title: Curt Schilling

text: On April 20, 2016, ESPN announced that they had fired Schilling after he shared an "anti-transgender" Facebook post, saying, "ESPN is an inclusive company. Curt Schilling has been advised that his conduct was unacceptable and his employment with ESPN has been terminated." Schilling's social media post came shortly after passage of the North Carolina transgender restroom law. In September 2017, Schilling accused ESPN of a double standard when reporter Jemele Hill was not fired or suspended following a controversial social media post about Donald Trump. In an on-air phone interview with CNN, Schilling defended Hill's right to speak her mind, then stated, "I wasn't fired for speaking my mind; I was fired for being a conservative."


title: Candidates in the 2022 Philippine Senate election

text: The Commission on Elections has published a final list of accepted candidates which are now included in the printed ballots.


text: The following have filed certificates of candidacies, formally notifying the commission that they are running.


text: Various personalities have directly or indirectly hinted on the possibility of running for senator in 2022. In other cases, sources have hinted on the possibility of certain candidates to run for senator in 2022. These were such people, but did not file candidacies for senator:


text: Individuals below have been speculated to run in this election, but have since denied their interest in running.


title: Mogwai

text: Mogwai () are a Scottish post-rock band, formed in 1995 in Glasgow. The band consists of Stuart Braithwaite (guitar, vocals), Barry Burns (guitar, piano, synthesizer, vocals), Dominic Aitchison (bass guitar), and Martin Bulloch (drums). Mogwai typically compose lengthy guitar-based instrumental pieces that feature dynamic contrast, melodic bass guitar lines, and heavy use of distortion and effects.


title: Mogwai

text: The band were for several years signed to Glasgow label Chemikal Underground, and have been distributed by different labels such as Matador in the US and Play It Again Sam in the UK, but now use their own label Rock Action Records in the UK, and Temporary Residence Ltd. in North America.


title: Mogwai

text: Mogwai's tenth album, "As the Love Continues", reached No. 1 in the UK Albums Chart on 26 February 2021.


title: Mogwai

text: Stuart Braithwaite and Dominic Aitchison met in April 1991, and four years later formed Mogwai with old schoolfriend Martin Bulloch. The band's name comes from the name of the creatures in the feature film "Gremlins", although guitarist Stuart Braithwaite comments that "it has no significant meaning and we always intended on getting a better one, but like a lot of other things we never got round to it." The word "mogwai" means "evil spirit" or "devil" in Cantonese.


title: Mogwai

text: The band debuted in February 1996 with the "Tuner"/"Lower" single and by the end of the year they received 'single of the week' from "NME" for "Summer", a feat repeated early in 1997 with "New Paths to Helicon". After playing a few shows the band expanded with the introduction of John Cummings on guitar, and then Teenage Fanclub drummer Brendan O'Hare joined while they recorded their debut album "Mogwai Young Team".


title: Mogwai

text: The album, released in October 1997, reached No. 75 on the UK Albums Chart, and featured a guest appearance from Aidan Moffat of Arab Strap. In 1998 the band had their first singles chart success with a split single with Magoo of Black Sabbath cover versions reaching No. 60 in the UK and an EP of "Fear Satan" remixes reaching No. 57. In the same year, an album of remixes of the band's tracks by the likes of Kevin Shields, Alec Empire, and μ-ziq was issued (""). The band also remixed tracks for David Holmes and Manic Street Preachers. O'Hare was sacked after the release of the album (reportedly after upsetting the rest of the band by talking all through a performance by Arab Strap).


title: Mogwai

text: Barry Burns was brought in prior to the recording of "Come On Die Young", the band's second album. He had already played a few shows with the band, as a flautist and as an occasional pianist. According to Stuart, Barry was invited into the band because he was a "good laugh". The album reached No. 29 in the UK. The band line up remained unchanged from 1998 until November 2015, when John Cummings left to pursue other projects. Fellow Scottish musician Luke Sutherland has contributed violin (and more recently vocals and guitar) to Mogwai's records and live performances.


title: Mogwai

text: The band's 2001 album "Rock Action" gave them their highest UK album chart placing, reaching No. 23. The album was less guitar-led than previously, featuring more electronics; a larger than usual number of tracks also featured vocals, guest vocalists included David Pajo of Slint, Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals and Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol. Shortly afterwards the band released "My Father My King", a cacophonous 20-minute song which closed their "Rock Action"-period shows, and was billed as a companion piece to the album.


title: Mogwai

text: Mogwai's 2003 album "Happy Songs for Happy People" continued the band's movement into the use of electronica and more spacious arrangements. It was the band's first album to sell in any numbers in the US, reaching No. 13 on the Billboard Independent Albums Chart and even spending one week in the "Billboard" 200. Reviews were generally favourable, although as Pitchfork Media said in 2008 "...(the album's) reception ranged from middling to favorable. Some praised the band's scope, grandeur, and willingness to explore beyond the bounds of the quiet-loud-louder dynamic it had mastered; others lamented a lack of the same, alternately calling Happy Songs too soft, too small, or too stiff."


title: Mogwai

text: In March 2006, the album "Mr Beast" was released in a regular format and in a limited deluxe edition package that came with both the album on CD and a DVD documenting the recording process entitled "The Recording of Mr Beast". The album was described by Creation Records head Alan McGee as "probably the best art rock album I've been involved with since Loveless. In fact, it's possibly better than Loveless" – referring to the influential 1991 album by My Bloody Valentine. AllMusic called the album "Possibly the most accessible yet sophisticated album Mogwai (have) released".


title: Mogwai

text: The band's sixth studio album was recorded from late 2007 until early 2008, and was released in September 2008. It was the first Mogwai album not to feature vocals, and was also the first to be self-produced by the band; the album was recorded by Andy Miller at Chem19 Studios in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, and mixed by Gareth Jones at Castle of Doom Studios in Glasgow. The album spawned an EP, "Batcat", featuring the title track from the album and also a collaboration with Roky Erickson, with Erickson providing vocals on "Devil Rides".


title: Mogwai

text: In 2010 the band released their first live film ("Burning", filmed by Vincent Moon and Nathanaël Le Scouarnec, which premiered at the Glasgow Film Festival in February) and live album (called "Special Moves"). "Burning" contains eight tracks from the band's Brooklyn shows during their 2008/2009 American tour, whilst "Special Moves" adds nine more tracks from the same source. "Special Moves" was the first release on Mogwai's own Rock Action records, named after Stooges drummer Scott Asheton, who had his name changed to Rock Action.


title: Mogwai

text: In September 2010, Mogwai left longtime North American distributor Matador Records, and signed with Sub Pop. Braithwaite also stated that the band were working on material for a new album for release in early 2011. On 27 October 2010, Mogwai announced their seventh studio album, "Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will". The album was released on 14 February 2011 in the UK and entered the UK Albums Chart at No. 25. A bonus edition featured an additional CD featuring a 23-minute piece called "Music for a Forgotten Future (The Singing Mountain)", which was recorded for an art installation by Douglas Gordon and Olaf Nicolai. Three singles were released from the album; "Rano Pano", "Mexican Grand Prix" and "San Pedro".


title: Mogwai

text: In 2012 a remix album, "A Wrenched Virile Lore" was released which included tracks from "Hardcore..." remixed by numerous artists including Xander Harris, The Soft Moon, Robert Hampson and Justin Broadrick. The album, whose title is almost an anagram of "Hardcore Will Never Die" was again released by Sub Pop in the US, and Rock Action Records elsewhere.


title: Mogwai

text: In July 2013, Mogwai performed their to "" for the first time at dates across the UK. An announcement of new live dates followed, including two nights at the Royal Festival Hall, and an appearance closing the final holiday camp edition of the "All Tomorrow's Parties" festival in Camber Sands, England.


title: Mogwai

text: They announced their eighth studio album "Rave Tapes" on 28 October 2013. The album was released on 20 January 2014 on Rock Action in the UK, Spunk in Australia and Hostess in Japan and South-east Asia, while Sub Pop released the album in the US on 21 January. "Rave Tapes" was produced by Mogwai and Paul Savage, and the song "Remurdered" was uploaded to the Rock Action and Sub Pop SoundCloud pages at the time of the announcement. The album entered the UK Albums Chart at No. 10 and, as of April 2014, was the best selling UK album released in 2014 in terms of vinyl sales.


title: Mogwai

text: An EP titled "Music Industry 3. Fitness Industry 1." on Rock Action was released on 1 December 2014 featuring three new tracks from the "Rave Tapes" sessions, along with three remixes of tracks from that album by Blanck Mass, Pye Corner Audio and Nils Frahm. The EP was recorded in Glasgow with Paul Savage.


title: Mogwai

text: In June 2015 Mogwai played a series of high-profile shows in the UK and Ireland, climaxing with two nights at the Camden Roundhouse, to celebrate the band's 20th anniversary. At the same time, in association with ATP, they curated a series of shows at the London venue featuring acts that have "challenged, intrigued and inspired" them, including The Jesus and Mary Chain, Public Enemy, and Godspeed! You Black Emperor. A career retrospective album comprising three CDs or six LPs, "Central Belters", was released on 23 October.


title: Mogwai

text: On 15 November 2015, the band announced that guitarist John Cummings had left to pursue his own projects.


title: Mogwai

text: In April 2016, Braithwaite told the "Guardian" that the band were writing new songs and would be travelling to the US later in the year to record a new album with Dave Fridmann, who produced "Rock Action" some 15 years previously. On 25 November, Fridmann announced that the band had started recording the album with him. On 3 March 2017, the band announced that they had completed recording and were mastering the album at Abbey Road Studios. The band have announced a worldwide tour to coincide with the release of the new album, starting with dates in Europe in October before visiting North America in November, and finally playing in their home city of Glasgow in December.


title: Mogwai

text: On 14 May 2017, the band announced the new album would be named "Every Country's Sun" and would be released on 1 September 2017. They also shared the first song "Coolverine". On 2 June, Mogwai played a show at Primavera Sound festival in Barcelona, only announced on the day, which consisted of "Every Country's Sun" played in full.


