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Published by Manish Saraf on behalf of PTETSL,Yeshwant Plaza,

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Volume 9. Edition 03. September 2010

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To be a world class training and education organisationshaping careers through innovative products and

services & the use of human technologies.

Major news story

Cover story

Current events

PT Panorama

Profiles

News in brief

Regulars

Direct code bill....................................................................... 05

Six-phase polls in Bihar ........................................................ 07

Tourism industry in India ..................................................... 08

India ........................................................................................ 14

...................................................................................... 22

Business and economy .......................................................... 39

A history of the oscar............................................................. 47

Commonwealth Games ........................................................ 48

Anil Agarwal ........................................................................... 38

Vikram Pandit ......................................................................... 65

India ........................................................................................ 66

...................................................................................... 68

Business and economy .......................................................... 69

English grammar: Know your English................................. 30

Brand icon: Pizza Hut ........................................................... 35

Brand icon: Intel corporation ............................................... 50

Fascinating Trivia .................................................................. 52

General knowledge ............................................................... 54

Book review: A Journey-My Political Life ............................ 72

World

World

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Contents

PT’s PrepTalk – September 2010 03

Dear Readers,

This issue of PrepTalk is a welcome shift from the burning issues to the

exciting domain of wanderlust, which is visited frequently in spite of terror,

recession and pandemics.

Indian tourism has witnessed an upward curve backed by the purchasing

power of the Indian middle class and arrival of high spending foreign tourists.

The intense government campaigns like ‘Incredible India’ and ‘Atithi Devo

Bhavah’ have made people sit up and take note of developments that would

propel our economy further.

Though the tourism industry revels in its glory, yet it needs to tackle its

fundamental constraints and crippling issues to have a share in the global

growth pie. Now is the time to focus on where we stand and what more needs

to be done in this sector to showcase ‘Incredible India’ as the brand

destination. India's share in global earnings needs an upward thrust.

Development of world class infrastructure, deployment of greater security

measures for the tourists, increase in skilled human resources in the tourism

industry and opening of its skies further to increase air capacity, will augur

well for India’s tourism. There is also an urgent need to sensitize people

about the preservation of our cultural heritage. We have to position and

maintain tourism development as a national priority activity.

We have to acquire a strong foothold in the international arena and tourism

can help do so.

There are long distances to be fathomed, so that in the near future, many

more tourists will be able to see India as a dynamic pot pourri of unity in

diversity, the resurging India, in all its glory.

The future does belong to India!

Manish Saraf

COO, PT education

If you don't make mistakes, you

aren't really trying

Coleman Hawking

Do not go where the path may

lead, go instead where there is no

path and leave a trail

Ralph W aldo Emerson

The future belongs to those who

believe in the beauty of their

dreams

Eleanor Roosevelt

Until you spread your wings, you'll

have no idea how far you can fly

Unknown

There are two kinds of people,

those that do the work and those

that take the credit. Try to be in the

f i r s t group , there is less

competition there

Indira Gandhi

Only in the darkness, you are able

to see the stars

Martin Luther King

The best way to make your

dreams come true is to wake up

P aul Valery

Whether you think you can or

can't, either way you are right

Henr y Ford

If you want to make your dreams

come true, the first thing you have

to do is wake up

J.M. P ower

Take Quote

04 PT’s PrepTalk – September 2010

Untamed Inflation-CommonMan’s Nemesis

It is true that everybody today is

crumbling under the soaring prices.

Undoubtedly, inflation has become

common man’s bane. It has emerged

as the principal economic problem in

the country. Little has been done by

the government to rein in prices.

Though the government has argued

that inflation is restricted to a few

commodities and can be dealt with

through appropriate management of

supplies but many people have

argued, convincingly, that increased

and more stable food production is

the key to food security. This is

certainly true, and it calls for

concer ted pub l i c ac t ion for

agriculture, on the basis of many

recommendations that have been

made by the Farmers’ Commission

and others. But another ver y

important element cannot be ignored:

food distribution. Here, too, the

recent trends make it evident that an

e f f i c i e n t l y f u n c t i o n i n g a n d

widespread public system for

distributing essential food items is

important to prevent retail margins

from rising.

A universal system of public food

distribution provides economies of

scale; it reduces the transaction costs

and administrative hassles involved in

ascertaining the target group and

making sure it reaches them; it allows

for better public provision because

even the better-off groups with more

Letters to the editor

adoption of a new symbol can be seen

as a step by the Government to

promote “Brand India” and bring

Indian rupee on the international road

map. The symbol also connotes a

growing economy and a powerful

nation. It is a befitting tribute to the

ever-growing democracy called India.

It also sets apart India from countries

like Pakistan, Indonesia and Sri Lanka

that also use rupee or rupiah as their

currency.

But the symbol has also drawn flak

from people who believe that this just

a hyprocritic act by the government

to demonstrate its superiority and to

cover the important issues ofunemployment, poverty and corruption.

– Rachana Dave, Bilaspur

political voice have a stake in making sure

it works well; it generates greater stability

in government plans for ensuring food

production and procurement. A properly

funded, efficiently functioning and

accountable system of public delivery of

food items through a network of fair-price

shops and cooperatives is the best and

most cost-effective way of limiting

increases in food prices and ensuring that

every citizen has access to enough food.

Modern India has acquired a new

identity- the rupee symbol. India now

enters the league of countries having

their own currency symbols like US

Dollar, Euro, British Pound, Japanese Yen

etc. The symbol is an epitome of ethos

and the culture of the nation. The

–P radip Bhargav, Indore

India seeks the rupee status symbol

FEEDBACK !Your comments and

views on PrepTalk

are needed to help

Us make it better.

Which articles did you like?

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like to read regularly?

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the magazine?

Which are not?

How to improve?

Send feedback to:

[email protected]


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he much-awaited Direct Tax Code (DTC) Bill, which

aims to replace the existing Income-Tax Act, 1961, has

finally been presented in the Parliament and once

approved by both Houses, it will be enacted as a law, effective

from April 1 2012. While a lot had been anticipated from the

DTC in terms of widening of tax slabs and reduction in tax rates,

the proposal in its current form does not have a great deal for the

aam aadmi. For one, though the tax slabs for individual tax

payers have been widened, the resultant savings in the hands of

the individual tax payers is just a pittance.

Increase in tax exemption on

income from Rs 1.6 lakh to Rs 2

lakh, with no separate benefit for

women.

Income from Rs 2-5 lakh to be

taxed at 10 percent; Rs 5-10 lakh

at 20 percent and 30 percent

thereafter. Currently, income

from Rs 1.6-5 lakh attracts 10

percent tax; from Rs 5-8 lakh,

20% and beyond Rs 8 lakh, 30% .

Tax exemption limit for senior citizens above 65 years to be

marginally raised to 2.5 lakh per annum from Rs 2.4 lakh at

present. The changes will save up to Rs 41,040 for those earning

more than Rs 10 lakh a year.

Corporate tax to be a flat 30 %. MAT has been increased

from 18 percent to 20 percent of book profit of a company.

Dividend Distribution Tax will be at 15 percent.

Exemption limit for imposing Wealth Tax raised to Rs 1 crore

from current Rs 15 lakh. Wealth tax to be imposed at the rate of 1

percent, except on non-profit organisations which are exempt.

Tax Audit Limits raised from existing Rs 15 lakh for

professionals to Rs 25 lakh, and from Rs 60 lakh for income from

business to Rs 1 crore.

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Exemption of interest up to Rs 1.5 lakh on housing loan

retained. Deduction to be considered only on the interest

component and not the principal amount.

EEE (exempt-exempt-exempt) mode of taxation for

insurance and pension funds also maintained. Exemption on

pension, Provident Fund and Gratuity Funds to be at Rs 1 lakh,

while Rs 50,000 exemption provided on pure insurance,

including health cover, and tuition fee payment.

Tax incentives on ‘Leave Travel Allowance’ to be scrapped.

Existing provision of zero tax on long term capital gains to

continue. Short-term capital gains tax for annual income up to

Rs 10 lakh rationalized to benefit investors in the lower income

bracket. Small investors with incomes between Rs 2 lakh and 5

lakh to pay only 5 percent capital gains tax, less than one-third of

the current 17 percent (15 percent + cess). Investors in income

bracket of Rs 5 lakh and 10 lakh will pay 10 percent capital gains

tax. Big investors having income over Rs 10 lakh to pay short-

term capital gains tax at 15 percent.

Investment in equity-linked Mutual Fund schemes and

ULIPs to attract 5 percent tax on the dividend paid by these

entities. At present, there is no DDT applicable to equity fund

schemes or insurers on income distribution to unit or policy

holders.

While senior citizens benefit marginally, women would no

longer be given a special status by the government for a higher

exemption. Middle Class will continue to find purchasing a

house a lucrative option, as exemptions on interests on home

loans will continue. It will also give realtors some relief who are

just emerging from a depressed patch.

Direct code bill

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We must try and maximize our incomes first using sensible

investment policies. When there will be more and more money in

your pocket, a person wouldn't mind shelling out some of it as

tax, he said.

As for the government, DTC will result in an estimated

revenue loss of Rs 53,172 crore in 2012-13 as gross tax collection

from direct taxes will come down from an estimated Rs 5.80 lakh

crore to Rs 5.27 lakh crore.

Because there will be firmness and transparency in the tax

structure, all in all, we will no longer wait for Union Budget with

such baited breath as the personal income tax announcements

will no longer be a part of the Finance Bill and thus the FM's

speech.

The tax rates have been reduced to some extent with the

hope of widening the base, but the changes seem fairly cosmetic

when considered in comparison with the proposals which were

considered in the original draft of the DTC. The powers of the

tax authorities under the General Anti-Avoidance Rules

(GAAR) also remain the same.

