Taj has also been prohibited for the same period.

Additional Police Commissioner Naval Bajaj said, "The inputs received in the past few days have prompted us to take unprecedented security measures to preempt any terror strikes during New Year celebrations,".

South Mumbai's Colaba area, particularly the places, including the Gateway of India, where large crowds are expected during the festivities, have been kept under surveillance through high resolution CCTVs, Bajaj said.

According to police, most of the possible terror targets are in south Mumbai. Security has been strengthened at vital installations, railway stations, crowded areas, religious places and consulates.

Barricades would be put up at the Gateway of India to separate families from single men to avoid eve-teasing, Bajaj said, adding that five watchtowers would also be installed.

Special Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad would be deployed near the spot and policemen stationed at the jetties to frisk persons sailing in boats and check baggage.

The sea-front up to five nautical miles would be guarded round the clock by police armed with advanced boats and sophisticated equipment, he said.

Police are also co-ordinating with Navy and Coast Guard officials who would conduct air surveillance, he said.