title: Mogwai

text: On 29 October 2020, Mogwai announced a new album, "As the Love Continues", which went on to reach No. 1 in the UK Albums Chart on 26 February 2021. The lead single, "Dry Fantasy", was premiered on BBC Radio 6 and made available for download the same day. On 13 February, the weekend before the album's release on 19 February, the band streamed a show recorded at Glasgow Tramway where they played the album in full. Following a social media campaign asking various celebrities to promote it, the album entered the UK chart at No. 1 in its first week of release, a position that the band called "totally surreal". "As the Love Continues" was nominated for the Mercury Prize, which honours the best of British music, in 2021. The album won the 2021 Scottish Album of the Year Award.


title: Mogwai

text: In 2006, the band provided the soundtrack to the film "", with the soundtrack album released the following year. The band's songs "Auto Rock" and "We're No Here" were used in Michael Mann's 2006 film "Miami Vice". The band also collaborated with Clint Mansell and Kronos Quartet on the soundtrack to "The Fountain" in 2006. Mogwai are also featured in the 2009 post-rock documentary "Introspective". The band donated an exclusive track to the "PEACE" project in April 2010 in support of Amnesty International. In 2012, the band provided the soundtrack for the Canal+ French TV series "Les Revenants" (broadcast as "The Returned" in the UK). The album, "Les Revenants", was released on 25 February 2013. The track "Kids Will Be Skeletons" was featured as part of the soundtrack of the story based video game "Life Is Strange".


title: Mogwai

text: In 2015 the band supplied the music for Mark Cousins' documentary "Atomic, Living in Dread and Promise". The soundtrack was reworked and released as "Atomic" on 1 April 2016, through Rock Action Records. The band carried out an extensive live tour of Europe and Japan performing the soundtrack against a backdrop of the screening of the film, beginning in Austria on 1 May 2016. They then announced a North American tour of the album for January 2017. The band also co-wrote the score to Fisher Stevens' 2016 documentary film about climate change Before the Flood. The score was performed and written by Mogwai, Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, and Gustavo Santaolalla.


title: Mogwai

text: In 2016 Braithwaite took part in a documentary about Glasgow music, and Chemikal Underground Records, called Lost in France. The film was directed by Niall McCann and brought Braithwaite (along with members of The Delgados, Franz Ferdinand and others) to Mauron, Brittany, to recreate a gig they played just after Mogwai had formed. The film features Mogwai live, as well as footage of Braithwaite playing Mogwai tracks solo and interviews with Braithwaite and his old label-mates such as Alex Kapranos (Franz Ferdinand), Emma Pollock (The Delgados) and Stewart Henderson (The Delgados). It premiered at the Edinburgh International Film Festival to positive reviews and was called "Funny, vital and sobering" by Scotland's arts magazine The Skinny.


title: Mogwai

text: In August 2018 Mogwai released the soundtrack for the movie Kin, and in May 2020 the soundtrack for the 2020 Sky Italia & Amazon Prime series "ZeroZeroZero". As an extra Mogwai released in 2014 their own whisky brand, a year later they even tried out a (limited edition) spirits brand of rum. In July 2022 Mogwai released the soundtrack for the Apple TV+ series Black Bird.


title: Mogwai

text: The band's influences include Fugazi, MC5, My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth, Pixies, The Cure and post-rock pioneers Slint, and Braithwaite also listed guitarist John McGeoch as an inspiration. Mogwai's style has easily identifiable connections to genres such as shoegaze, math rock, and art rock. Debut album "Mogwai Young Team" was described as "stunningly dynamic...[shifting] seamlessly from tranquil, bleakly beautiful soundscapes to brain scrambling white noise and sledgehammer riffing". Douglas Wolk, writing for "SPIN" in 1999 said of the band: "Their compositions have gotten increasingly drawn-out and austere over time, sometimes barely more than a single arpeggiated chord or two evolving for ten minutes or more, whisperingly brutal in a way that recalls Slint more than any other band". Barry Burns once stated in an interview that he and the rest of the band do not like the categorisation of post-rock because he believes it over-analyses everything.


title: Mogwai

text: Their strong international fanbase is based, in part, on the band's music being largely lyric-free. Braithwaite has commented on the absence of lyrics in most of Mogwai's music, saying:


title: Jack Frost

text: Jack Frost is a personification of frost, ice, snow, sleet, winter, and freezing cold. He is a variant of Old Man Winter who is held responsible for frosty weather, nipping the fingers and toes in such weather, coloring the foliage in autumn, and leaving fern-like patterns on cold windows in winter.


title: Jack Frost

text: Starting in late 19th century literature, more developed characterizations of Jack Frost depict him as a sprite-like character, sometimes appearing as a sinister mischief-maker or as a hero.


title: Jack Frost

text: Jack Frost is traditionally said to leave the frosty, fern-like patterns on windows on cold winter mornings (window frost or fern frost) and nipping the extremities in cold weather. Over time, window frost has become far less prevalent in the modern world due to the advance of double-glazing, but Jack Frost remains a well-known figure in popular culture. He is sometimes described or depicted with paint brush and bucket coloring the autumnal foliage red, yellow, brown, and orange.


title: Jack Frost

text: Tales of Jack Frost may originate from Anglo-Saxon and Norse winter customs. Jack has an entire chapter named after him in Kalevala, the Finnish national epic compiled from their ancient oral tradition.


title: Jack Frost

text: There are various other mythological beings who take on a similar role yet have a unique folklore to them. In Russia, he has taken on a different form as Grandfather Frost, and in Germany there is instead a different entity altogether known as Mrs. Holle. The Hindu Kush mountain range is named after stories of a resident giant who would kill ("kesh") those who attempted to pass, and has been compared to England's Jack Frost.


title: Jack Frost

text: The earliest reference to Jack Frost in literature is in the book 'Round About Our Coal Fire, or Christmas Entertainments' published in 1734.


title: Jack Frost

text: Jack Frost is mentioned in many songs – such as the wintertime song "The Christmas Song" (aka "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire") – and movies. He has been presented as a villain in some media and a hero in others.


title: States of Nigeria

text: Nigeria is a federation of 36 states and 1 federal capital territory. Each of the 36 states is a semi-autonomous political unit that shares powers with the federal government as enumerated under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Federal Capital Territory (FCT), is the capital territory of Nigeria, and it is in this territory that the capital city of Abuja is located. The FCT is not a state but is administered by elected officials who are supervised by the federal government. Each state is subdivided into local government areas (LGAs). There are 774 local governments in Nigeria. Under the constitution, the 36 states are co-equal but not supreme because sovereignty resides with the federal government. The constitution can be amended by the National Assembly, but each amendment must be ratified by two-thirds of the 36 states of the federation.


title: States of Nigeria

text: States of Nigeria have the right to organize and structure their individual governments in any way within the parameters set by the Constitution of Nigeria.


title: States of Nigeria

text: At the state level, the legislature is unicameral, with the number of its members equal to three times the number of legislators it has in the Federal House of Representatives. It has the power to legislate on matters on the concurrent list.


title: States of Nigeria

text: At the state level, the head of the executive is the governor, who has the power to appoint people to the state executive council, subject to the advice and consent of the state house of assembly (legislature). The head of a ministry at the state level is the commissioner, who is assisted by a permanent secretary, who is also a senior civil servant of the state.


title: States of Nigeria

text: The judiciary is one of the co-equal arms of the state government concerned with the interpretation of the laws of the state government. The judiciary is headed by the chief justice of the state appointed by the governor subject to the approval of the state house of assembly.


title: States of Nigeria

text: States And Capital In Nigeria, Their Slogans & Current Governors A comprehensive list of all states in Nigeria and their current governors.


title: Shani

text: Shani (, ), or Shanaishchara (, ), refers to the divine personification of the planet Saturn in Hinduism, and is one of the nine heavenly objects (Navagraha) in Hindu astrology. Shani is also a male Hindu deity in the Puranas, whose iconography consists of a black figure carrying a sword or danda (sceptre) and sitting on a Crow. He is the god of "Karma (deeds), "justice, and retribution and delivers results depending upon one's thoughts, speech, and deeds (karma). Shani is the controller of longevity, misery, sorrow, old age, discipline, restriction, responsibility, delays, ambition, leadership, authority, humility, integrity, and wisdom born of experience. He also signifies spiritual asceticism, penance, discipline, and conscientious work. He married twice, first to Neela, the personification of the Blue Sapphire gemstone and second to Manda, a Gandharva princess.


title: Shani

text: "Shani" as a planet appears in various Hindu astronomical texts in Sanskrit, such as the 5th century "Aryabhatiya" by Aryabhatta, the 6th-century "Romaka" by Latadeva and "Pancha Siddhantika" by Varahamihira, the 7th century "Khandakhadyaka" by Brahmagupta and the 8th century "Sisyadhivrddida" by Lalla. These texts present Shani as one of the planets and estimate the characteristics of the respective planetary motion. Other texts such as Surya Siddhanta dated to have been complete sometime between the 5th century and 10th century present their chapters on various planets as divine knowledge linked to deities.


title: Shani

text: The manuscripts of these texts exist in slightly different versions, present Shani's motion in the skies, but vary in their data, suggesting that the text were open and revised over their lives. The texts slightly disagree in their data, in their measurements of Shani's revolutions, apogee, epicycles, nodal longitudes, orbital inclination, and other parameters. For example, both "Khandakhadyaka" and "Surya Siddhanta" of Varaha state that Shani completes 146,564 revolutions on its own axis every 4,320,000 earth years, an Epicycle of Apsis as 60 degrees, and had an apogee (aphelia) of 240 degrees in 499 CE; while another manuscript of "Soorya Siddhantha" revises the revolutions to 146,568, the apogee to 236 degrees and 37 seconds and the Epicycle to about 49 degrees.


title: Shani

text: The 1st millennium CE Hindu scholars had estimated the time it took for sidereal revolutions of each planet including Shani, from their astronomical studies, with slightly different results:


title: Shani

text: Shani is depicted wearing blue or black robes, having dark complexion and riding a vulture or on an iron chariot drawn by eight horses. He holds in his hands a bow, an arrow, an axe and a trident. He is canonically represented riding on a large crow which follows him wherever he goes. Some astrologers believe he has more than one mount such as a horse, elephant, donkey, lion, dog, jackal, deer and vulture, although this is controversial.