As part of its financial reforms

process, the government wanted to

modernise and upgrade its direct

tax laws i.e. the Income Tax Act and

the Wealth Tax and bring them more

in line with current times. DTC is

expected to widen tax base, give moderate relief to tax payers,

reduce unnecessary exemptions, and improve compliance thus

improving collections.

It also seeks to address new realities like operations of

foreign companies in Indian markets, foreign institutional

investors and cross-border M&As.

For example, capital gains tax would be imposed on

acquisitions made overseas if the acquired company holds over

50 percent assets in Indian company. This would affect

companies like Vodafone Group for its acquisition of a 67

percent stake in Hutchison Essar from Hong Kong`s Hutchison

Telecommunications International Ltd.

The government has also clarified that foreign companies,

which were regarded as 'resident of India' if their control and

management were wholly situated in India, will now be considered

'resident' if the “place ofeffective management” is in India.

DTC replaces the archaic Income Tax Act, 1961 and Wealth

Tax Act, 1957.

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As for the outcome of personal

exemptions, there will be a marginal

rise in savings as exemptions have

been increased for investment in

approved funds and insurance

schemes to Rs 1.5 lakh in a year from

Rs 1.2 lakh currently.

Raising the limit for imposition for

Wealth Tax to Rs 1 crore is likely to improve compliance, which is

currently very low. But the Rs 1 crore limit is markedly low

compared to the proposed limit of Rs 50 crore, which was

originally proposed. The adverse impact of the new provision

comes from the fact that Wealth Tax would now include

companies in its ambit. So far, they were out of the net.

Small and medium investors will gain substantially by way of

saving on taxes on short term gains. DTC is also expected to

boost investment flow into capital markets, as the government

proposes to retain a zero long-term capital gain tax.

While corporates will get slight reprieve via reduction in

Corporate Tax from current 33.22 percent (for incomes more

than Rs 1 crore), increased MAT will counter the gain for

industry.

Moreover, Special Economic Zones (SEZs), which are

notified on or before March 31, 2012, will get income tax

benefits, as per the proposed Direct Taxes Code (DTC) bill.

The Bill also proposes profit-linked deductions under the I-

Tax Act to SEZ units commencing operations by March 31, 2014.

This may have an adverse impact as there is no sunset clause at

the moment, but improve commitment levels of players already

in the fray.

Asked about overall implications of the DTC, tax expert and

analyst R N Lakhotia told Zeebiz.com that one should not over

worry about tax implications as the government has evened out

losses and gains. That is, a hike in one place would be offset at

another, as no government would want to be unpopular with the

electorate. So the process is a mere rationalization.

Lakhotia advised that diversification of portfolio using

personal discretion could be a good strategy. For example,

insurance policies should be treated separately from ULIPs,

whose dividend will not invite tax. A policy should be bought

more with an idea of an insurance cover than anything else. A

Unit, on the other hand, should be picked depending on the

returns it is likely to fetch.

Besides Lakhotia asked tax payers to take a broader view of

things, “The word 'income' comes before 'tax'. The idea should

be income and wealth creation. Tax is a secondary thing.”


Bihar will have a six-phase poll from 21st October to 20th

November, the first major poll exercise that would test

the mood of the people after the 2009 Lok Sabha polls.

An estimated 5.50 crore electorate would exercise their

franchise to elect a 243-member House in the month-long

exercise with polling for the sixth and final phase ending on 20th

November.

The counting of votes would take place on 24th November.

The second, third, fourth and fifth phases would be held on

October 24, 28, November one and November nine.

Polling would be held through Electronic Voting Machines in

56,943 polling stations spread across the state.

The announcement was made by Chief Election

Commissioner S Y Quraishi along with other two Election

Commissioners V S Sampath and H S Brahma at a press

conference.

Quraishi said that the code of conduct has come into force

with immediate effect and the Exit and Opinion Polls would be

banned during the poll exercise.

On the naxal threat in the elections, the CEC said "we have

taken into consideration the ground reality and we have

adequate forces to ensure free and fair polls".

Asked about Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's plea for

availability of Central forces in all polling booths, he said that the

poll panel would keep the Chief Minister's request in mind while

deciding the deployment plan.

Bypolls for Banka Lok Sabha seat, which became vacant

following the death of sitting MP Digvijay Singh, will be held on

November one.

The poll exercise is starting a week after the closing of the

Commonwealth Games in Delhi to make available adequate

Central forces.

Allaying fears about the use of EVMs, Quraishi said that the

machines were working "satisfactorily" and the EC would involve

political parties during their first level checking which was not

done earlier.

Besides, he said that the EC would be convening an all party

meeting on various issues including money power in elections as

also paid news besides the issue of EVMs.

Besides General Observers, the EC has also decided to

appoint adequate number of Expenditure Observers in the state

who will exclusively monitor the poll expenditure of the

contesting candidates.

The election is expected to be a triangular affair with the

ruling JD(U)-BJP continuing their poll alliance and Lalu

Prasad's RJD and Ram Vilas Paswan's LJP joining hands to oust it

from power.

The Congress has

announced it would go it

alone in the State, unlike

in the past when it played

a second fiddle to RJD.

R J D a n d L J P

overcame last-minute

hiccups and clinched an

alliance and decided to

contest 168 and 75 seats

respectively.

Six-phase polls in Bihar

Major news story

Date Phase Seats

Oct 21 Phase 1 47

Oct 24 Phase 2 45

Oct 28 Phase 3 48

Nov 1 Phase 4 42

Nov 9 Phase 5 35

Nov 20 Phase 6 26

Counting : Nov 24


Tourism is the largest service industry in

India, with a contribution of 6.23% to

the national GDP and 8.78% of the

total employment in India. India witnesses more

than 5 million annual foreign tourist arrivals and

562 million domestic tourism visits. The

tourism industry in India generated about

US$100 billion in 2008 and that is expected to

increase to US$275.5 billion by 2018 at a 9.4%

annual growth rate. The Ministry of Tourism is

the nodal agency for the development and

promotion of tourism in India and maintains the

"Incredible India" campaign.

According to World Travel and Tourism

Council, India will be a tourism hotspot from

2009–2018, having the highest 10-year growth

p o t e n t i a l . T h e Tr a v e l & To u r i s m

Competitiveness Report 2007 ranked tourism in

India 6th in terms of price competitiveness and

39th in terms of safety and security. Despite short- and medium-

term setbacks, such as shortage of hotel rooms, tourism

revenues are expected to surge by 42% from 2007 to 2017.

India has a growing medical tourism sector. The 2010

Commonwealth Games in Delhi are expected to significantly

boost tourism in India.

Tourism industry in India is on a great boom at the moment.

India has tremendous potential to become a major global tourist

destination and Indian tourism industry is exploiting this

potential to the hilt. Travel and tourism industry is the second

highest foreign exchange earner for India, and the government

has given travel & tourism organizations export house status.

The buoyancy in the Indian tourism industry can be

attributed to several factors. Firstly, the tremendous growth of

Indian economy has resulted in more disposable income in the

hands of middle class, thereby prompting increasingly large

number of people to spend money on vacations abroad or at

home. Secondly, India is a booming IT hub and more and more

people are coming to India on business trips. Thirdly, aggressive

advertising campaign "Incredible India" by Tourism Ministry

has played a major role in changing the image of India from that

of the land of snake charmers to a hot and happening place and

has sparked renewed interest among foreign travelers.

Travel and tourism industry's contribution to Indian

industry is immense. Tourism is one of the main foreign

exchange earners and contributes to the economy indirectly

through its linkages with other sectors like horticulture,

agriculture, poultry, handicrafts and construction.

Tourism industry also provides employment to millions of

people in India both directly and indirectly through its linkage

with other sectors of the economy. According to an estimate total

direct employment in the tourism sector is around 20 million.

Travel & tourism industry in India is marked by considerable

government presence. Each state has a tourism corporation,

which runs a chain of hotels / rest houses and operates package

tours, while the central government runs the India Tourism

Development Corporation.

In the year 2002, the Government of India announced a New

Tourism Policy to give boost to the tourism sector.

Tourism industry in India

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Tourism in India has seen exponential growth in the recent

years. India is one of the most preferred destinations for both

overseas and domestic travelers. Tourism enables the

international traveler to understand and experience India's

cultural diversity first hand. According to official estimates, the

Indian tourism industry has out performed the global tourism

industry in terms of growth in the volume of foreign tourists as

well as in terms of revenue.

The main reason for the growth in tourism in India is the

tremendous progress made by the Indian economy, though it

must be said that infrastructure is still a constraint. To sustain

the current growth, the government should invest in

infrastructure like transport, accommodation, better roads,

health and hygiene etc. To propel growth the industry has

invested in new technology like CRM tools and state of the art

security systems.

All types of tourism in India have registered phenomenal

growth in the last decade ever since the Indian government

decided to boost revenues from the tourism sector by projecting

India as the ultimate tourist spot.

The reason why India has been doing well in all types of

tourism in India is that India has always been known for its

hospitality, uniqueness, and charm – attributes that have been

attracting foreign travelers to India in hordes.

The policy is built around the 7-S Mantra of Swaagat

(welcome), Soochanaa (information), Suvidhaa (facilitation),

Surakshaa (security), Sahyog (cooperation), Sanrachnaa

(infrastructure) and Safaai (cleanliness).

Some of the salient features of the Tourism Policy are:

The policy proposes the inclusion of tourism in the

concurrent list of the Constitution to enable both the

central and state governments to participate in the

development of the sector.

No approval required for foreign equity of up to 51 per cent

in tourism projects. NRI investment up to 100% allowed.

Automatic approval for Technology agreements in the hotel

industry, subject to the fulfillment of certain specified

parameters.

