The recent legislative clamour to appeal for clemency for condemned prisoners in the Rajiv Gandh assassination case has led to the question - what happens to people on death row who don't have the support or backing to appeal for clemency?

A petition filed by one such condemned prisoner Devender Pal Singh Bhullar, a Khalistan Liberation Front militant, challenged the 8 year delay by the Centre to decide upon his mercy plea.

A Bench of Justices of the Supreme Court responded saying such petitions should be decided by looking into constitutional issues, because, of 20 odd people on death row, some do have the backing needed to move ahead, which in itself is questionable, as what happens to the others who do not have the backing or support?

In Bhullar's case President Pratibha Patil on the advice of the UPA government, rejected Bhullar's mercy plea. Bhullar also pleaded mental illness and was admitted to the Institute of Human Behaviour for the psychotic disorder he developed caused by being kept on death row for years.

Bhullar's case is supposed to now be heard in a few weeks.

The question still remains - what happens to others on death row who do not have the support to appeal for clemency?

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Some 250 types of freshwater fish found in Kerala are soon to get Malayalam names.

Scientists, naturalists and local fisherfolk in Kerala are coming together for a daylong workshop, organised by the Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB) and the Department of Aquatic Biology of Kerala University, to build a register for all the village bodies that will eliminate the problems in documenting the fish types.

Mushi, Braal and Thillopia are some of the well known fish breeds found in Kerala's 44 rivers.

When finalising the Malayalam names, consideration will be given to the present names and features of the fish including their shape, colour and behavioural patterns.

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India has successfully test-fired its surface to surface ballistic missile, Shourya.

The 600-km-range supersonic missile was launched from a canister at the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur, Orissa. It reached its target within a few metres of accuracy.

Director of the test range S P Dash, said the launch went off perfectly. It was tracked and monitored by radar stations, telemetry stations and electro optical stations along the east coast.

The missile, that is meant to give the Indian Army a credible second strike capability, is part of ongoing technology development work undertaken by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

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India's velvet voiced ghazal singer Jagjit Singh 70, was admitted to hospital in Mumbai after he suffered a brain hemorrhage and is in critical condition.

Doctors performed live-saving surgery on him and now have him under observation.

He was scheduled to perform at a concert in Mumbai on the day after he took ill.

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According to the Indian Council of Medical Research, cancer caused by the use of tobacco is 44.4% of all cancers in men in Kolkata.

Other cities with a high incidence of tobacco caused cancer are Chennai at 41.4%, Delhi 39.4% and Mumbai 39.2%.

Among women, Chennai records the highest number of tobacco related cancers at 15.2%, followed by Mumbai 13.5%, Kolkata 12.3% and Delhi 11%.

The incidence of tobacco associated cancers is also acute in Bangalore and Pune.

Experts say in most societies smoking is more prevalent in men than in women, but more men than women are giving up and the number of female smokers is rising.

The WHO says smoking is the world's leading cause of preventable death. It causes 1 in 10 deaths among adults worldwide. Second hand tobacco smoke is equally dangerous. Women make up 20% of the world's 1 billion plus smokers.

After China, India is the second biggest producer of tobacco and the fourth biggest exporter of unmanufactured tobacco.

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