title: Shani

text: Shani is believed to be the incarnation of Krishna according to Brahma Vaivarta Purana where Krishna said that he is "Shani among planets". He is also called "Saneeswar" meaning "Lord of Saturn" and is designated the task of granting the fruits of one's action, thus becoming the most feared amongst Hindu astrological gods. He is often the most misunderstood deity in the Hindu Pantheon as he is said to cause persistent chaos in one's life, and is known to be milder if worshipped.


title: Shani

text: Shani is the root for name for the day Saturday in many other Indian languages. In modern Hindi, Odia, Telugu, Bengali, Marathi, Urdu, Kannada and Gujarati, Saturday is called "Shanivaar"; Tamil: "Sani kizhamai"; Malayalam: "Shaniyazhcha"; Thai: "Wạn s̄eār̒" (วันเสาร์).


title: Shani

text: "Shani" is the basis for "Shanivara" – one of the seven days that make a week in the Hindu calendar. This day corresponds to Saturday – after Saturn – in the Greco-Roman convention for naming the days of the week. "Shani" is considered to be the most malefic planet that brings restrictions and misfortunes.


title: Shani

text: Shani is part of the Navagraha in Hindu zodiac system, considered malefic, associated with spiritual asceticism, penance, discipline and conscientious work. The role and importance of the Navagraha developed over time with various influences. Deifying planetary bodies and their astrological significance occurred as early as the Vedic period and was recorded in the Vedas. The earliest work of astrology recorded in India is the Vedanga Jyotisha which began to be compiled in the 14th century BCE. It was possibly based on works from the Indus Valley Civilization as well as various foreign influences. Babylonian astrology which was the first astrology and calendar to develop, and was adopted by multiple civilizations including India. The classical planets, including Saturn.


title: Shani

text: The Navagraha developed from early works of astrology over time. Saturn and various classical planets were referenced in the Atharvaveda around 1000 BCE. The Navagraha was furthered by additional contributions from Western Asia, including Zoroastrian and Hellenistic influences. The Yavanajataka, or 'Science of the Yavanas', was written by the Indo-Greek named "Yavanesvara" ("Lord of the Greeks") under the rule of the Western Kshatrapa king Rudrakarman I. The Yavanajataka written in 120 CE is often attributed to standardizing Indian astrology. The Navagraha would further develop and culminate in the Shaka era with the Saka or Scythian, people. Additionally the contributions by the Saka people would be the basis of the Indian national calendar, which is also called the Saka calendar.


title: Shani

text: The Hindu calendar is a Lunisolar calendar which records both lunar and solar cycles. Like the Navagraha, it was developed with the successive contributions of various works.


title: Shani

text: Planet "Shani" rules over both zodiac signs, Capricorn and Aquarius, two of the twelve constellations in the zodiac system of Hindu astrology. If "Shani" rules over your zodiac sign, it is said you must wear a ring with a stone made of Blue Sapphire.


title: Shani

text: "Shani" is a deity in medieval era texts, who is considered inauspicious and is feared for delivering misfortune and loss to those who deserve it. He is also capable of conferring boons and blessings to the worthy, depending upon their karma. In medieval Hindu literature, he is mainly referred to as the son of Surya and Chhaya, or in few accounts as the son of Balarama and Revati. His alternate names include Ara", "Kona and Kroda. As per the Hindu texts, 'peepal' or fig tree is the abode of Shani (while other texts associate the same tree with Vasudeva). He is also believed to be the greatest teacher who rewards the righteous acts and punishes those who follow the path of evil, Adharma and betrayal.


title: Shani

text: In 2013, a 20-foot-tall statue of Lord "Shani" was established at Yerdanur in the mandal of Sangareddy, Medak district, Telangana, nearly 40 kilometers from Hyderabad city. It was carved from a Monolith and weighs about nine tonnes.


title: Shani

text: "English: "Om kaakadhwajaaya vidmahae khadga hastaaya dheemahi tanno mandah prachodayaat<nowiki>"</nowiki>"


title: Shani

text: Translation: Om, Let me meditate on him who has crow in his flag, Oh, He who has a sword in his hand, give me higher intellect, And let Saneeswara illuminate my mind.


title: Shani

text: On Saturdays, it is believed that one should worship Lord Shani to keep oneself away from evil and to reduce the hardships of life as he blesses those who willingly and voluntarily donate to the poor without seeking anything in return.


title: Shani

text: Shani puja is usually done to keep one safe from Lord Shani's malefic effects. On Saturday, the devotee also fasts from dawn to dusk. Wake up early in the morning and take oil bath after applying sesame oil on your body. After bath, wear black clothes for the day. On the whole day, use Sesame oil for lighting lamp.


title: Shani

text: Shani temples are found in more populated areas of India, such as Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh.


title: Shani

text: Shani Shingnapur Dham in particular is a famous holy place associated with Lord Shani, the deity. Shani Shinganapur or Shingnapur is a village in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Situated in Nevasa taluka in Ahmednagar district, the village is known for its popular temple of Shani, the Hindu god associated with the planet Saturn. Shingnapur is 35 km from Ahmednagar city.


title: Shani

text: More common than Shani temples are artwork related to himself, which are found in all types of temples of various traditions within Hinduism, mostly connected to Shaivism. Popularity for praying to Shani, especially on Saturday's, has increased gradually over the years.


title: Corruption in India

text: Corruption in India is an issue which affects economy of central, state and local government agencies in many ways. Corruption is blamed for stunting the economy of India. A study conducted by Transparency International in 2005 recorded that more than 62% of Indians had at some point or another paid a bribe to a public official to get a job done. In 2008, another report showed that about 50% of Indians had first hand experience of paying bribes or using contacts to get services performed by public offices. In 2021 their Corruption Perceptions Index ranked the country in 85th place out of 180, on a scale where the lowest-ranked countries are perceived to have the most honest public sector.


title: Corruption in India

text: Various factors contribute to corruption, including officials siphoning money from government social welfare schemes. Examples include the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and the National Rural Health Mission. Other areas of corruption include India's trucking industry which is forced to pay billions of rupees in bribes annually to numerous regulatory and police stops on interstate highways.


title: Corruption in India

text: The media has widely published allegations of corrupt Indian citizens stashing millions of rupees in Swiss banks. Swiss authorities denied these allegations, which were later proven in 2015–2016. In July 2021, India's Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) replied to Right To Information (RTI) requests stating undeclared assets of Rs 20,078 crore identified by them in India and abroad following the investigation till June 2021.


title: Corruption in India

text: The causes of corruption in India include excessive regulations, complicated tax and licensing systems, numerous government departments with opaque bureaucracy and discretionary powers, monopoly of government controlled institutions on certain goods and services delivery, and the lack of transparent laws and processes. There are significant variations in the level of corruption and in the government's efforts to reduce corruption across India.


title: Corruption in India

text: Corruption in India is a problem that has serious implications for protecting the rule of law and ensuring access to justice. , 120 of India's 542 parliament members were accused of various crimes, under India's First Information Report procedure wherein anyone can allege another to have committed a crime.


title: Corruption in India

text: Many of the biggest scandals have involved high level government officials, including Cabinet Ministers and Chief Ministers, such as the 2010 Commonwealth Games scam (), the Adarsh Housing Society scam, the Coal Mining Scam (), the Mining Scandal in Karnataka and the Cash for Vote scams.


title: Corruption in India

text: An online petition has exposed the ineffectiveness of India’s top anti-corruption authority Lokpal which is supposed to stop corruption in the country. The petition addressed to the Chairperson Lokpal asserts that the Lokpal officials are squandering huge public money without any accountability.


title: Corruption in India

text: Available on an American public petition website, the petition argues that the Lokpal office – which was formed in 2019 – has completely failed to check corruption and it has become a senior citizens’ club. Since the Lokpal performance has been pathetic, people have stopped filing their complaints to the anti-corruption ombudsman.


title: Corruption in India

text: The online petition urges the Lokpal bureaucrats that if they are not able to perform, they must resign from their positions. As of August 7, 2022, more than 23,000 people had signed the petition which is available on Change.org website.


title: Corruption in India

text: Since the anti-corruption departments in India exist as defunct outfits, the corrupt bureaucrats and politicians keep committing acts of corruption with impunity. This fact is also stated in its annual country report released in April 2022 by the U.S. Department of State.


title: Corruption in India

text: In an exclusive section, “"Corruption and Lack of Transparency in Government",” the report asserts that the law provides criminal penalties for corruption by officials at all levels of government in India. However, officials frequently engaged in corrupt practices with impunity while there were numerous reports of government corruption during the year.


title: Corruption in India

text: The U.S. report further reveals that a lack of accountability for official misconduct persisted at all levels of government in India, contributing to widespread impunity. While investigations and prosecutions of individual cases took place, lax enforcement, a shortage of trained police officers, and an overburdened and under-resourced court system contributed to a low number of convictions, the report said.


title: Corruption in India

text: The U.S. report adds that corruption in India happens at different levels including the payment of bribes to expedite services such as police protection, school admission, water supply, and government assistance.


title: Corruption in India

text: On 2 November 2022, the Supreme Court refused to entertain a public interest litigation (PIL) to improve India's "pathetic" ranking on the global Corruption Perceptions Index. The petition expected the Court to issue directions to the Centre, states and union territories to set up expert committees to suggest steps for improving India's ranking on the Index.


title: Corruption in India

text: A 2005 study done by the Transparency International in India found that more than 62% of the people had firsthand experience of paying bribes or peddling influence to get services performed in a public office. Taxes and bribes are common between state borders; Transparency International estimates that truckers annually pay in bribes.


title: Corruption in India

text: Both government regulators and police share in bribe money, to the tune of 43% and 45% each, respectively. The en route stoppages at checkpoints and entry-points can take up to 11 hours per day. About 60% of these (forced) stoppages on roads by concerned authorities such as government regulators, police, forest, sales and excise, octroi and weighing and measuring departments are for extorting money. The loss in productivity due to these stoppages is an important national concern; the number of truck trips could increase by 40%, if forced delays are avoided. According to a 2007 World Bank published report, the travel time for a Delhi-Mumbai trip could be reduced by about 2 days per trip if the corruption and associated regulatory stoppages to extract bribes were eliminated.