Concession rates on customs duty of 25% for goods that are

required for initial setting up, or for substantial expansion

of hotels.

50% of profits derived by hotels, travel agents and tour

operators in foreign exchange are exempt from income tax.

The remaining profits are also exempt if reinvested in a

tourism related project.

Apart from this, government has taken several other

measures for the promotion of tourism. A multi-pronged

approach has been adopted, which includes new mechanism for

speedy implementation of tourism projects, development of

integrated tourism circuits and rural destinations, special

capacity building in the unorganized hospitality sector and new

marketing strategy.

The outlook for travel industry in India looks - extremely

bright. India as a tourism destination is the toast of the world at

the moment. Conde Nast ranked India amongst the top 10

tourist destinations. JBIC ranked her as the fifth most attractive

investment destination. Besides, India is probably the only

country that offers various categories of tourism. These include

history tourism, adventure tourism, medical tourism (ayurveda

and other forms of Indian medications), eco tourism, cultural

tourism, rural tourism, religious/pilgrimage tourism, spiritual

tourism, and beach tourism etc.

Tourism is not the same as travel. Tourism can be measured

by three different criteria:

It requires a displacement outside the known environment.

The purpose for travel: The reason for travel must be any

reason other than remuneration from the place visited.

Duration: The duration of stay can be a minimum of one

day with or without an overnight stay, but there is a cap on

the maximum time period, usually it should not be more

than a year.

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The Indian government, in order to boost tourism of various

kinds in India, has set up the Ministry of Tourism and Culture.

This ministry recently launched a campaign called ‘Incredible

India!’ in order to encourage different types of tourism in India.

The result was that in 2004, foreign tourists spent around

US$ 15.4 billion during their trips to India. Being a country with

tremendous diversity, India has a lot to offer in terms of tourism

and related activities. The diversity that India is famous for,

ensures that there is something to do for all tourists in India, no

matter what their interests are.

Adventure tourism in India has increased in recent years due

to the efforts taken by the Indian government and the Ministry of

Tourism. The scope for adventure tourism in India is endless

because the country has a rich diversity in terms of climate and

topography.

Various kinds of adventure on water, land, and air can be

enjoyed in India. The ministry of tourism and culture has, in

recent years, launched a campaign called ‘Incredible India!’ and

this has given a tremendous boost to adventure tourism in India.

The various kinds of adventure tourism in India are:

Rock climbing

Skiing

Camel safari

Para gliding

Mountaineering

Rafting in white water

Adventure tourism in India has registered a formidable

growth in recent years. For this growth to continue, efforts must

be taken by the government of India so that India ranks

alongside international destinations for adventure tourism.

Culture tourism in India is the predominant factor behind

India’s meteoric rise in the tourism segment in recent years,

because from time immemorial, India has been considered the

land of ancient history, heritage, and culture.

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The government of India has set up the Ministry of Tourism

and Culture to boost culture tourism in India. The ministry in

recent years has launched the ‘Incredible India!’ campaign and

this has led to the growth of culture tourism in India.

India has had many rulers over the centuries and all of them

made an impact on India's culture. One can see the influence of

various cultures in dance, music, festivities, architecture,

traditional customs, food, and languages. It is due to the

influence of all these various cultures that the heritage and

culture of India is exhaustive and vibrant. This richness in

culture goes a long way in projecting India as the ultimate

culture tourism destination. The most popular states in India

for culture tourism are:

Rajasthan

Tamil Nadu

Uttar Pradesh

Uttaranchal

Among the various states for culture tourism in India,

Rajasthan is the most popular. The reason for this is that

Rajasthan is famous for its rich cultural heritage. The state is

renowned for many magnificent palaces and forts which

showcase the rich cultural heritage of Rajasthan. The various

folk songs and music also reflect the cultural heritage of

Rajasthan.

A large number of festivals and fairs are held in Rajasthan

such as the Camel festival, Marwar festival, and Pushkar festival.

All these attract many tourists to Rajasthan for they get to see the

rich culture of the state.

Cultural tourism in India has witnessed a lot of growth in

recent years. For this growth to continue, the government of

India needs to take further pro-active steps and measures.

Almost a decade after it was originally envisioned as a major

phenomenon, medical tourism in India is beginning to take off.

More and more people across the globe are eschewing expensive

treatments or long waits at hospitals at home for the benefits

offered by cheaper countries like India, Thailand, Philippines

and Singapore and combining a tummy tuck, say with a visit to

the Taj Mahal or the beaches and misty mountains of Kerala.

Studies say health tourism is projected to be the next big

thing after India's IT outsourcing boom. A 2009 report by the

Confederation of Industries (CII)-McKinsey forecasts that,

medical tourism will generate US$2.4 billion during 2009–2012

for India by attracting 1.1 million health tourists, up from

150,000 in 2002.

Ecotourism in India has developed recently, for the concept

itself is a relatively new one. Ecotourism entails traveling to

places that are renowned for their natural beauty and social

culture, while making sure not to damage the ecological balance.

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Heritage tourism in India has registered an immense growth

in the last few years, ever since additional initiatives were taken

by the government of India to boost India’s image as a

destination for heritage tourism.

India's rich heritage is amply reflected in the various

temples, palaces, monuments, and forts that can be found

everywhere in the country. This has led to the increase in India's

heritage tourism. The most popular heritage tourism

destinations in India are:

Taj Mahal in Agra

Mandawa castle in Rajasthan

Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu

Madurai in Tamil Nadu

Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh

Delhi, the Indian capital

The tourism of heritage in India has also increased due to

the interest of many foreigners in the temples of India. Madurai

is known as the ‘temple city’ due to the presence of a large

number of temples in the city. And for this reason, many tourists

go and visit the place each year. The most important temple in

Madurai is the Meenakshi temple.

Heritage tourism in India has also been popularized because

a lot of tourists go to Delhi which is not only the capital of India

but also has many heritage sites. The most famous heritage sites

in Delhi are the Red fort, Jama Masjid, Humayun's tomb, and

Tughlaqabad fort.

Heritage tourism has grown in recent years but there is

scope for further development which can be attained only

through combined efforts of the government of India and the

tourism boards.

The real GDP growth for travel and tourism economy is

expected to grow at an average of 7.7 per cent per annum in

the coming decade.

Earning through exports from international visitors and

tourism goods are expected to generate 6.0 per cent of total

exports (nearly $16.9 billion) in 2009 and expected to

increase to US$ 51.4 billion in 2019.

According to the Ministry of Tourism, Foreign Tourist

Arrivals (FTAs) for the period from January to March in

2009 was 1.461 million. For the month of March 2009 the

FTAs was 472000.The reason for the decline is attributed to

the ongoing economic crisis.

In spite of the short term and medium term impediment

due to the global meltdown the revenues from tourism is

expected to increase by 42 per cent from 2007 to 2017.

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Ecotourism pertains to a conscious and responsible effort to

preserve the diversity of a naturally endowed region and

sustaining its beauty and local culture. Indians have been known

since ages to worship and conserve nature. So the growth of

ecotourism in India is but natural. Also, the government of India

has set up the Ministry of Tourism and Culture to promote

ecotourism in India alongside other types of tourism.

Ecotourism in India has grown significantly in recent years

in India since the country has a diverse geography which led to

the development of many tourist destinations. These various

destinations not only de-stress the tourists but also rejuvenate

them. There are various ways in which tourists can enjoy nature

in India. And this has given ecotourism in India a major boost.

Places such as Kerala, Lakshdweep Islands, the Himalayan

region, north-east India, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands are

some destinations in India where tourists can participate in

ecotourism-related activities. In Kerala, Thenmala is a planned

ecotourism spot and is the first of its kind in India. Great care

has gone into the care and preservation of Thenmala so that it

caters to nature lovers and eco- tourists.

Eco-tourists have been thronging India in large numbers for

it has a rich source of flora and fauna. A great number of

endangered and rare species are also to be found in the various

national parks in India. The major national parks in India for

ecotourism are:

Corbett National Park in Uttar Pradesh

Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh

Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh

Gir National Park and Sanctuary in Gujarat

Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan

Ecotourism in India has increased in the last few years. The

government of India and Ministry of Tourism need to make

concerted efforts to ensure that ecotourism in India is able to

keep pace with ecotourism destinations across the world and

making sustainable tourism a priority.

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Role of Tourism Industry in India GDP has been quite

alarming since the past few decades.

Tourism industry has contributed enormously in the

flourishing graph of India's economy by attracting a huge

number of both foreign and domestic tourists traveling for

professional as well as holiday purpose.

The tourism industry in India witnessed a stupendous

growth in 2006. The growth in the inflows in India's tourism

industry is calculated both in terms of business and vacations.

The number of foreign tourists arriving from all over the

world rose from 0.37 percent to 0.53 percent as has been stated

by UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in the year 2006.

This remarkable growth in the graph of tourism industry in

India popularized the entire South Asia as one of the most

spectacular tourist terminal. Indian tourism industry

contributes to around 5.9 percent of the country's GDP and it

provides employment to around 41.8 million of inhabitants.

Some of the most significant features of India's tourism

industry or the Role of Tourism Industry in India GDP have

been listed below:

The percentage of foreign tourists in India has increased by

12.4 percent in one year, that is, from 2006 to 2007. In 2006,

Indian tourist industry witnessed a growth of 14.3 percent,

which reached around 3.89 million in 2007

The foreign tourists arrival led to a robust growth in the

foreign exchange earnings that increased from USD 5.03

billion during January-October 2006 to USD 6.32 billion

during January-October 2007, which is apparently a 25.6

percent rise.

Deeming the growing rate of the tourists arrival in the

country, the Indian tourism industry designed a wide

spectrum of holiday packages and cheaper airfares to attract

more tourists.

