After missing
IPL I with a
stress fracture,
Sudeep Tyagi
did justice to
his billing as
one of the
most promising
youngsters in
the country at
IPL II

ver wondered if your sham- poo has blinded a rabbit? Not many consumers are

aware that multi-national cosmetic giants outsource grotes- que animal torture to India be- cause it\u2019s less expensive here. Gandhi would\u2019ve been repulsed, and so will anyone who learns what \u2018testing\u2019 involves.

Sample this eye-irritancy test for shampoo: \u201cLaboratories use albino rabbits because they have large, sensitive eyes. Their eyelids are held open with clips while workers drip chemicals into their eyes. The rabbits are usually not given any pain killers - some rab- bits break their backs as they struggle to escape the pain. After placing the chemical in the rab- bits\u2019 eyes, the testers write down the damage it causes, which in- cludes swelling, burning, blister- ing, and blindness\u201d. Glossy commercials for shinier hair or

softer lips wouldn\u2019t dare tell their consumers about the horror that takes place behind the scenes.

\u201cAlternatives to animal testing include cell cultures (just a collec- tion of tiny cells, not a whole ani- mal). They\u2019re cheaper and produce faster, more accurate re- sults than animal tests, which means they\u2019re safer for people too. Companies can also use in- gredients or combinations of in- gredients that have already been proven harmless, or use natural ingredients,\u201d says PETA. On Thursday, activists staged a unique protest targeting the Min- istry of Health and shoppers, dressed as club-wielding cave people and carrying signs that read: \u201cMinistry of Health: Stuck in the Stone Age. Ban Cosmetic Testing on Animals.\u201d

Check the labels of all cosmet- ics and detergents you buy \u2013 some will have a \u2018rabbit\u2019 sign that says \u2018not tested on animals\u2019. Some cruelty-free companies are yet to adopt the \u2018rabbit\u2019 symbol, so check out www.caringconsu- mer.com for an exhaustive list of companies that do and don\u2019t test (in downloadable pdf format). If you want to do more, shoot off an

Alternatives to animal
testing include cell
cultures (just a
collection of tiny cells,
not a whole animal)

email to the heads of cosmetic companies that test on our furry friends, telling them you\u2019ll boy- cott their products until they adopt alternative testing.

\u201cIn the 21st century, people can choose to be cruel or kind,\u201d says PETA\u2019s Dharmesh Solanki. \u201cWith so many humane and scienti\ufb01cal- ly valid alternatives available, there is no excuse for using ani- mals to test cosmetics products.\u201d

opportunity to take a career break and
add some additional skills to your resume.
Keeping this in mind B-Schools have
introduced different programmes to attract
young professionals.
Chennai Business School (CBS), a
management school started to offer
industry-focused management programmes,
has introduced courses to help IT
professionals acquire multi skills. These
short-term programmes include: IS/IT course
covering project management and pre-sales/
business development/proposal writing.
Other domain related courses include
manufacturing, insurance, retail, banking,
\ufb01nancial services and telecom.
For professionals who are on a sabbatical or
those who prefer a full-time course, CBS has
programmes in different verticals.
For further details log on to www.cbs.org.in
or call 42424242.

\u25a0Amar Toothpaste
\u25a0Anuraah Soap
\u25a0Aroma Therapy
\u25a0Bath and Body Works
\u25a0Biotique International
\u25a0Body Shop
\u25a0Chambor Cosmetics
\u25a0Chandrika Soap
\u25a0Fa Cosmetics
\u25a0Henkel India Ltd
\u25a0Jainson Pharmaceuticals

\u25a0MAC Cosmetics
\u25a0Neem Toothpaste
\u25a0Nike Deodorants
\u25a0Revlon Cosmetics
\u25a0Schwarzkopf
\u25a0Shahnaz Husain
\u25a0Snowhite Soaps & Allied

Titan is celebrating its one-year partnership with
WWF - India with the launch of \u2018Red Panda
watch\u2019. This unisex watch has been crafted to
detail in consultation with WWF and is available
at Titan stores.

n a shocking incident in Chitlapakkam near Tamba- ram on Wednesday morn- ing,

split air-conditioner that caught \ufb01re resulted in the death of an 18- month-old girl. The toddler\u2019s mother, who was also injured in the incident, is battling for life in a city hospital.

According to Chitlapakkam police, the deceased Monisha, her mother Srivalli (34) and brother Nagarjuna alias Vicky (8) were asleep in their home in

MMDA Nagar, Chitlapakkam, when the incident occurred around 6 a.m. Hearing cries from inside the house, neigh- bours rushed in and attempted to break open the door with a crowbar. When this failed, they broke open the bedroom win- dow and thick black smoke emerged from inside.

The charred body of the child was found inside the bedroom when the neighbours entered, while Srivalli suffered severe burns and was rushed to Go- vernment Kilpauk Medical Col- lege Hospital, said a constable from Chitlapakkam police sta- tion. However, Nagarjuna es-

The room was found com- pletely burnt and soot covered the walls and ceiling

Police suspect that a technical snag in the indoor unit of the split AC led to the \ufb01re. As the inmates of the house were asleep in the early hours of the morning when the \ufb01re broke out, they were caught unawares and had little time to react.

The victim\u2019s father, Shanmu- ganathan alias Ramesh (40), a chemical engineer with a pri- vate \ufb01rm in Chennai, had gone to Singapore on work and is ex- pected to return soon.\u25a0

Family caught unawares as
\ufb01re broke out in the wee
hours of Wednesday

Tomorrow is World Environment Day. The United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP) has themed this year\u2019s WED as
\u2018Your Planet Needs You-UNite to Combat Climate Change\u2019. Are
you doing your bit to save the environment?

WikiCamp and BlogCamp, The Knowledge Foundation is gearing up to organise the Twitter Camp. Twitter is a \u201cfree social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read other users updates known as tweets\u201d.

\u2018Buzz 140\u2019 will be a one-day unconference, which will edu- cate enthusiasts on Twitter, discuss topics, issues and de- velopment around Twitter. The

conference promises to cover as much events happening in the Twit- ter community \u2013 do\u2019s and don\u2019t\u2019s of Tweeting, life before and after Twitter, Twitter pro- jects and Twitter in other lan- guages, to name a few.

The event is free and open to all Twitter enthusiasts. The other surprise element of the camp is a tech quiz on Twitter, which will be organised by In- dian Quizzing League. The camp will be held on June 21 at Photon Infotech Pvt. Ltd, No 2/102, Photon Towers, OMR, Karapakkam.