title: Corruption in India

text: A 2009 survey of the leading economies of Asia, revealed Indian bureaucracy to be not only the least efficient among Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, China, Philippines and Indonesia, but that working with India's civil servants was a "slow and painful" process.


title: Corruption in India

text: Officials are alleged to steal state property. In cities and villages throughout India, groups of municipal and other government officials, elected politicians, judicial officers, real estate developers, and law enforcement officials, acquire, develop and sell land in illegal ways. Such officials and politicians are very well protected by the immense power and influence they possess. Apart from this, slum-dwellers who are allotted houses under several housing schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awaas Yojana, Rajiv Awas Yojna, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna, etc., rent out these houses to others, to earn money due to severe unemployment and lack of a steady source of income.


title: Corruption in India

text: A 2006 report claimed state-funded construction activities in Uttar Pradesh, such as road building were dominated by construction mafias, consisting of cabals of corrupt public works officials, materials suppliers, politicians and construction contractors.


title: Corruption in India

text: Problems caused by corruption in government-funded projects are not limited to the state of Uttar Pradesh. The World Bank study finds that the public distribution programs and social spending contracts have proven to be a waste due to corruption.


title: Corruption in India

text: For example, the government implemented the "Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act" (MGNREGA) on 25 August 2005. The Central government outlay for this welfare scheme is in FY 2010–2011. After 5 years of implementation, in 2011, the programme was widely criticised as no more effective than other poverty reduction programmes in India. Despite its best intentions, MGNREGA faces the challenges of corrupt officials reportedly pocketing money on behalf of fake rural employees, poor quality of the programme infrastructure, and unintended destructive effect on poverty.


title: Corruption in India

text: In government hospitals, corruption is associated with non-availability/duplication of medicines, obtaining admission, consultations with doctors, and receiving diagnostic services.


title: Corruption in India

text: National Rural Health Mission is another health care-related government programme that has been subject to large scale corruption allegations. This social spending and entitlement programme hoped to improve health care delivery across rural India. Managed since 2005 by the Ministry of Health, the Indian government mandated a spending of in 2004–2005, and increased it annually to be about 1% of India's gross domestic product. The National Rural Health Mission programme has been clouded by a large-scale corruption scandal in which high-level government appointed officials were arrested, several of whom died under mysterious circumstances including one in prison. Corruption, waste and fraud-related losses from this government programme has been alleged to be .


title: Corruption in India

text: CSIR, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, has been flagged in ongoing efforts to root out corruption in India. Established with the directive to do translational research and create real technologies, CSIR has been accused of transforming into a ritualistic, overly-bureaucratic organisation that does little more than churn out papers.


title: Corruption in India

text: There are many issues facing Indian scientists, with some, such as MIT systems scientist VA Shiva Ayyadurai, calling for transparency, a meritocratic system, and an overhaul of the bureaucratic agencies that oversee science and technology. Sumit Bhaduri stated, "The challenges of turning Indian science into part of an innovation process are many. Many competent Indian scientists aspire to be ineffectual administrators (due to administrative power and political patronage), rather than do the kind of science that makes a difference". Prime minister Manmohan Singh spoke at the 99th Indian Science Congress and commented on the state of the sciences in India, after an advisory council informed him there were problems with "the overall environment for innovation and creative work" and a "war-like" approach was needed.


title: Corruption in India

text: There have been several cases of collusion involving officials of the Income Tax Department of India for preferential tax treatment and relaxed prosecutions in exchange for bribes.


title: Corruption in India

text: In August 2011, an iron ore mining scandal became a media focus in India. In September 2011, elected member of Karnataka's legislative assembly Janardhana Reddy, was arrested on charges of corruption and illegal mining of iron ore in his home state. It was alleged that his company received preferential allotment of resources, organised and exported billions of dollars' worth of iron ore to Chinese companies in recent years without paying any royalty to the state government exchequer of Karnataka or the central government of India, and that these Chinese companies made payment to shell companies registered in Caribbean and north Atlantic tax havens controlled by Reddy.


title: Corruption in India

text: It was also alleged that corrupt government officials cooperated with Reddy, starting from government officials in charge of regulating mining to government officials in charge of regulating port facilities and shipping. These officials received monthly bribes in exchange for enabling the illegal export of illegally mined iron ore to China. Such scandals have led to a demand in India for consensually driven action plan to eradicate the piracy of India's mineral resources by an illegal, politically corrupt government officials-business nexus, removal of incentives for illegal mining, and the creation of incentives for legal mining and domestic use of iron ore and steel manufacturing.


title: Corruption in India

text: A study conducted between 2004 and 2005 found that India's driver licensing procedure was a hugely distorted bureaucratic process and allows drivers to be licensed despite their low driving ability through promoting the usage of agents. Individuals with the willingness to pay make a significant payment above the official fee and most of these extra payments are made to agents, who act as an intermediary between bureaucrats and applicants.


title: Corruption in India

text: The average licensee paid Rs 1,080, approximately 2.5 times the official fee of Rs 450, in order to obtain a licence. On average, those who hired agents had a lower driving ability, with agents helping unqualified drivers obtain licences and bypass the legally required driving examination. Among the surveyed individuals, approximately 60% of the licence holders did not even take the licensing exam and 54% of those licence holders failed an independent driving test.


title: Corruption in India

text: Agents are the channels of corruption in this bureaucratic driver licensing system, facilitating access to licences among those who are unqualified to drive. Some of the failures of this licensing system are caused by corrupt bureaucrats who collaborate with agents by creating additional barriers within the system against those who did not hire agents.


title: Corruption in India

text: Professor Bibek Debroy and Laveesh Bhandari claim in their book "Corruption in India: The DNA and RNA" that public officials in India may be cornering as much as , or 5 per cent of the GDP through corruption. The book claims most bribery is in government delivered services and the transport and real estate industries.


title: Corruption in India

text: Bribery and corruption are pervasive, but some areas tend to have more issues than others. A 2013 EY (Ernst & Young) Study reports the industries perceived to be the most vulnerable to corruption as: Infrastructure & Real Estate, Metals & Mining, Aerospace & Defence, and Power & Utilities. There is a range of specific factors that make a sector more susceptible to bribery and corruption risks than others. High use of middlemen, large value contracts, liaisoning activities, etc. drive the depth, volume, and frequency of corrupt practices in vulnerable sectors.


title: Corruption in India

text: A 2011 KPMG study reports India's real estate, telecommunications, and government-run social development projects as the three top sectors plagued by corruption. The study found India's defence, information technology, and energy sectors to be the most competitive and least corruption-prone sectors.


title: Corruption in India

text: CMS India claims in its 2010 India Corruption Study report that socio-economically weaker sections of Indian society are the most adversely affected by government corruption. These include the rural and urban poor, although the study claims that nationwide perception of corruption decreased between 2005 and 2010. Over the 5-year period, a significantly greater number of people surveyed from the middle and poorest classes in all parts of India claimed government corruption had dropped over time, and that they had fewer direct experiences with bribery demands.


title: Corruption in India

text: The table below compares the perceived anti-corruption effort across some of the major states in India. A rising index implies higher anti-corruption effort and falling corruption. According to this table, the states of Bihar and Gujarat have experienced significant improvements in their anti-corruption efforts, while conditions have worsened in the states of Assam and West Bengal. Consistent with the results in this table, in 2012 a BBC News report claimed the state of Bihar has transformed in recent years to become the least corrupt state in India.


title: Corruption in India

text: Black money refers to money that is not fully or legitimately the property of the 'owner'. A government white paper on black money in India suggests two possible sources of black money in India; the first includes activities not permitted by the law, such as crime, drug trade, terrorism, and corruption, all of which are illegal in India and secondly, wealth that may have been generated through lawful activity but accumulated by failure to declare income and pay taxes. Some of this black money ends up in illicit financial flows across international borders, such as deposits in tax haven countries.


title: Corruption in India

text: A November 2010 report from the Washington-based Global Financial Integrity estimates that over a 60-year period, India lost US$213 billion in illicit financial flows beginning in 1948; adjusted for inflation, this is estimated to be $462 billion in 2010, or about $8 billion per year ($7 per capita per year). The report also estimated the size of India's underground economy at approximately US$640 billion at the end of 2008 or roughly 50% of the nation's GDP.


title: Corruption in India

text: India was ranked 38th by money held by its citizens in Swiss banks in 2004 but then improved its ranking by slipping to 61st position in 2015 and further improved its position by slipping to 75th position in 2016.


title: Corruption in India

text: According to a 2010 The Hindu article, unofficial estimates indicate that Indians had over US$1,456 billion in black money stored in Swiss banks (approximately US$1.4 trillion). While some news reports claimed that data provided by the Swiss Banking Association Report (2006) showed India has more black money than the rest of the world combined, a more recent report quoted the SBA's Head of International Communications as saying that no such official Swiss Banking Association statistics exist.


title: Corruption in India

text: Another report said that Indian-owned Swiss bank account assets are worth 13 times the country's national debt. These allegations have been denied by Swiss Bankers Association. James Nason of Swiss Bankers Association in an interview about alleged black money from India, holds that "The (black money) figures were rapidly picked up in the Indian media and in Indian opposition circles, and circulated as gospel truth. However, this story was a complete fabrication. The Swiss Bankers Association never published such a report. Anyone claiming to have such figures (for India) should be forced to identify their source and explain the methodology used to produce them."


title: Corruption in India

text: In a separate study, Dev Kar of Global Financial Integrity concludes, "Media reports circulating in India that Indian nationals held around US$1.4 trillion in illicit external assets are widely off the mark compared to the estimates found by his study." Kar claims the amounts are significantly smaller, only about 1.5% of India's GDP on average per annum basis, between 1948 and 2008. This includes corruption, bribery and kickbacks, criminal activities, trade mispricing, and efforts to shelter wealth by Indians from India's tax authorities.