Nonetheless, the outgoing graph of tourism industry in

India is in no way lagging behind from the inbound one.

People traveling from India to abroad or states within India

have increased by 25 percent.

The United Nations World Tourism Organization

(UNWTO) has estimated the outgoing tourists to reach

around 50 million by the year 2020.

According to the European Travel Commission, the average

expenditure per trip of Indian tourists traveling abroad has

increased from USD 611 in 2000 to USD 822 in 2006

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The booming success of Indian tourism industry has led to

a drastic change in the hospitality department as well. The

increase in the ratio of tourists resulted in the increase of

room rates and also setting up of a wide range of hotels and

other residing areas.

A number of international hotels such as the Hilton, Accor,

Marriott International, Berggruen Hotels, Cabana Hotels,

Premier Travel Inn (PTI) and Inter Continental Hotels

groups have professed about making some large-scale

investments to append 65,000 additional rooms to suffice

the needs

India is most likely to set up forty hotels of global brands by

2011. The hospitality segment in India is assumed to reach

USD 11.41 billion in the coming two years

Following are the few benefits ensured by the tourism

industry in India GDP in order to boost up the GDP of

India:

The Indian tourism industry offers online booking system,

one of the basic proofs of technological advancement in this

sector. These online bookings are applicable for booking

the air tickets via Internet by logging on to the website and

also booking the hotel room of the place to be visited

The online tourism industry has accounted for a turn over

of USD 800 million which is apparently 14 percent of the

entire travel and tourism industry

The Role of Tourism Industry in India GDP also features

medical tourism that includes traditional therapies like

yoga, meditation, ayurveda, allopathy and other

conventional systems of medicines is currently estimated at

USD 333 million and is most likely to reach USD 2.2 billion

by the year 2012.


event will be a great hit for the India Tourism Industry. Along

with that Indian hospitality, aviation and hotel industry will also

be equally beneficial with the event.

Commonwealth Games will provide dual enjoyment to the

tourists – first of all, it is an opportunity for tourists to be a part of

the different sports activities and on the other they can enjoy

great tourism in the country. The Government of India in

collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism has come up with

new development plans to change the look and feel of the city, for

the better.

Hotel owners and apartment builders in the city are working

really hard to provide the most delightful experience of India

tour during the eve of the Commonwealth Games. Further new

projects have come up to discover new heritage, religious,

adventurous tourists sites in the northern states of India

bordering Delhi including Punjab, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh,

Haryana and Rajasthan.

New Delhi is already a well planned modern city with a great

infrastructure. But to host such a great event is really a big

challenge. The government of India wants to leave no stone

unturned to make it a big hit.

To make the transportation more easy, government is

extending its metro train stations. Recently it has launched large

member of AC buses in the city. Stadiums are being renovated,

new flyovers have come up and last but not the least airports of all

the major Indian cities like Delhi, Nagpur, Mumbai, Bangalore,

Goa, Cochin, etc are being modernized especially for the

Commonwealth Games.

So, it is no doubt that Commonwealth Games is going to

benefit the Indian Tourism Industry in a big way. It’s also going

to boost the various job opportunities in the country. With that

the Private Sectors like the hotels, travel agencies, tour

operators, airlines, airports are going to hire more employees in

order to handle large in flux of tourists from all over the world.

India's Ministry of Tourism has projected the number of

foreign tourists arrival in India to rise 10 million by 2010.

According to the estimates, India epitomizes one of the most

potential tourism markets in the world.

In the last few years, it has expanded rapidly and due to the

unprecedented and unbound support from all levels of

government, upgraded income level and inauguration of various

International sports events (Cricket 20/20 and Commonwealth

Games), the India Tourism Industry will surely be fruitful and

will continue to grow at a high level in the years to come.

Commonwealth Games is the additional opportunity for the

Travel Industry to gain some additional business, by offering

special tour packages to the tourists. As per the reports, it is

estimated that more than 3.5 million tourists are going to reach

India in 2010 to be a part of the eminent Commonwealth Games,

which are scheduled to be held in Delhi - the capital city of India.

It is high time for India's Tourism Industry, as the foreign

tourists will be heavily dependent upon them for the flight

bookings, hotel reservations, travel itineraries and visas.

The growth of India Tourism market is also equally

beneficial for the several associated industries such as the

aviation industry, medical tourism industry and hotel industry.

However year 2008, saw a whopping rise in the arrival of eco

tourists in the country. Recently a new concept 'Rural Tourism'

has been launched by the government in India, which is equally

doing very well.

It is believed that in the next few years India Tour Industry

will gain new heights and the percentage of India's share in the

global tourism will grow 1.5% by 2010. Industry is going to fetch

maximum business from Agra (Taj Mahal), Andhra Pradesh,

Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Rajasthan, that are expected to receive

maximum number of tourists.

Delhi–the capital city of India, is the new born host of

eminent Commonwealth Games that are supposed to be held in

2010 staring on 3rd October and lasting till 14th October. In the

past, Delhi has also hosted Asian Games in 1951 and 1982. It is

believed that Commonwealth Games are likely to boost India

Tourism Industry, as the foreign tourists who will be coming to

India next year will be greatly dependent upon the travel agents

for the tour itineraries, hotel bookings, flight reservations and

visa.

According to the estimates over 2.5million foreign tourists

and 4.5 million domestic tourists are likely to arrive in Delhi on

the eve of the Commonwealth Games. So it is no doubt that the

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SAINA GETS KHEL RATNA AWARD; 15 GIVEN ARJUNAAWARD

Badminton ace Saina Nehwal,

whose phenomenal rise was

highlighted by three top-flight

international titles recently, was

conferred the coveted Rajiv Gandhi

Khel Ratna award at a glittering

ceremony in New Delhi.

Saina's achievements in the past

one year made her an automatic

choice for the prestigious award, the

highest sporting honour in the country.

The Hyderabadi shuttler did not collect the award, which

consists of a medal, citation and cash prize of Rs 7.5 lakh,

personally as she is yet to return from Paris where she lost in the

quarter-finals of the World Championships.

An Arjuna awardee last year, Saina rose to number two in

world rankings and also completed a hat-trick of international

titles, including back-to-back Super Series victories in

Singapore and Indonesia in June.

Former Indian hockey skipper Sandeep Singh and women's

cricket captain, Jhulan Goswami were among the 15

sportspersons who received the Arjuna Award from President

Pratibha Patil at Rashtrapati Bhawan.

Boxer Dinesh Kumar, swimmer Rehan Poncha, world's

second youngest Grandmaster Parimarjan Negi and Olympian

wrestler Rajiv Tomar also received the Arjuna award for their

achievements in the last one year.

Women hockey player Jasjeet Kaur Handa also missed the

ceremony as she is now in Argentina for the FIH World Cup.

No male cricketer got the honour, while Deepak Mondal was

the lone footballer and Rajeev Tomar was the lone wrestler to get

Arjuna award.

List of the awardees:

Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award:

Arjuna Awards:

Dhyan Chand Awards:

Dronacharya Awards:

Rashtriya Khel Protsahana Puruskar:

Saina Nehwal

(Badminton).

Joseph Abraham, Krishna Poonia (both

Athletics), Dinesh Kumar (Boxing), Parimrajan Negi (Chess),

Julan Goswami (Women's Cricket), Deepak Kumar Mandal

(Football), Sandeep Singh (Men's Hockey), Jasjeet Kaur Handa

(Women's Hockey), Dinesh Kumar (Kabaddi), Sanjeev Rajput

(Shooting), Rehan Jehangir Poncha (Swimming), Kapil Dev KJ

(Volleyball), Rajeev Tomar (Wrestling), Rajesh Chaudhary

(Yachting), Jagseer Singh (Para- Olympics athletics).

Satish Pillai (Athletics), Kuldeep

Singh (Wrestling), Anita Chanu (Weightlifting).

A K Kutty (Athletics), Subhash B

Aggarwal (Billiards and Snooker), L Ibomcha Singh (Boxing),

Ajay Kumar Bansal (Hockey), Captain Chandrup (Wrestling).

Services Sports

Control Board (SSCB), Tata Steel Limited, Khel Evam Yuva

Vibhag (Government of Madhya Pradesh).

The Civil Nuclear Liability Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha

on Aug 25 after months of complicated negotiations and with a

political compromise between the Central Government and the

Opposition.

Earlier, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh assured the

parliament that the Civil Nuclear Liability Bill did not

compromise India's interests, saying it completes our journey to

end the apartheid in the nuclear field.

“I categorically state that this Bill is a completion of journey

to end the nuclear apartheid which the world had imposed on

India. To say that this Bill is aimed at advancing US interest is far

from truth; and history will be the judge,” said Dr Singh.

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LOK SABHA PASSES NUCLEAR LIABILITY BILL

India

Current events


KRISHNA LAUNCHES 2ND PHASE OF PAN-AFRICANE-NETWORK PROJECT

External Affairs Minister, S M Krishna

launched the second phase of pan-African e-

network project that offers a range of services

in tele-education and tele-medicine to

African nations.

Launching the project that would provide

distance education and tele-medicine

services to cover 12 new nations, Krishna

asked them to take full advantage of the services offered by India

in the fields of education and medicine.

Through the project, a brainchild of former President A P J

Abdul Kalam, the best education programmes and medical care

available in India are broadcast via satellite and fibre network,

linking India to 54 countries in Africa.

The first stage of the project was inaugurated in 2009 and the

second phase extends the project to 12 countries.

Under the project, India is helping in setting up a fibre-optic

network to provide satellite connectivity, tele-medicine and tele-

education to all nations.

“We have decided to offer training at regional level in these

fields by conducting workshops,” Krishna said.

