The Tourism Ministry has launched a Bed and Breakfast Scheme. Delhiites and those living in the National Capital Region can now rent out rooms in their house to tourists during the Commonwealth Games.

It can be called a a genius strategy when the city is still unprepared for hosting the Games. More than 1,000 rooms have already registered under the Bed and Breakfast Scheme and the govt hopes to give tourists a homemade taste of India.

With great interiors, top of the line facilities, well maintained bathrooms and smoke detectors. Many homes in Delhi are being readied for visiting tourists at next year's Commonwealth Games.

"India has a rich heritage and is known for treating guests as God. Atithi Devo Bhava (Guest is like God) is our slogan. This will cater to the budget tourists who will get to see Indian culture and in addition they can save on pockets also," explained Additional Secretary, Ministry Of Tourism, Sanjay Kothari.

Locals interested in signing up for the scheme and opening their homes to international tourists can enroll by paying a registration fees that ranges between Rs 3,000 and Rs, 5000.

The scheme solves to purposes. Not only does it help the govt to meet the room shortage in Delhi, it's also helps residents earn an extra buck.

"We will not have to pay any luxury tax, exemption from water and electricity, we can use on domestic rates and not on commercial rates," said a Delhi resident Jatander Sarup.

Homeowners will also have to provide their tenant tourist with breakfast every day.

The Tourism Department has now been advertising and promoting the Bed and Breakfast Scheme to a great extent. Of the 3,000 rooms it aims to achieve by 2010, around 1000 have already registered for the games.

Though smoking is expected to kill six million people worldwide and drain $500 billion from the global economy this year, the meltdown will barely dent this pernicious habit, according to a new report.

The third edition of The Tobacco Atlas, co-authored by Michael Eriksen, director of Georgia State University Institute of Public Health was launched in Mumbai at the 14th World Conference on Tobacco or Health this week. The atlas lays out a comprehensive picture of global tobacco use, regulations, financial costs and health tolls.

In an economic downturn, products seen as giving comfort in the midst of stress tend to sell very well. Tobacco is no exception.

"It's not well understood, but as people lose jobs, the unemployed and others affected by tough economic times may rely on 'affordable pleasures'," Eriksen said. "The irony is that the more deprived someone is, people will rely on simple pleasures that are unfortunately deadly pleasures."

Since the last edition of the atlas was released in 2006, changes in issues around global tobacco use have been a mixed bag, Eriksen said.

Positive changes include the relatively rapid ratification of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the world's first public health treaty developed by the World Health Organisation.

The treaty obliges signatories to commit to actions such as advertising bans and indoor clean air laws to stymie tobacco use, illness and death. Excluding the United States, 163 nations have ratified the treaty.

Another positive outcome has been the $500 million investment by Bill Gates and Michael Bloomberg's philanthropic activities in tobacco control.

On the other hand, tobacco companies since 2006 have been able to adapt to changes, and continue to profit from a preventable cause of illness and death, to the tune of $30 billion in profits.

"At one level, they have figured out how to work in a new regulatory environment," Eriksen said, "and on another level, there are active attempts to undermine nations' attempts to fulfill their obligations around the treaty."

Following the death of medical student Aman Kachroo as a result of ragging, the Supreme Court has upped its ante against the menace.

A spate of ragging cases in the last few weeks has made the court issue notices to the colleges in question.

On March 8, 2009, a promising life was snuffed out. 19-year-old Aman Kachroo, a student at the Dr Rajendra Prasad Medical College in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh was allegedly beaten to death by three seniors and an intern. The boy was ‘punished’ because he complained about being ragged.

Barely three days later, another case of ragging was reported from an engineering college in Bapatla in Andhra Pradesh.

A first year student of the college attempted suicide after she was forced to strip and dance by five seniors.

The Supreme Court has now taken cognisance of the two cases.

It has issued contempt notices to the principal and registrar of both the colleges, asking why action should not be taken against them

The court also asked the Medical Council of India to determine if there was any negligence on the part of doctors in providing treatment to Aman Kachroo.

The DGPs of Andhra Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh have been asked to file affidavits on whether criminal cases have been registered

The families of the victims have welcomed the court's move.

Aman’s father, Rajendra Kachru said, “The message has gone out very clear that this will not be tolerated. Ragging, crime in the form of ragging will not be tolerated.”

The University Grants Commission meanwhile wants to implement new regulations by the first week of April, to check ragging.

UGC Chairman Sukhdeo Thorat said, “We have guidelines which have been put up on the website for the enforcement by the colleges and the educational institutions. But we also realise that it is necessary that we convert those guidelines into regulations so that they are legally enforceable.”

An earlier Supreme Court recommendation to make ragging a punishable offence under the IPC is still pending with the government.

Therefore, in the absence of a comprehensive law, it is now up to the universities to ensure that anti-ragging regulations are in place.