title: Corruption in India

text: According to a third report, published in May 2012, the Swiss National Bank estimates that the total amount of deposits in all Swiss banks, at the end of 2010, by citizens of India were CHF 1.95 billion (). The Swiss Ministry of External Affairs has confirmed these figures upon request for information by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. This amount is about 700-fold less than the alleged $1.4 trillion in some media reports. The report also provided a comparison of the deposits held by Indians and by citizens of other nations in Swiss banks. Total deposits held by citizens of India constitute only 0.13 per cent of the total bank deposits of citizens of all countries. Further, the share of Indians in the total bank deposits of citizens of all countries in Swiss banks has reduced from 0.29 per cent in 2006 to 0.13 per cent in 2010.


title: Corruption in India

text: Indian companies have been reported to misuse public trusts for money laundering. India has no centralised repository—like the registrar of companies for corporates—of information on public trusts.


title: Corruption in India

text: In Gujarat, Delhi and many other major cities, sales of gold increased on 9 November, with an increased 20% to 30% premium surging the price as much as from the ruling price of per .


title: Corruption in India

text: There have also been reports of people circumventing the restrictions imposed on exchange transactions and attempting to convert black money into white by making multiple transactions at different bank branches. People were also getting rid of large amounts of banned currency by sending people in groups to exchange their money at banks. In response, the government announced that it would start marking customers with indelible ink. This was in addition to other measures proposed to ensure that the exchange transactions are carried out only once by each person. On 17 November, the government reduced the exchange amount to to discourage attempts to convert black money into legitimate money.


title: Corruption in India

text: As soon as the demonetisation was announced, it was observed by the Indian Railways authorities that a large number of people started booking tickets particularly in classes 1A and 2A for the longest distance possible, to get rid of unaccounted-for cash. A senior official said, "On November 13, 42.7 million passengers were nationally booked across all classes. Of these, only 1,209 were for 1A and 16,999 for 2A. It is a sharp dip from the number of passengers booked on November 9, when 27,237 passengers had booked tickets in 1A and 69,950 in 2A."


title: Corruption in India

text: As the use of the demonetised notes had been allowed by the government for the payment of municipal and local body taxes, leading to people using the demonetised ₹500 and ₹1,000 notes to pay large amounts of outstanding and advance taxes. As a result, revenue collections of the local civic bodies jumped. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation reported collecting about in cash payments of outstanding and advance taxes within 4 days.


title: Corruption in India

text: Income Tax officials raided multiple branches of Axis Bank and found bank officials involved in acts of money laundering.


title: Corruption in India

text: Public servants have very wide discretionary powers offering the opportunity to extort undue payments from companies and ordinary citizens. The awarding of public contracts is notoriously corrupt, especially at the state level. Scandals involving high-level politicians have highlighted the payment of kickbacks in the healthcare, IT and military sectors. The deterioration of the overall efficiency of the government, protection of property rights, ethics and corruption as well as undue influence on government and judicial decisions has resulted in a more difficult situation for business environment.


title: Corruption in India

text: According to Transparency International, judicial corruption in India is attributable to factors such as "delays in the disposal of cases, shortage of judges and complex procedures, all of which are exacerbated by a preponderance of new laws". Over the years there have been numerous allegations against judges, and in 2011 Soumitra Sen, a former judge at the Kolkata High Court became the first judge in India to be impeached by the Rajya Sabha, (Upper House of the Indian Parliament) for misappropriation of funds.


title: Corruption in India

text: The 2005 Right to Information Act required government officials to provide information requested by citizens or face punitive action, as well as the computerisation of services and the establishment of vigilance commissions. This has considerably reduced corruption and opened up avenues to redress grievances.


title: Corruption in India

text: Right to Public Services legislation, which has been enacted in 19 states of India, guarantee time bound delivery of services for various public services rendered by the government to citizen and provides mechanisms for punishing the errant public servant who is deficient in providing the service stipulated under the statute. Right to Service legislation is meant to reduce corruption among the government officials and to increase transparency and public accountability.


title: Corruption in India

text: India is also a signatory to the United Nations Convention against Corruption since 2005 (ratified 2011). The Convention covers a wide range of acts of corruption and also proposes certain preventive policies.


title: Corruption in India

text: The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 which came into force from 16 January 2014, seeks to provide for the establishment of the institution of Lokpal to inquire into allegations of corruption against certain public functionaries in India.


title: Corruption in India

text: Whistle Blowers Protection Act, 2011, which provides a mechanism to investigate alleged corruption and misuse of power by public servants and also protect anyone who exposes alleged wrongdoing in government bodies, projects and offices, has received the assent of the President of India on 9 May 2014, and (as of 2 August) is pending for notification by the Central Government.


title: Corruption in India

text: At present there are no legal provisions to check graft in the private sector in India. Government has proposed amendments in existing acts and certain new bills for checking corruption in private sector. Big-ticket corruption is mainly witnessed in the operations of large commercial or corporate entities. In order to prevent bribery on supply side, it is proposed that key managerial personnel of companies' and also the company shall be held liable for offering bribes to gain undue benefits.


title: Corruption in India

text: The Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 provides that the properties of corrupt public servants shall be confiscated. However, the Government is considering incorporating provisions for confiscation or forfeiture of the property of corrupt public servants into the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 to make it more self-contained and comprehensive.


title: Corruption in India

text: A committee headed by the Chairman of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), has been constituted to examine ways to strengthen laws to curb generation of black money in India, its illegal transfer abroad, and its recovery. "The Committee shall examine the existing legal and administrative framework to deal with the menace of generation of black money through illegal means including inter-alia the following: 1. Declaring wealth generated illegally as national asset; 2. Enacting/amending laws to confiscate and recover such assets; and 3. Providing for exemplary punishment against its perpetrators." (Source: 2013 EY report on Bribery & Corruption)


title: Corruption in India

text: The Companies Act, 2013, contains certain provisions to regulate frauds by corporations including increased penalties for frauds, giving more powers to the Serious Fraud Investigation Office, mandatory responsibility of auditors to reveal frauds, and increased responsibilities of independent directors. The Companies Act, 2013 also provides for mandatory vigil mechanisms which allow directors and employees to report concerns and whistleblower protection mechanism for every listed company and any other companies which accepts deposits from public or has taken loans more than 50 crore rupees from banks and financial institutions. This intended to avoid accounting scandals such as the Satyam scandal which have plagued India. It replaces The Companies Act, 1956 which was proven outmoded in terms of handling 21st century problems.


title: Corruption in India

text: In 2015, Parliament passed the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Bill, 2015 to curb and impose penalties on black money hoarded abroad. The Act has received the assent of the President of India on 26 May 2015. It came into effect from 1 July 2015.


title: Corruption in India

text: The Directorate General of Income Tax Investigation, Central Vigilance Commission and Central Bureau of Investigation all deal with anti-corruption initiatives. Certain states such as Andhra Pradesh (Anti-Corruption Bureau, Andhra Pradesh) Kerala (Vigilance & Anti-corruption Bureau, Kerala) and Karnataka (Lokayukta) also have their own anti-corruption agencies and courts.


title: Corruption in India

text: Andhra Pradesh's Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) has launched a large scale investigation in the "cash-for-bail" scam.


title: Corruption in India

text: CBI court judge Talluri Pattabhirama Rao was arrested on 19 June 2012 for taking a bribe to grant bail to former Karnataka Minister Gali Janardhan Reddy.


title: Corruption in India

text: A case has also been opened against seven other individuals under the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act.


title: Corruption in India

text: A variety of organisations have been created in India to actively fight against corrupt government and business practices. Notable organisations include:


title: Corruption in India

text: A number of ideas have been in discussion to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of electoral processes in India.


title: Corruption in India

text: In a 2004 report on Corruption in India, one of the world's largest audit and compliance firms KPMG notes several issues that encourage corruption in India. The report suggests high taxes and excessive regulation bureaucracy as a major cause; India has high marginal tax rates and numerous regulatory bodies with the power to stop any citizen or business from going about their daily affairs.


title: Corruption in India

text: This power of Indian authorities to search and question individuals creates opportunities for corrupt public officials to extract bribes—each individual or business decides if the effort required for due process and the cost of delay is worth paying the bribe demanded. In cases of high taxes, paying off the corrupt official is cheaper than the tax. This, according to the report, is one major cause of corruption in India and 150 other countries across the world. In the real estate industry, the high capital gains tax in India encourages large-scale corruption. The KPMG report claims that the correlation between high real estate taxes and corruption is high in India, as it is in other countries, including the developed economies; this correlation has been true in modern times as well as throughout centuries of human history in various cultures.


title: Corruption in India

text: The desire to pay lower taxes than those demanded by the state explains the demand side of corruption. The net result is that the corrupt officials collect bribes, the government fails to collect taxes for its own budget and corruption grows. The report suggests regulatory reforms, process simplification and lower taxes as means to increase tax receipts and reduce causes of corruption.


title: Corruption in India

text: In addition to tax rates and regulatory burdens, the KPMG report claims corruption results from opaque process and paperwork on the part of the government. Lack of transparency allows room for manoeuvre for both demanders and suppliers of corruption. Whenever objective standards and transparent processes are missing, and subjective opinion driven regulators and opaque/hidden processes are present, conditions are ripe for corruption.


title: Corruption in India

text: Vito Tanzi in an International Monetary Fund study suggests that in India, like other countries in the world, corruption is caused by excessive regulations and authorisation requirements, complicated taxes and licensing systems, mandated spending programmes, lack of competitive free markets, monopolisation of certain goods and service providers by government controlled institutions, bureaucracy, lack of penalties for corrupt public officials and lack of transparent laws and processes. A Harvard University study finds these to be some of the causes of corruption and underground economy in India.


title: Corruption in India

text: The India Corruption Research Report 2022 released in October 2022 covers diverse aspects of corruption in India. The findings of the report aim to help the Central as well as State governments in the country make actionable strategies to combat corruption.


title: Corruption in India

text: In a study on bribery and corruption in India conducted in 2013 by global professional services firm Ernst & Young (EY), a majority of the survey respondents from PE firms said that a company operating in a sector which is perceived as highly corrupt may lose ground when it comes to fair valuation of its business, as investors bargain hard and factor in the cost of corruption at the time of transaction.