The minister also interacted with senior officials and

ministers from Botswana, Burundi, Ivory Coast, Djibouti,

Egypt, Eritrea, Libya, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, Uganda

and Zambia through video conferencing.

Describing the Pan-African e-network project as one of the

finest examples of growing partnership between India and

Africa, Krishna said this is the biggest project of distance

education and tele-medicine ever undertaken in Africa.

Krishna said the project, which has already been

implemented in 34 African nations, is also equipped to support

e-governance, e-commerce, infotainment, resource mapping

and other meteorological services in the countries.

“This would provide VVIP connectivity among the Heads of

States of the African countries through a highly secure and

closed satellite network,” Krishna said.

He said nearly 1700 students from African countries have

already enrolled in the tele-education programme and Indian

multi-speciality hospitals have also started consultations

through the tele-medicine programme.

“We will do everything to strengthen the Nuclear Safety

Regulatory Board. The concern over safety is one I share with

the Opposition. India wishes to use nuclear energy in a major

way,” he added over the concern of the Opposition over the Bill.

Referring to various attempts by the government to

introduce contentious clauses in the Bill on which it had to

backtrack, Singh said the government was indulging in a

“sleight of hand” by first introducing the word 'and' and later

'intent' in the draft bill.

The Central Government tabled the Civil Nuclear Liability

Bill and dropped a controversial amendment to a contentious

clause on the liability of suppliers in case of accident in the civil

nuclear damages bill, in a bid to evolve a consensus on the

measure.

Minister of State for Science and Technology, Prithviraj

Chavan moved the Bill in the House and tabled an amendment

to Clause 17(B), which now does not have the word 'intent' with

regard to suppliers or their employees in causing an accident in a

nuclear plant.

“The nuclear incident has resulted as a consequence of an

act of supplier or his employee, which includes supply of

equipment or material with patent or latent defects or sub-

standard services,” reads the rephrased amendment now.

The Union Cabinet cleared 18 amendments on August 20,

including the one, which deals with a clause on liability of a

supplier in the event of a nuclear accident.

The passage of the Bill is considered important for starting

nuclear commerce between India and the international

community. Earlier, the government had listed the Bill for

introduction on March 15, but had to defer it at the last moment

after it realised that it did not have the requisite numbers to see

its introduction in the Lok Sabha.

In the present form, the Bill limits liability to the operator for

each nuclear accident at Rs 500 crore.


Regular Continued Medical Education sessions started

from April this year and so far 654 sessions have been conducted,

he said.

The Project was also awarded 'The Hermes Prize for

Innovation 2010' for its contribution in the field of sustainable

human development.

An Allahabad-based Urdu litterateur has been

chosen by Pakistan for one of its highest civilian

awards “Sitaara-e-Imtiyaz”.

“I was pleasantly surprised when I received a

call on August 15 from Iftikhar Arif, noted Urdu

poet and Pakistani scholar who also heads the

National Language Authority which is a body

devoted to promote the cause of Urdu” renowned Urdu literary

figure Shamsur Rahman Faruqi said.

The 72-year-old Urdu scholar, who received the Padma Shri

last year, expressed hope that the award would be more than a

mere personal achievement and “do its bit in bringing about an

atmosphere of friendship and mutual trust...”

“Diplomatic relations between the two countries may have

had their ups and downs, but writers and poets of India and

Pakistan have always remained united,” Faruqi said.

“We must not underestimate the impact these things can

have. Our Prime Minister has been offering humanitarian

assistance to Pakistan which is reeling under devastating flood.

Pakistan, on its part, has chosen an Indian litterateur for one of

their prestigious awards. This shows that all is not lost between

the two countries,” he said.

Faruqi also expressed displeasure over the tendency to view

Urdu as a “Muslim language”, which he said “results from

ignorance of the fact that this is one Indian language in which

people from all faiths – Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians –

have made significant contributions”.

“Urdu has had innumerable writers, poets and critics who

came from a non-Muslim background. Fortunately, despite

attempts to politicise the issue, there seems to be no dearth of

interest in the language even in the younger generation,” he

added.

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URDU SCHOLAR CHOSEN FOR PAKISTANI CIVILIANHONOUR

PM UNVEILS CALL CENTRE 'UDYAMI HELPLINE' FORMSMES

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

inaugurated a call centre 'Udyami

Helpline', which will provide information

about business possibilities and loan

facilities to entrepreneurs keen on setting

up small units.

After inaugurating the helpline, the

Prime Minister said this initiative would help in expanding the

outreach of support provided under the various schemes and

programmes of the government, an official statement said in

New Delhi.

“The Ministry of Micro, Small and

Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) call

centre will satisfy the need of a single

point facility providing a wide range of

information and accessibility of banks to

such units,” it said.

The Prime Minister said first generation entrepreneurs

faced hurdles in credit availability, technology and marketing.

The government support in these areas can improve their

viability problems to a large extent.

He also emphasised that the MSMEs play a vital role in

employment generation.

The toll-free number 1800-180-6763, which would offer

services between 6 am to 10 pm throughout the year, would

provide information on a wide range of subjects, including

guidance on setting up units, access loans from banks, project

profiles and about various MSME schemes.

The facility, which would be available in both English and

Hindi, would also help in lodging complaints with various

central and state government agencies dealing with MSMEs,

including banks.

“The helpline will improve public access to the government,

particularly from the rural and remote areas of the country and

make the government more responsive to the public needs,” the

statement said.

Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Minister Dinsha

Patel, Secretary Dinesh Rai and senior officers of the ministry

were also present on the occasion.


TRAINING COURSE FOR YOUNG LAWYERS SOON

BRAHMA APPOINTED ELECTION COMMISSIONER

Young lawyers trying to make a

mark in court practice would now

be able to hone their skills through

an innovative training programme

finalised by the Law Ministry.

Unveiling the programme,

christened the Rajiv Gandhi

Adivakta Prashikshan Yojna, Law

Minister, M Veerappa Moily said

under the scheme 10 advocates

would be selected from every state per year for undergoing

training, which would include one month's training at one of the

14 national law school universities. The lawyers would then be

attached to a senior lawyer of a High Court or district court for

the next month.

“The first batch of advocates would commence their

training at National Law School University in Delhi from

October,” Moily told reporters.

Moily said a selection committee at the state-level would be

constituted to select the lawyers to be trained. A judge of the

High Court would head the committee, while other members

would include an Additional Solicitor General, Chairman of the

State Bar Council and the Advocate General.

“The advocates will be taught how to use plea bargaining to

help clients, mechanism of alternative dispute resolution

system, cyber laws and art of cross-examination, among other

subjects. I have discussed the matter with Social Justice and

Empowerment Minister Mukul Wasnik as preference would be

given to SCs, STs, women and physically challenged persons,”

Moily said.

Former bureaucrat Harishankar Brahma

was appointed as Election Commissioner.

A 1975 IAS officer of Andhra Pradesh

cadre, Brahma (60), who hails from Assam, is

a former Union Power Secretary.

“The President is pleased to appoint Shri Harishankar

Brahma as the Election Commissioner in the Election

Commission of India with effect from the date he assumes the

Office,” said a notification issued by the Law Ministry.

��

ARJUN ATWAL MAKES HISTORY WITH WYNDHAM WIN

Arjun Atwal became the first

Indian-born player to win on the

USPGA Tour by shooting a final round

three-under par 67 to capture the

Wyndham Championship.

The 37-year-old Atwal finished at

20-under-par 260 to beat American

David Toms (64) by one stroke.

“It feels great. I have no words. I

grinded it today,” Atwal said.

Atwal also became the first Monday qualifier to win the

ensuing tournament in 24 years, following Fred Wadsworth at

the 1986 Southern Open.

Atwal has enjoyed victories on the European, Asian and

Nationwide tours but not until now on the PGA Tour.

Atwal didn't take any chances on No. 18. He blasted his

approach into the spectators' tent, choosing to take a drop in the

rough rather than try to place his ball on the green.

He chipped it onto the green then one-putted for the win.

“I was so nervous over that putt,” Atwal said. “I am just glad

it went in.”

Atwal, who earned 918,000 dollars for the victory, led or

shared the lead after each of the first three rounds.

“I told my caddie, 'We've got nothing to lose …. Just go out

there and try and win it,” Atwal said. “Guys are going to be out

there trying to secure their FedEx Cup spots or whatever. We've

got nothing.”

Toms was on 19-under 201 while John Mallinger and

Michael Sim both shot 62s and were joined by John Rollins (65)

and Justin Leonard (65) at 202.

Three years ago, Atwal was involved in a fatal car crash in

Orlando that killed a Florida man. Witnesses told police that

Atwal, who was driving a BMW sedan, and the other driver were

street racing – a charge that Atwal denies.

Atwal lost his tour card in July because he was unable to win

enough money to retain his medical exemption beyond eight

events this season, forcing him into Monday qualifying sessions.

Atwal missed much of last year with injuries.


Brahma was appointed Election Commissioner following

the elevation of S Y Quraishi as the Commission's head.

It is understood that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was

keen to appoint an officer from the North East to the key post.

Brahma is the second person from the North East after J M

Lyngdoh, who retired as Chief Election Commissioner in 2004,

to become Election Commissioner.

V S Sampath is the other Election Commissioner.

The space spending is expected to

increase by an average of 14.8 per cent

annually in India over the next four years

and estimated to be Rs 10,000 crore by 2014,

a CII-Antrix-Deloitte study said.

Currently, India is globally ranked sixth

in terms of space budget and technological

capabilities, behind the US, Europe, Japan, Russia and China,

the New India Space Market Study said.

The study was released by K R Sridhara Murthi, Managing

Director, Antrix Corporation Ltd, at the Bengaluru Space Expo

(BSX) 2010 conference organised by Confederation of Indian

Industry (CII) and Antrix, the commercial arm of Indian Space

Research Organisation.