title: Corruption in India

text: According to a report by KPMG, "high-level corruption and scams are now threatening to derail the country's credibility and [its] economic boom".


title: Corruption in India

text: Corruption may lead to further bureaucratic delay and inefficiency if corrupt bureaucrats introduce red tape in order to extort more bribes. Such inadequacies in institutional efficiency could affect growth indirectly by lowering the private marginal product of capital and investment rate. Levine and Renelt showed that investment rate is a robust determinant of economic growth.


title: Corruption in India

text: Bureaucratic inefficiency also affects growth directly through misallocation of investments in the economy. Additionally, corruption results in lower economic growth for a given level of income.


title: Corruption in India

text: If corruption levels in India were decreased to levels in developed economies such as Singapore or the United Kingdom, India's GDP growth rate could increase at a higher rate annually. C. K. Prahalad estimates the loss of opportunity caused by corruption in terms of investment, growth and jobs for India is over US$50 billion a year.


title: Clarence Clemons

text: Clarence Anicholas Clemons Jr. (January 11, 1942 – June 18, 2011), also known as The Big Man, was an American musician and actor. From 1972 until his death in 2011, he was the saxophonist for The E Street Band.


title: Clarence Clemons

text: Clemons released several solo albums. In 1985, he had a hit single with "You're a Friend of Mine", a duet with Jackson Browne. As a guest musician, he featured on Aretha Franklin's song "Freeway of Love". As an actor, Clemons appeared in several films, including "New York, New York" and "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure". He also made cameo appearances in several TV series, including "Diff'rent Strokes", "Nash Bridges", "The Simpsons", "My Wife and Kids" and "The Wire". Clemons published "Big Man: Real Life & Tall Tales" (2009) with his friend Don Reo. The book is a semi-fictional autobiography told in the third person. A documentary about his life directed by Nick Mead, titled "Clarence Clemons: Who Do I Think I Am?" was released in August 2019.


title: Clarence Clemons

text: Clemons died in 2011 at the age of 69. In 2014, he was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the E Street Band.


title: Clarence Clemons

text: Clarence Anicholas Clemons Jr. was born on January 11, 1942, in Norfolk County, Virginia (later the city of Chesapeake), the son of fish market owner Clarence Clemons, Sr. and his wife Thelma. He was the oldest of their three children. His grandfather was a Southern Baptist preacher and, as a result, the young Clemons grew up in a very religious environment listening to gospel music. When he was nine, his father gave him an alto saxophone as a Christmas present and paid for music lessons. He later switched to baritone saxophone and played in a high school jazz band. His uncle also influenced his early musical development when he bought him his first King Curtis album. Curtis, and his work with the Coasters in particular, would become a major influence on Clemons and led to him switching to tenor saxophone.


title: Clarence Clemons

text: As a youth, Clemons also showed potential as a football player, and graduated from Crestwood High School (now Crestwood Middle) before attending Maryland State College on both music and football scholarships. At 6' 4" and 240 pounds, he played as a lineman on the same team as Art Shell and Emerson Boozer and attracted the attention of the Cleveland Browns, who offered him a trial. Clemons also tried out for the Dallas Cowboys. However, the day before, he was involved in a serious car accident which effectively ended any plans of a career in the National Football League. He would eventually be posthumously inducted into the university's Athletics Hall of Fame on February 24, 2012.


title: Clarence Clemons

text: At age 18, Clemons had one of his earliest studio experiences, recording sessions with Tyrone Ashley's Funky Music Machine, a band from Plainfield, New Jersey, that included Ray Davis, Eddie Hazel and Billy Bass Nelson, all of whom later played with Parliament-Funkadelic. He also performed with Daniel Petraitis, a New Jersey and Nashville legend. These sessions were eventually released in 2007 by Truth and Soul Records as "Let Me Be Your Man". While at Maryland State College, Clemons also joined his first band, the Vibratones, which played James Brown covers and stayed together for about four years between 1961 and 1965. While still playing with this band, he moved to Somerset, New Jersey, where he worked as a counselor for emotionally disturbed children at the Jamesburg Training School for Boys between 1962 and 1970.


title: Clarence Clemons

text: The story of how Clemons first met Bruce Springsteen has entered into E Street Band mythology. "The E Street Shuffle" contains a monologue about how they met, and the event was also immortalized in "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out". They allegedly met for the first time in September 1971. At the time, Clemons was playing with Norman Seldin & the Joyful Noyze at The Wonder Bar in Asbury Park, New Jersey. Seldin was a Jersey Shore musician/entrepreneur who, as well as playing piano and leading various bands, had his own record label, Selsom Records. In 1969, Clemons had recorded an eponymous album with this band. In 2008, tracks from this album were reissued on an anthology, "Asbury Park — Then and Now", put together by Seldin. It was Karen Cassidy, lead vocalist with the Joyful Noyze, who encouraged Clemons to check out Springsteen, who was playing with the Bruce Springsteen Band at the nearby Student Prince. Clemons recalled their meeting in various interviews:


title: Clarence Clemons

text: One night we were playing in Asbury Park. I'd heard The Bruce Springsteen Band was nearby at a club called The Student Prince and on a break between sets I walked over there. On-stage, Bruce used to tell different versions of this story but I'm a Baptist, remember, so this is the truth. A rainy, windy night it was, and when I opened the door the whole thing flew off its hinges and blew away down the street. The band were on-stage, but staring at me framed in the doorway. And maybe that did make Bruce a little nervous because I just said, "I want to play with your band," and he said, "Sure, you do anything you want." The first song we did was an early version of "Spirit in the Night". Bruce and I looked at each other and didn't say anything, we just knew. We knew we were the missing links in each other's lives. He was what I'd been searching for. In one way he was just a scrawny little kid. But he was a visionary. He wanted to follow his dream. So from then on I was part of history.


title: Clarence Clemons

text: However, well before this meeting, Clemons and Springsteen had moved within the same circle of musical acquaintances. Norman Seldin had managed and promoted several local bands, including The Motifs who featured Vinnie Roslin, later to play with Springsteen in Steel Mill. On April 22, 1966, Seldin had also organized a Battle of the Bands competition at the Matawan-Keyport Roller Drome in Matawan, New Jersey. Springsteen was among the entrants playing with his then band, The Castiles. Billy Ryan, who played lead guitar with The Joyful Noyze, also played in The Jaywalkers with Garry Tallent and Steve Van Zandt. Clemons himself had also played with Tallent in Little Melvin & The Invaders.


title: Clarence Clemons

text: In July 1972, Springsteen began recording his debut album "Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J." and during breaks from recording, he jammed with Clemons and The Joyful Noyze on at least two occasions at The Shipbottom Lounge in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. When Springsteen then decided to use a tenor saxophone on the songs "Blinded by the Light" and "Spirit in the Night", he called Clemons. By October Springsteen was ready to tour and promote "Greetings…" and he put together a band featuring Clemons, Tallent, Danny Federici and Vini Lopez. Clemons played his last gig with Norman Seldin & The Joyful Noyze at the Club Plaza in Bayville, New Jersey, on October 21, 1972. Four days later Clemons made his debut with the formative E Street Band at an unadvertised, impromptu performance at The Shipbottom Lounge.


title: Clarence Clemons

text: Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Clemons featured prominently on Springsteen's albums. On "Born to Run" he provided memorable saxophone solos on the title track, "Thunder Road", "She's the One", "Night" and "Jungleland". "Darkness on the Edge of Town" featured notable solos by Clemons on "Badlands" and "The Promised Land". "The River" saw Clemons featured on songs such as "The Ties That Bind", "Sherry Darling", "I Wanna Marry You", "Drive All Night" and "Independence Day" while "Born in the U.S.A." saw solos on "Bobby Jean" and "I'm Goin' Down".


title: Clarence Clemons

text: Springsteen and other members of the band referred to Clemons as "The Big Man". At the end of shows, while recognizing members of the E Street Band, Springsteen referred to Clemons as "The Biggest Man You Ever Seen". He sometimes changed this depending on where the E Street Band performs — at their 2009 concert in Glasgow he introduced Clemons as "the biggest Scotsman you've ever seen".


title: Clarence Clemons

text: In April 2014, the E Street Band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Clemons' widow accepted on his behalf.


title: Clarence Clemons

text: Outside of his work with the E Street Band, Clemons recorded with many other artists and had a number of musical projects on his own. The best known of these are his 1985 vocal duet with Jackson Browne on the Top-20 hit single "You're a Friend of Mine", and his saxophone work on Aretha Franklin's 1985 Top-10 hit single "Freeway of Love". He was managed briefly in the 1980s by former Crawdaddy editor Peter Knobler, at whose wedding Clemons played with his band, Clarence Clemons & the Red Bank Rockers. During the 1980s, Clemons also owned a Red Bank, New Jersey, nightclub called Big Man's West. He toured in the first incarnation of Ringo Starr & The All-Starr Band in 1989, singing "You're a Friend of Mine" (dueting with Billy Preston) and an updated rap arrangement of "Quarter to Three."


title: Clarence Clemons

text: In the late 1980s, he developed a friendship with Jerry Garcia and played a number of concerts with the Grateful Dead, including notable appearances during their New Year's Eve concert in 1988, an AIDS benefit concert in May 1989, and a live pay-per-view broadcast of their summer solstice concert on June 21, 1989. Clemons also did a tour with the Jerry Garcia Band. One of these performances, from September 16, 1989 was officially released in 2020 as 'GarciaLive 13'


title: Clarence Clemons

text: In the mid-1990s, he recorded a Japan-only CD release called "Aja and the Big Man "Get It On"" with Los Angeles singer/songwriter Aja Kim. In 1992 he was involved in the sessions for the album Zoom by Alvin Lee. At this time he also recorded an instrumental record with Alan Niven producing, "Peacemaker".


title: Clarence Clemons

text: In the 2000s, Clemons along with producer Narada Michael Walden, put together a group called The Temple of Soul, releasing a single called "Anna". He also recorded with philanthropic teen band Creation. Clemons collaborated with Lady Gaga on the songs "Hair" and "The Edge of Glory" from her album "Born This Way", providing a saxophone track and solo. In April 2011, Clemons sat in on several tunes with the Grateful Dead "spinoff" band Furthur during a concert in Boca Raton, Florida. Just days before he suffered a major stroke, he shot a music video with Lady Gaga for "The Edge of Glory".