The Government space budget of Rs 5778 crore for 2010 has

increased by an estimated 22 per cent from the previous year,

and amounts to 0.14 per cent of GDP. From 2003 to 2010,

funding has increased 144 per cent from Rs 2,368 crore.

India is well positioned to become a global leader supplying

advanced technology at a fair price to US and European space

industry companies, Murthi said at a Leader’s Forum

conducted at the World Space Conference 2010, Bangalore.

“India's space industry is different than its defence industry

which purchases much of its equipment from foreign suppliers,

he was quoted as saying.

Indigenous suppliers provide an estimated 70 per cent of the

technology content, providing a solid foundation to provide

technology innovation throughout the space industry value

chain on a global basis,” said Gurpal Singh, Deputy Director

General and Head of Defence & Aerospace at CII.

��

INDIA'S SPACE SPENDING TO BE RS 10,000 CRBY 2014: STUDY

“India’s space industry is registering explosive growth, with

many opportunities for indigenous as well as foreign suppliers to

help further develop the country's communications,

positioning, navigation and tracking as well as earth observation

requirements going forward,” added Tom Captain, Vice

Chairman, Deloitte LLP, Global Aerospace & Defence Sector

Leader.

The BrahMos supersonic cruise

missile, jointly developed by India

and Russia and which can travel at

speeds of 2.5 to 2.8 mach, is likely to

be inducted in the Indian Air Force

(IAF) by 2013, a top official said.

The IAF vers ion of the

precision-attack low-flying missile

would be completing its air-to-ground tests by 2012.

'We expect it to be inducted in IAF by 2013,' CEO and

Managing Director of BrahMos Aerospace Limited (BAL) A.

Sivathanu Pillai told reporters on the margins of the second

international space exhibition and conference in Bangalore.

BrahMos, which has already been inducted in the Indian

Army and the Indian Navy, can carry a payload of 200 to 300 kg of

explosives.

The Sukhoi SU-30MKI combat jet has been chosen as the

aircraft to be fitted with the BrahMos. The aircraft is being

modified for the purpose.

'The aircraft has to undergo certain modifications,' Pillai

said.

The Bangalore-based Hindustan Aeronautics Limited

(HAL) is building the modified version of the Russian-made

aircraft for reducing its weight and giving it additional

propulsion.

A prototype of the aircraft is also being built and tested in

Russia.

The BrahMos is capable of attacking from land-to-ship,

ship-to-land and ship-to ship, Pillai said.

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BRAHMOS MISSILE LIKELY TO BE INDUCTED IN IAFBY 2013


Earlier, Ramesh rejected environment clearance for the

Vedanta bauxite mining project in Orissa. Citing violation of

environmental clearance conditions, the Ministry issued show

cause notice to the company.

Under existing EPA provisions, the Ministry can cancel

environment clearance, impose a penalty of up to Rs 100,000 and

a jail term of up to five years for not complying with environment

clearance conditions.

But the penalty, the Mauskar committee noted, is rarely

imposed as the process involved is very cumbersome and time-

consuming and that made the law neither a deterrent nor

punitive enough.

Minister of State for Urban

Development Saugata Roy said that the

Government has approved 569 Drinking

Water Projects of over rupees 27,437

crore in total.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Roy

said that urban water supply is a State

subject and it is the responsibility of the State Governments/

Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) to plan, design, execute, operate

and maintain water supply projects with State Plan funds.

Roy, in reply to a question in Rajya Sabha informed, in order

to supplement the efforts of the State Governments/ ULBs in

providing drinking water, the Ministry is extending Additional

Central Assistance (ACA) under the ongoing Jawaharlal Nehru

National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).

“151 water supply projects at an estimated cost of Rs.

19570.04 crore and 418 projects at an estimated cost of Rs

7867.21 crore have been approved under the Urban

Infrastructure and Governance and Urban Infrastructure

Development for Small and Medium Towns (UIDSSMT)

components respectively,” Roy stated.

The Minister said that under the Accelerated Urban Water

Supply Programme (AUWSP) implemented during 1994 to 2005

in towns having population less than 20,000 as per 1991/2001

census, 1244 schemes were approved at a total cost of Rs.

1822.38 crore out of which 1012 have been reported completed /

commissioned and 227 are in progress. Five have been dropped.

��

GOVT. APPROVES DRINKING WATER PROJECTS OF OVERRS.27,437 CR

The IAF version will have the capacity of attacking large

targets from air to ground.

The missile, being developed by BAL, a joint venture

between India's Defence Research and Development

Organisation (DRDO) and Russia's NPO Mashinostroeyenia,

costs around Rs 1,500 crore.

The BrahMos will also be tested for its underwater

performance, Pillai said.

'We are even looking into the aspect of fitting it on the

submarines to attack ships and underwater elements

(submarines). The technology is ready but the platform for

testing has to be built,' he said.

The BrahMos missile has evoked interest in several

countries. Many want to buy it but they may have to wait till India

completes its induction into its defence forces.

'The export market will have to wait till India inducts the

missile in the armed forces. Next is the turn of the Russian

military,' Pillai added.

The India-Russian Inter-Governmental Commission for

Military Technical Cooperation has approved the idea of

catering to the export market.

The JV has also plans to build a hyper-sonic cruise missile

that travels five times faster than a sound wave, Pillai said, adding

the technology is yet to be developed.

Calling for changes in the

Environment Protection Act (EPA), a

committee headed by J M Mauskar,

Additional Secretary in the Ministry

of Environment and Forests, has

recommended that any serious

violation of environment clearance

conditions should be made a

cognizable offence and non-bailable.

In its report to Environment Minister, Jairam Ramesh, the

committee said there should be no ceiling on the penalty amount

for a serious offence and the penalty should be “sufficiently

high”.

��

MAKE EPA VIOLATION NON-BAILABLE, HIKE PENALTY:JAIRAM PANEL


Roy said the AUWSP has been subsumed under UIDSSMT

w.e.f. 3.12.2005. Under the North Eastern Region Urban

Development Programme (NERUDP) Phase I which covers

capital cities in 5 states, water supply projects are being

implemented in 4 cities (Agartala,Gangtok,Aizawl and

Kohima).

He also informed that the water supply sector is also

accorded high priority under the scheme for infrastructure

development in Satellite towns. A 100 MLD reverse osmosis

desalination plant has been approved for Chennai city at an

estimated cost of Rs. 908.28 crore of which Rs. 871.24 crore is

central government grant.

Ministry is also supporting water sector reforms such as

water harvesting, recycling and reuse of waste water, water audit

and service level benchmarking, he further stated.

With several dams across the country

being nearly half-a-century old, a bill

which seeks to monitor their safety at

regular intervals was introduced in the

Lok Sabha.

The Dam Safety Bill, 2010 aims to

establish an institutional system to

regularly monitor the safety of large dams.

The new legislation, tabled by Water Resources Minister

Pawan Kumar Bansal, will help the States in adopting uniform

dam safety procedures which will ensure safety of dams and

safeguard benefits derived from them.

The legislation also provides for proper surveillance,

inspection, operation and maintenance of large dams against

risks associated with 'dam failures'.

The bill seeks to enjoin responsibility on central

government, state governments and owners of specified dams to

set up an institutional mechanism for ensuring safety of such

structures and reporting the action taken.

While some states like Bihar have their own dam safety laws,

West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh have authorised Parliament to

enact a law in this regard.

As per constitutional provisions, if two or more states

authorise Parliament to make a law on a State subject, the Centre

can pass a law.

��

BILL TO MONITOR SAFETY OF DAMS

Other states can pass a resolution in their legislatures to

adopt the Central law. Water is a State subject.

With several private players now involved in operating dams,

they would also be covered under the proposed law.

Under the new bill, a Dam Safety Cell will be set up at the

project level, while a Dam Safety Organisation will be

constituted at the state level.

A similar organisation will be established at the level of the

owner of the dam. The owner could either be government or a

private operator.

The operators will have the obligation to allow inspections by

experts to ascertain safety of the structure.

According to the National Register of Large Dams, 2009,

India has 4,710 completed dams, while 390 dams are under

construction.

The Financial Memorandum of the Bill says an expenditure

of Rs 50 lakh per annum is anticipated for meeting the expenses

of National Committee on Dam Safety and Central Dam Safety

Organisation.

The expenditure will be borne by the Water Resources

Ministry.

��

The Government of India has sanctioned

two tranches of 122 million dollars and

166.23 million dollars respectively in

response to a request of the Government of

Ethiopia for the extension of a Line of Credit

of 640 million dollars for the development of

the country's sugar sector.

The Minister of State for External Affairs, Preneet Kaur

informed this in the Lok Sabha and added, “The guidelines of

the Lines of Credit stipulate inter-alia that the projects

undertaken by utilizing them have to be executed by the Indian

companies.”

The Minister informed that in keeping with this stipulation,

the Government of Ethiopia has appointed Indian parties,

including engineering, procurement and construction (EPC)

contractors, for undertaking the projects.

GOVT. SANCTIONS 288.23 MILLION DOLLARS AID TOETHIOPIA


In the case of dividends, interest, royalties and payments for

technical services, the clause makes provision for the lowest

withholding tax rate - which India has with another OECD

nation - automatically applying to Switzerland, the statement

noted.

Moreover, the revised treaty would ensure that in the future,

shipping companies operating internationally would have to pay

tax on their profits only in their country of domicile.

Currently, India has DTAA's with as many as 79 countries

but all of them do not have provision for exchange of information

related to taxation.

��

Satyam Computer's tainted

founder, B Ramalinga Raju

secured bail from the Andhra

Pradesh High Court, over 17

months after his arrest on

charges of allegedly fudging the

IT company's accounts.