title: Clarence Clemons

text: Clemons appeared in several movies and on television, making his screen debut in Martin Scorsese's musical 1977 musical film "New York, New York", in which he played a trumpet player. He played one of the 'Three Most Important People In The World' in the 1989 comedy film "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure". In 1985, Clemons was a special guest star in "Diff'rent Strokes" episode "So You Want to Be a Rock Star", in which he played the role of Mr. Kingsley, a young saxophonist helping Arnold Jackson to learn to play his sax. He was also a guest voice in a 1999 episode of "The Simpsons".


title: Clarence Clemons

text: In 1990, he co-starred in the pilot episode of "Human Target", a Rick Springfield action series intended for ABC. He also played the role of Jack in "Swing" starring opposite Lisa Stansfield and Hugo Speer, directed by Nick Mead. He appeared alongside Michael McKean and David Bowe as a miner in one episode of musician "Weird Al" Yankovic's children's television show "The Weird Al Show". He made a cameo appearance in the sequel to "The Blues Brothers", "Blues Brothers 2000" (1999), as part of the metal section of super blues band The Louisiana Gator Boys. He appeared in the episode "Michael's Band" of Damon Wayans' television show "My Wife and Kids" as a musician, and performed an original composition, co written with bassist Lynn Woolever, called "One Shadow In The Sun".


title: Clarence Clemons

text: Clemons twice appeared as a Baltimore youth-program organizer in the HBO crime drama "The Wire". He appeared in an episode of "Brothers" and in the "Eddie's Book" episode of "'Til Death" as himself.


title: Clarence Clemons

text: Clemons published "Big Man: Real Life & Tall Tales" (2009) with his friend Don Reo. It is a semi-fictional autobiography told in the third person.


title: Clarence Clemons

text: Married five times, Clemons fathered four sons: Charles, Christopher, Jarod, and Clarence III (known as Nick). His nephew, Jake Clemons, was introduced as the new saxophone player of the E Street Band in 2012 after Clemons' death. He lived in Florida where he became involved with charitable organizations. Clemons was associated with spiritual guru Sri Chinmoy.


title: Clarence Clemons

text: Clemons died of complications from a stroke on June 18, 2011. Clemons suffered a massive stroke at his home in Florida, on June 12. While initial signs had been hopeful after his hospitalization and two subsequent brain surgeries, he took a turn for the worse later in the week and died on June 18. He was 69. Upon announcement of Clemons' death, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie ordered state flags to be lowered to half staff in his honor. He was survived by his four sons, Nick, Charles, Christopher, Jarod; his younger brother William Melvon Clemons, Sr. (1946–2014); and his fifth wife, Victoria, whom he had married in 2008.


title: Clarence Clemons

text: At their concert in Portsmouth, Virginia, on June 19, 2011, Phish covered "Thunder Road" as a tribute to Clemons.


title: Clarence Clemons

text: At an Eddie Vedder concert in Hartford, Connecticut, on June 18, 2011, upon hearing of Clemons' health struggles, Vedder wished Clemons well, and Vedder was soon notified by a sound tech that Clemons had died. Vedder later played a tribute to Clemons during the Pearl Jam song "Better Man", changing the lyrics to include, "Can't find a Bigger Man" (paying homage to Clemons' nickname "The Big Man"). During a subsequent performance on the "Late Show with David Letterman", Vedder played a ukulele with "Clarence" written across the front of it.


title: Clarence Clemons

text: Before singing "Moment of Surrender" at the U2 concert in Anaheim on June 18, 2011, Bono paid tribute to Clemons. He read lyrics from Springsteen's "Jungleland" near the end of the song, and repeated them at the song's conclusion. Bono repeated this dedication and tribute during "Moment of Surrender" at the U2 concert in New Jersey on June 21 and again in Baltimore on June 22.


title: Clarence Clemons

text: Bon Jovi performed "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" as the first encore during their concert in Horsens on June 19, 2011. While playing that song, photos of Clemons were shown on the giant video screen behind the band.


title: Clarence Clemons

text: Jimmy Buffett added verses that included Clemons in "The Stories We Could Tell" during his final encore during his concert on June 21, 2011. The rest of the band left the stage and it was Buffett playing and singing alone.


title: Clarence Clemons

text: During The Gaslight Anthem's set at the 2011 Glastonbury Festival, frontman Brian Fallon dedicated their song "The '59 Sound" to Clemons.


title: Clarence Clemons

text: On July 17, 2011, a tribute concert was held at the Wonder Bar in Asbury Park, New Jersey. Springsteen performed a 45-minute set playing some of Clemons' songs. Clemons' son, Clarence III, (known as Nick), opened the show with his band, The Nick Clemons Band.


title: Clarence Clemons

text: On October 1, 2011, a tribute to Clemons took place at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida. Traditionally an annual charity event hosted by Clemons called The Classic Rock & Roll Party, the event paid tribute to Clemons' life and all he did for Home Safe, a non-profit organization helping victims of child abuse and domestic violence.


title: Clarence Clemons

text: In January 2012, Clemons' hometown paid tribute with memorial concerts featuring members of the E Street Band. The concert took place at The NorVa concert hall.


title: Clarence Clemons

text: In October 2011, Lady Gaga paid tribute to him when she accepted the "Big Man of the Year" from Little Kids Rock. In a June 21, 2012, concert in Sydney, Australia, Gaga dedicated her song "The Edge of Glory" in which Clemons had contributed.


title: Clarence Clemons

text: On July 28, 2012, in Gothenburg, Springsteen and the E Street Band performed "Jungleland" for the first time on the Wrecking Ball World Tour, with Clemons' nephew Jake Clemons playing the saxophone solo and the song being dedicated to Clemons.


title: Lee Hanee

text: Lee Hanee (; born March 2, 1983), also known as Honey Lee, is a South Korean actress, model, classical musician as well as beauty pageant titleholder where she represented her country at Miss Universe 2007. She has acted in several films and television series.


title: Lee Hanee

text: Lee Hanee is the middle child of three, and has an older sister and a younger brother. Her father was a high-ranking official with the National Intelligence Service. Her mother Moon Jae-suk has a PhD in Korean music history and is a professor at Ewha Womans University as well as music director of Gimhae City Gayageum Orchestra. Her sister is , a member of the KBS Orchestra of Traditional Korean Music. Lee's maternal uncle is politician Moon Hee-sang (currently Speaker of the National Assembly).


title: Lee Hanee

text: Lee graduated from Seoul National University with high honors in traditional Korean music. She received her master's degree from the same university.


title: Lee Hanee

text: Lee won the 2006 Miss Korea pageant and represented South Korea in the Miss Universe 2007. She managed to break into the Top 5 and was placed 3rd runner-up; Riyo Mori from Japan was crowned Miss Universe that year. Lee was also named Miss Grand Slam 2007.


title: Lee Hanee

text: Lee is a professional gayageum player, a Korean music instrument. She was named a gayageum prodigy by the Kumho Art Center, the most prestigious musical foundation in Korea. She has released four CDs and played in more than 25 countries, including concerts at Carnegie Hall in New York City. In 2017, she participated in the largest-ever mass performance of the gayageum as part of the two-day Uijeongbu International Gayageum Festival.


title: Lee Hanee

text: Lee performed at the closing ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics, where she reinterpreted '춘앵무(Chunaengmu)', one of the royal dances of the Joseon dynasty.


title: Lee Hanee

text: Lee appeared in the music video For Dynamic Duo (South Korean duo)'s song "Jam". Presumably Lee plays a Honeybee in the video which is a pun on the honeybee themed video.


title: Lee Hanee

text: Lee Hanee co-hosted Real Time TV Entertainment, on the national TV network SBS, a 12-year-old show focusing on show business, beginning July 18.


title: Lee Hanee

text: In 2008, she made her acting debut in the musical "Polaroid" which opened at PMC Daehangno Jayu Theater in Hyehwa-dong, Jongno-gu. She has since starred in musicals "Legally Blonde", playing Elle Woods and "Chicago", playing Roxie Hart.


title: Lee Hanee

text: In 2009, Lee starred in her first television series "The Partner", playing a femme fatale attorney. She next starred in the romantic comedy series "Pasta" (2010), playing a celebrity chef.


title: Lee Hanee

text: Lee won her first acting accolade at the MBC Drama Awards, the Best Newcomer award for her performance in the family drama "Iron Daughters-in-law" (2011).


title: Lee Hanee

text: In 2011, Lee was cast in her first big screen role in action film, "Hit". She also featured in the disaster film "Deranged" and period comedy "I Am a King" (2012).


title: Lee Hanee

text: After appearing in E J-yong's ensemble mockumentary "Behind the Camera" (2013), Lee starred in the gambling film "" (2014), playing a rich widow.


title: Lee Hanee

text: She also appeared in a comedy drama in 2014 called Mondern Farmer which is about a rock band called "Excellent Souls." The band consists of Lee Min-Ki (Lee Hong-Ki), Kang Hyeok (Park Min-Woo), Yoo Han-Cheol (Lee Si-Un) and Han Ki-Joon (Kwak Dong-Yeon). The band decides to move to the countryside. There, the drama series follows their dreams, loves and friendships.


title: Lee Hanee

text: Lee then played Queen Daemok in the 2015 historical drama "Shine or Go Crazy", which depicts a fictional romance between a cursed Goryeo prince and the last princess of Balhae. The same year, she starred in the science fiction film "Sori: Voice From The Heart".


title: Lee Hanee

text: In 2016, Lee starred in the comedy drama "Please Come Back, Mister". Lee was praised for her chemistry with co-star Oh Yeon-seo, whom she has acted with in her previous project "Shine or Go Crazy".


title: Lee Hanee

text: In 2017, Lee played famous gisaeng Jang Nok-su in the historical drama "The Rebel". She won critical praise for her portrayal, and won several acting awards. The same year, she featured in crime thriller "Heart Blackened" and action comedy film "The Bros".


title: Lee Hanee

text: In 2019, Lee starred in the comedy film "Extreme Job" as a narcotics detective. The film became the second-most successful Korean film ever with 16 million tickets sold. The same year, she starred in comedy crime drama "The Fiery Priest" as a prosector. The drama was a commercial success with over 20% in ratings. Both projects proved Lee's versatility and contributed to her rise in popularity.


title: Lee Hanee

text: In 2021, Lee starred another SBS drama "One the Woman" with Lee Sang-yoon, Jin Seo-yeon and Lee Won-keun, making a small screen comeback in two years. She played dual roles as Jo Yeon-joo, a smart but corrupted prosecutor (which is similar to her previous drama "The Fiery Priest") and Kang Mi-na, an illegitimate daughter of a chaebol who is abused by her family and her husband's family. The drama was a hit with the last episode achieving 3.2 million viewers and a rating of 17.8%. For her successful portrayal of dual character with polar opposite personality, she earned a top excellence award and daesang nomination at 2021 SBS Drama Awards.


title: Lee Hanee

text: Lee has been actively involved in voluntary work for several organizations such as UNICEF, Compassion and World Vision. She serves as the Goodwill Ambassador for Beauty Mind Charity and Korea Green Foundation.


title: Lee Hanee

text: She is of Christian faith and once followed a vegetarian diet. But she began eating meat and fish for her own freedom according to her.


title: Lee Hanee

text: On November 8, 2021, it was confirmed that Lee was dating a non-celebrity boyfriend. They have been dating since early 2021. On December 21, 2021, Saram Entertainment confirmed that Lee has married that day, and the wedding ceremony was held in Seoul where only family members attended. According to Lee’s agency, her husband is a Korean-American office worker.


title: Lee Hanee

text: In January 2022, Lee's agency announced that Lee was 4 months pregnant with her first child. On June 20, 2022, she gave birth to a daughter at a hospital in Seoul.


title: Cleansing of the Temple

text: The cleansing of the Temple narrative tells of Jesus expelling the merchants and the money changers from the Temple, and is recounted in all four canonical gospels of the New Testament. The scene is a common motif in Christian art.


title: Cleansing of the Temple

text: In this account, Jesus and his disciples travel to Jerusalem for Passover, where Jesus expels the merchants and consumers from the temple, accusing them of turning it into "a den of thieves" (in the Synoptic Gospels) and "a house of trade" (in Gospel of John) through their commercial activities.


title: Cleansing of the Temple

text: The narrative occurs near the end of the Synoptic Gospels (at , , and ) and near the start in the Gospel of John (at ). Some scholars believe that these refer to two separate incidents, given that the Gospel of John also includes more than one Passover.


title: Cleansing of the Temple

text: Jesus is stated to have visited the Temple in Jerusalem, where the courtyard is described as being filled with livestock, merchants, and the tables of the money changers, who changed the standard Greek and Roman money for Jewish and Tyrian shekels. Jerusalem was packed with Jews who had come for Passover, perhaps numbering 300,000 to 400,000 pilgrims.


title: Cleansing of the Temple

text: In and Jesus accused the Temple authorities of thieving and this time he names poor widows as their victims, going on to provide evidence of this in and . Dove sellers were selling doves that were sacrificed by the poor who could not afford grander sacrifices and specifically by women. According to , Jesus then put an embargo on people carrying any merchandise through the Temple, a sanction which would have disrupted all commerce. This occurred in the outermost court of the gentiles.


title: Cleansing of the Temple

text: There are debates about when the cleansing of the Temple occurred and whether there were two separate events. St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Augustine agree that Jesus performed a similar act twice, with the less severe denunciations of the Johannine account (merchants, sellers) occurring early in Jesus's public ministry and the more severe denunciations of the synoptic accounts (thieves, robbers) occurring just before, and indeed expediting, the events of the crucifixion.


title: Cleansing of the Temple

text: Claims about the Temple cleaning episode in the Gospel of John can be combined with non-biblical historical sources to obtain an estimate of when it occurred.


title: Cleansing of the Temple

text: In the Antiquities of the Jews, first-century historian Flavius Josephus wrote that (Ant 15.380) the temple reconstruction was started by Herod the Great in the 18th year of his reign 22 BC, two years before Augustus arrived in Syria in 20 BC to return the son of Phraates IV and receive in return the spoils and standards of three Roman legions (Ant 15.354). Temple expansion and reconstruction was ongoing, and it was in constant reconstruction until it was destroyed in 70 AD by the Romans. Given that it had taken 46 years of construction to that point, the Temple visit in the Gospel of John has been estimated at any time between 24–29 AD. It is possible that the complex was only a few years completed when the future Emperor Titus destroyed the Temple in 70 AD.


title: Cleansing of the Temple

text: Professor David Landry of the University of St. Thomas suggests that "the importance of the episode is signaled by the fact that within a week of this incident, Jesus is dead. Matthew, Mark, and Luke agree that this is the event that functioned as the 'trigger' for Jesus' death."


title: Cleansing of the Temple

text: Butler University professor James F. McGrath explains that the animal sales were related to selling animals for use in the animal sacrifices in the Temple. He also explains that the moneychangers in the temple existed to convert the many currencies in use into the accepted currency for paying the Temple taxes. E. P. Sanders and Bart Ehrman say that Greek and Roman currency was converted to Jewish and Tyrian money.


title: Cleansing of the Temple

text: A common interpretation is that Jesus was reacting to the practice of money changers routinely cheating the people, but Marvin L. Krier Mich observes that a good deal of money was stored at the temple, where it could be loaned by the wealthy to the poor who were in danger of losing their land to debt. The Temple establishment therefore co-operated with the aristocracy in the exploitation of the poor. One of the first acts of the First Jewish-Roman War was the burning of the debt records in the archives.


title: Cleansing of the Temple

text: Pope Francis sees the Cleansing of the Temple not as a violent act but more of a prophetic demonstration. In addition to writing and speaking messages from God, Israelite or Jewish "nevi'im" ("spokespersons", "prophets") often acted out prophetic actions in their life.


title: Cleansing of the Temple

text: According to D.A. Carson, the fact that Jesus was not arrested by the Temple guards was due to the fact that the crowd supported Jesus's actions. Maurice Casey agrees with this view, stating that Temple's authorities were probably afraid that sending guards against Jesus and his disciples would cause a revolt and a carnage, while Roman soldiers in the Antonia Fortress did not feel the need to act for a minor disturbance such as this; however, Jesus's actions probably prompted the authorities' decision to have Jesus arrested some days later and later had him crucified by Roman prefect Pontius Pilate.


title: Cleansing of the Temple

text: In 2012, Andy Alexis-Baker, clinical associate professor of theology at Loyola University Chicago, gave the history of the interpretation of the Johannine passage since Antiquity:


title: Cleansing of the Temple

text: There are a number of later embellishments to the narrative of the incident that are generally regarded as legendary or polemical by scholars. The Toledot Yeshu, a parody gospel probably first written down about 1,000 years later but possibly dependent on second-century Jewish-Christian gospel if not oral traditions that might go back all the way to the formation of the canonical narratives themselves, claims that Yeshu had entered the Temple with 310 of his followers. That Christ's followers had indeed entered the Temple, and in fact the Holy of Holies, is also claimed by Epiphanius, who claims that James wore the breastplate of the high priest and the high priestly diadem on his head and actually entered the Holy of Holies, and that John the Beloved had become a sacrificing priest who wore the mitre, which was the headdress of the high priest.


title: Cleansing of the Temple

text: Yeshu was likewise accused of robbing the "shem hamephorash", the 'secret name of god' from the Holy of Holies, in the Toledot Yeshu.


title: Cleansing of the Temple

text: The cleansing of the Temple is a commonly depicted event in the Life of Christ, under various titles.


title: Lou Albano

text: Louis Vincent Albano (July 29, 1933 – October 14, 2009) was an Italian-American professional wrestler, manager and actor, who performed under the ring/stage name "Captain" Lou Albano. He was active as a professional wrestler from 1953 until 1969 before becoming a manager until 1995.


title: Lou Albano

text: Over the course of his 42-year career, Albano guided 15 different tag teams and three singles competitors to championship gold. Albano was one of the "Triumvirate of Terror", a threesome of nefarious WWF managers which included The Grand Wizard of Wrestling and Freddie Blassie. The trio was a fixture in the company for a decade until The Grand Wizard's death in 1983.


title: Lou Albano

text: A unique showman, with an elongated beard, rubber band, facial piercings, and loud outfits, Albano was the forefather of the 1980s Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection. Collaborating with Cyndi Lauper, Albano helped usher in wrestling's crossover success with a mainstream audience. Capitalizing on his success, he later ventured into Hollywood with various television, film, and music projects. He became well known to a younger generation of fans as the actor and voice of Mario in "The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!"


title: Lou Albano

text: Albano's parents, Carmen Louis Albano and Eleanor Albano "née" Morrone, were of Italian heritage but both born in the United States. Eleanor was a classical concert pianist who had performed at Carnegie Hall and later became a registered nurse. Her brother, a physician, introduced her to Carmen in the 1930s, who was training to be an obstetrician. After marrying, they temporarily relocated to Italy while Carmen pursued his medical degree at the University of Bari. He later co-patented a forceps instrument to assist in breech birth deliveries. Louis Albano was born in Italy when his father had three months remaining at the university. He was baptized in the Vatican, and his parents shortly thereafter returned to the New York City area aboard the RMS "Majestic". Lou was one of nine children, of whom five lived to adulthood. The family settled in the Mount Vernon area. Lou attended Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, New York, where he competed in track and field, and finally rose to the position of captain of the football team. It was this rank that later inspired his wrestling moniker, "Captain" Lou Albano. His skills were such that he received 32 offers of full scholarship from universities around the country, and he chose the University of Tennessee on the strength of their football team. Here, Albano was teammates with the likes of Darris McCord, Doug Atkins, and his roommate, Sam Rutigliano. Albano had conflicts with the dean due to poor behavior and was expelled after attempting to cheat on a final exam. He then joined the United States Army, but due to a childhood injury exacerbated by his football days, Albano was honorably discharged after only eight months.