Raju, who was arrested on

7th January last year and is

currently undergoing treatment

in a city hospital, was granted

bail on the condition that he stay

in Hyderabad and on provision of

two sureties of Rs 20 lakhs each.

Justice Raja Elango granted the bail to the former Chairman

of Satyam Computer, which has since been taken over by

Mahindra group and renamed Mahindra Satyam, even as the

CBI said he could influence witnesses numbering 250 if let out.

With Ramalinga Raju getting bail, all the 10 accused in the Rs

14,000 crore Satyam accounting fraud case have been granted

bail by various courts.

Raju had in January last year written to the company's board

admitting to fudging the accounts.

Raju will remain in Hyderabad city until further order, his

lawyer Bharat Kumar told reporters.

Kumar said Raju has been cooperating in the investigations

and will continue to do so without any exception.

SATYAM'S RAMALINGA RAJU SECURES BAIL

“Some complaints have been received in respect of an EPC

contractor. Certain Indian parties have also approached Indian

Courts and the matter remains sub-judice,” Kaur further said.

��

India and Switzerland signed the

revised Double Taxation Avoidance

Agreement, a move that will help the

government seek details about illicit

wealth allegedly stashed away by

Indians in Swiss banks.

Finance Minister Pranab

Mukherjee and Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey

signed the revised pact in New Delhi.

“The revised Double Taxation Agreement contains

provisions on the exchange of information in accordance with

the OECD standard, which were negotiated in line with the

parameters decided by the (Swiss) Federal Council,” the Swiss

Federal Department of Finance (FDF) said in a statement.

The issue of Indians having secret Swiss bank accounts is a

political hot potato was a poll plank during last year's general

elections.

Indians are alleged to have assets worth billions of dollars in

banks in Switzerland.

Swiss banks' had said that exchange of information would be

based on OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and

Development) norms.

Paris-based OECD sets the international tax standards.

Switzerland is entering revised tax pacts with many

countries in accordance with OECD's Model Tax Convention, to

facilitate the bilateral exchange of information related to bank

account details of tax evaders.

Earlier, when asked about the terms and reference in the

revised tax treaty with Switzerland, Banashri Bose Harrison,

who is the Joint Secretary (Central Europe) at the Ministry of

External Affairs, said they were at par with other countries.

According to FDF's statement, compared with the current

taxation pact between India and Switzerland, “it is now possible

to come to an agreement with India on an automatic and

extensive most favoured nation clause”.

INDIA, SWITZERLAND SIGN REVISED TAXATION TREATY


MISS MEXICO CROWNED 2010 MISS UNIVERSE

A 22-year-old Mexican

beauty Jimena Navarrete, who

highlighted how important it is

to teach children about family

values, has been crowned as the

Miss Universe 2010.

Navarrete, of Guadalajara,

beat out the last of 83 standing at

the 59th annual pageant held at

Las Vegas and watched by

millions of people in almost 200

countries.

She was followed by Miss

Jamaica Yendi Philipps on the

second place while Miss Australia Jenista Campbell was the

second runner-up.

Miss Ukraine Anna Poslavska got fourth place while Miss

Philippines Venus Raj rounded up the top five.

Miss India Ushoshi Sengupta failed to even make it to the top

fifteen.

Donning a flowing red gown, Navarrete was the first

contestant to answer an interview question onstage and she

highlighted how important it is to teach children about family

values.

Asked by Olympic gold-medal figure skater Evan Lysacek

how she felt about unsupervised Internet use, Navarrete said the

Internet is important but parents need to be careful and watch

over their kids.

“I do believe that Internet is an indispensable, necessary tool

for the present time. We must be sure to teach them the values

that we learned as a family,” she said.

Navarrete replaces Miss Universe Stefania Fernandez of

Venezuela who won the title in 2009.

As part of her winning she will get a luxury New York

apartment with living expenses, a one-year scholarship to the

New York Film Academy, jewellery, clothes, shoes and an

undisclosed sum of money.

“I want to give my parents a big hug. There was a lot of effort

and a lot of sacrifice,” she said at a press conference after

winning the title.

Navarrete has been a model since she was just 15-years-old

and is only the second Mexican beauty after Lupita Jones (1991)

to win the title of Miss Universe.

The World Bank will

increase its flood-related

support to Pakistan to USD

1 billion from the previously

announced USD 900

million.

World Bank Group

President Robert B Zoellick

i n f o r m e d Pa k i s t a n ' s

Finance Minister Hafeez Shaikh about his decision and

emphasised the Bank Group's commitment to help Pakistan

recover from the worst floods in its history.

“As the surging Indus River devastates Pakistan, the

country needs the world's support to meet urgent

humanitarian needs: food, clean water, sanitation facilities,

medical and nutritional supplies, and vaccines,” Zoellick said

after meeting Shaikh.

The money will come from the Bank's fund for the poorest

countries, the International Development Association (IDA),

which means that the loans are concessional and carry no

interest payments.

��

WORLD BANK TO PROVIDE USD 1 BILLION TOPAKISTAN

World

��


“Before to talk about further construction, let's complete the

plant. If our Chinese partners show interest in this, we're ready

to discuss this. But the key moment is that we're ready to discuss

further cooperation by way of a joint venture,” the Russian

official said.

In addition, he recalled that Russia supplied enriched

uranium to China and that TVEL Fuel Company had launched a

nuclear fuel plant.

He also said Russia and China would build the 3rd and 4th

units at the Tianwan nuclear power plant.

A contract may be signed by the year-end.

The earlier reached agreements on nuclear cooperation

have been implemented, Kiriyenko told the news agency.

The Rosatom Nuclear Energy State Corporation head said

that this year Russia and China had signed a protocol on

launching the 1st and 2nd units of the Tianwan nuclear power

plant.

“Today these are the most modern and most reliable units.

Our Chinese partners, including engineers and supervision

services, recognise this,” he said.

Harvard University has occupied the

numerouno rank among national

universities across the US, beating its Ivy

League rival Princeton University by a

single point on US News and World

Report's influential Best Colleges 2011

rankings.

Last year, Harvard had shared the number one position with

Princeton University.

Princeton scored 99 points and fell to second position in the

2011 rankings of US' large, research-oriented institutions.

Harvard scores high on criteria like graduation rates,

financial and faculty resources.

Yale University was ranked third, followed by Columbia

University.

Stanford University is tied at the fifth place with the

University of Pennsylvania.

��

HARVARD TOPS US NEW COLLEGE RANKINGS

This funding is already programmed money for Pakistan that

is being diverted to meet immediate needs, the Bank said in a

statement.

Zoellick and Shaikh also discussed the government's

economic reform programme, institutional and governance

arrangements, and the need to mobilize additional resources for

flood reconstruction.

“We need to respond strongly to the crisis at hand, but we

need to do it without losing sight of important economic

reforms,” said Zoellick.

Preliminary information indicates that direct damage from

floods was greatest in the housing (current estimates are that

723,000 houses have either been destroyed or damaged), roads,

irrigation, and agriculture sectors.

The funding for this would come from the Bank's Fund for

the Poorest (the International Development Association, IDA)

through reprogramming of currently planned projects and

reallocation of undisbursed funds from ongoing projects.

A grant of USD 1.3 million has also been made available by

the GFDRR to support the Damage Needs Assessment, rescue

and relief efforts, and to strengthen disaster management and

longer term disaster risk reduction.

China is bui lding a gas

centrifuge enrichment plant

successfully by using Russia's

technology, head of the Rosatom

Nuclear Energy State Corporation,

the regulatory body of the Russian

nuclear complex, said.

China is planning to put the plant into operation in 2012,

Sergei Kiriyenko said.

Summing up the results of the 14th session of the Russian-

Chinese commission for nuclear cooperation, he said the plant

“may put into operation ahead of schedule”.

A total of 87 per cent of equipment has been delivered and

the construction work is practically over.

“We stated that Chinese partners were working ahead of

schedule and with high quality,” Kiriyenko said.

��

CHINA BUILDS GAS CENTRIFUGE ENRICHMENT PLANTSUCCESSFULLY


Massachusetts Institute of Technology occupied the 7th

spot while Cornell University came in 15th.

Williams College in Massachusetts emerged as the nation's

top-ranked national liberal arts college category of schools that

place a higher emphasis on undergraduate education.

The University of California Berkeley, which is the 22nd

ranked national university, is the top-ranked public school.

This marks the 27th year that the American news magazine

has published college rankings.

It takes into account factors such as SAT scores, selectivity,

graduation and retention rates, alumni giving and peer

reputation while grading America's colleges and universities.

The UAE and the US have inked

an agreement for the exchange of

technical information and cooperation

in “nuclear safety, security and

safeguarding matters”.

The UAE's Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation

(FANR) and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) of the

US have signed the agreement on behalf of the two nations.

The agreement, signed at the NRC's headquarters in

Washington, was made within the framework of the bilateral

nuclear cooperation (123) agreement between the two

governments, which was implemented on 17th December,

2009.

“The UAE's civilian nuclear energy programme upholds the

highest standards of safety, security, nonproliferation and

operational transparency.”

“Government officials, nonproliferation advocates and

energy experts worldwide have called the UAE approach a gold

standard for countries interested in exploring nuclear energy for

the first time,” a statement said.

The FANR-NRC cooperation agreement will allow for the

exchange of technical information relating to the regulation of

and environmental impact of nuclear energy facilities.

Besides, it will allow for joint safety research exchange, as

well as nuclear safety training for personnel.

��

UAE, US INK DEAL ON NUCLEAR POWER

The signing ceremony was attended by Yousuf Al Otaiba, the

UAE Ambassador to the US.

“This cooperation arrangement is a major milestone that

will strengthen the mutual cooperation between the UAE and

the US in the areas of nuclear safety, security and safeguards,” Al

Otaiba said.

US President Barack Obama has

slapped additional sanctions on North

Korea aimed at choking off the regime’s

arms trade and illicit business taken by

the government.

The sanctions are specifically

targeted against Office 39 - a secretive

branch of the North Korean government that manages slush

funds and raises money for the leadership by trafficking drugs.

These sanctions also target North Korea's infrastructure for

importing and exporting conventional arms - Green Pine

Associated Corporation and its parent, the Reconnaissance

General Bureau and the bureau's commander, Lieutenant

General Kim Yong Chol.

Other entities include two trading firms, Korea Taesong

Trading Company and Korea Heungjin Trading Company that

allegedly act on behalf of North Korean arms dealer KOMID in

deals involving Iran and Syria.

“The order gives the US government new authority to go

after the arms sales and goods procurement, money laundering,

counterfeiting of currency and other illicit financial activities

that enrich the highest echelons of the North Korean

government while the North Korean people suffer,” Under

Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Stuart

Levey, said after Obama issued an executive order.

Noting that the world is well aware of North Korean

government's record of illicit activity and its belligerent

behaviour, Levey said, the President decided that North Korea's

continued provocative actions - such as its unprovoked attack on

the South Korean naval ship Cheonan in March this year

resulted in the ship's sinking and the deaths of 46 sailors, its test

of a nuclear device and missile launches in 2009, its violations of

UN Security Council Resolutions 1718 and 1874, and its illicit

and deceptive practises in international markets - justify

additional sanctions.

��

OBAMA SLAPS MORE SANCTIONS ON NORTH KOREA


UN CALLS FOR MORATORIUM ON NUCLEAR TESTS

CHINA PASSES MEDIATION LAW

The UN has called for a moratorium on all nuclear tests

before the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT)

comes into force,

Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called on all countries

to impose a moratorium on all nuclear tests, his special

representative Miroslav Jenca told an international conference

on nuclear disarmament in the Kazakh capital of Astana.

Earlier, Ban set the target year for CTBT's entry into force

for 2012.

Russia joined the call. 'It is important to provide a

moratorium on nuclear tests before the treaty comes into force,'

Russian Ambassador to Kazakhstan Mikhail Bocharnikov said.

The CTBT, which was opened for signature in 1996, has

been signed by 165 countries so far. But only 91 countries,

including Russia, Britain and France, have ratified it.

The treaty will not come into force until the 44 most

nuclear advanced countries ratify it. So far, only 31 have done

so. India, Pakistan and North Korea have not even signed the

document.

��

A rising number of social

conflicts, particularly involving

land rights issues, and an

increasing public awareness of

legal rights have, in recent years,

strained China's judicial system.

At the same time, shortage of

judges, a growing backlog of cases

– not unlike the situation in India – and the government's

continuing influence over the courts have, lawyers and scholars

say, eroded public confidence in the judiciary.

To stem the rising tide of discontent, China's lawmakers

passed a first-of-its-kind law to set up “mediation committees”

to handle social conflicts and administer speedy justice at the

grassroots before cases go to trial – and, more often than not, get

mired in delays – in local courts.

The committees will focus on conflicts relating to livelihood,

and issues that “undermine social stability”, are “sensitive” and

“receive extensive public attention”.

“Not only do these transactions contravene UN Security

Council Resolution 1718, they are unconscionable in light of the

fact that many of North Korea's people live in dire poverty,”

Levey said adding that the North Korean government receives

millions of dollars every year from arms sales that are also

outlawed by UN Security Council resolutions.

The North Korean government, he alleged, also benefits

from illicit activities such as drug trafficking, counterfeiting of

US currency and selling counterfeit cigarettes.

Asserting that these measures are not directed at the people

of North Korea, the Treasury official said the financial measures

are aimed at disrupting its efforts to engage in illicit activities

and its ability to surreptitiously move its money by deceiving

banks and smuggling cash worldwide.

Pakistan has commissioned into its

navy a refurbished US frigate that is

being supplied under an American

foreign military aid programme.

The Oliver Hazard Perry-class

frigate USS McInerney was renamed

PNS Alamgir following its commissioning into the Pakistan

Navy at Mayport, Florida.

The 31-year-old warship is being refurbished by the US as

part of a programme worth nearly USD 70 million. The US

Congress approved the sale of the frigate to Pakistan, a “major

non-NATO ally”, in 2008.

Pakistan's Ambassador to the US Hussain Haqqani, who was

the Chief Guest at the commissioning ceremony, said the

induction of the frigate will go a long way in enhancing the

country’s capability to provide maritime security in the Arabian

Sea, Gulf of Aden and Horn of Africa.

This ship transfer symbolizes the “strong bond of

friendship” between the governments of the US and Pakistan,

he said. Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates are operated by US

allies and are suited for conducting maritime security

operations.

The USS McInerney, which has a displacement of 4,100

tonnes, is equipped for anti-submarine warfare and can carry

two helicopters for multiple tasks. After necessary maintenance

work and training of a Pakistani crew, the frigate will sail for

Pakistan in January 2011.

��

PAK COMMISSION'S REFURBISHED US FRIGATE


Every year, China faces at least 100,000 “mass incidents”,

scholars say, usually involving land rights issues or labour

unrest.

The Supreme People's Court called for a shift in emphasis

from trials to mediation to address this unrest, given the judicial

system's seeming limitations at effectively handling social

conflicts in July. “Mediation should be the first line of defence to

maintain social stability and promote harmony,” Minister of

Justice Wu Aiying told the National People's Congress Standing

Committee, China's top legislative body, while presenting the

draft law.

The practice of local-level mediation has been in place in

China since 1982, after being suspended during the Cultural

Revolution (1966-76) launched by Mao Zedong. The current

petition system, which allows litigants to seek redress from

higher courts, has been widely criticised by legal scholars, with

repeated petitions often left unheard by the authorities.

Zhao Ling, the deputy presiding judge of the Chongqing

People's Court, which has seen the number of trials double in

recent years, welcomed the law as a practical way to dissolve

social conflicts. Others, however, have raised questions on

whether the law will weaken the evolving judicial system by

discouraging litigation.

While the court system is, in general, under the control of the

Communist Party, courts at the local level have been given

increasing independence in recent years in tackling issues

relating to land and other sensitive issues. The new law only says

local committees must chose members who are “honest, fair

and keen on helping others to solve problems”. It does not

specify how members will be selected, or how the committee will

be ensured independence from state influence.

Human rights groups have also expressed concern.

“Mediation can certainly be a useful alternative in dispute

resolution, but only in situation where the parties are not

pressured to mediate or to come to a settlement and where, if

they wish, can return to the ordinary litigation process where

their procedural rights are protected,” argues David Smalls, a

researcher with the China Human Rights Defenders.

Formally declaring that combat mission in Iraq is over US

President Barack Obama has said that this milestone should

serve as a message to the world that it intends to sustain and

strengthen our leadership in the 21st century.

��

COMBAT MISSION IN IRAQ IS OVER: OBAMA

“This milestone should serve as a

reminder to all Americans that our

future is ours to shape if we move

for ward with confidence and

commitment. It should also serve as a

message to the world that the United

States of America intends to sustain

and strengthen our leadership in this

young century,” Obama said in his

address to the nation.

“Operation Iraqi Freedom is over, and the Iraqi people now

have lead responsibility for the security of their country. This

was my pledge to the American people as a candidate for this

office,” he said.

“Last February, I announced a plan that would bring our

combat brigades out of Iraq, while redoubling our efforts to

strengthen Iraq's Security Forces and support its government

and people. That is what we have done,” he said.

The US has removed nearly 100,000 US troops from Iraq. It

has closed or transferred hundreds of bases to the Iraqis and has

moved millions of pieces of equipment out of Iraq, he asserted.

“Ending this war is not only in Iraq's interest it is in our own.

The United States has paid a huge price to put the future of Iraq

in the hands of its people,” Obama said.

“We have sent our young men and women to make enormous

sacrifices in Iraq, and spent vast resources abroad at a time of

tight budgets at home. We have persevered because of a belief we

share with the Iraqi people, a belief that out of the ashes of war, a

new beginning could be born in this cradle of civilisation,” the

President said.

Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir

Putin flagged off the construction of a

new space centre in the Russian Far East

describing it as the country's “most

ambitious project.”

The new cosmodrome is to become

operational in 2016 and by 2020 it will host all Russian manned

space missions, Mr. Putin said inaugurating the start of

construction work at the former missile defence base of

Vostochny near the town of Uglegorsk, nearly 6000 km east of

Moscow, and less than 1,000 km away from China.

��

RUSSIA BUILDING SPACE CENTRE


Emmy Kosgey, who sang during the festivities and got all the

VIPs dancing at the podium, said the signing of the constitution

signified a new beginning for the country and she was proud to

be a part of it.

In a landmark verdict, the High

Court of Bangladesh declared illegal the

Seventh Amendment to the Constitution

that legalised the autocratic regime of

General Hussein Muhammad Ershad.

The appellate division of the

country's Supreme Court had in

February declared illegal the Fifth

Amendment, which legalised the regime

of General Ziaur Rahman.

The ruling came in response to a petition filed by Siddique

Ahmed, a resident of Chittagong who was convicted of murder

during General Ershad's martial law tenure.

The court observed that General Ershad, who ruled

Bangladesh for nearly nine years, had made the country's

Constitution subordinate to the martial law, which is illegal and

unconstitutional. It also observed the government would decide

the fate of General Ershad, whose Jatiya Party is an ally of Prime

Minister Sheikh Hasina's ruling grand alliance.

While the Fifth Amendment ratified all changes made to the

Constitution and all government activities between August 15,

1975 and April 9, 1979, giving legitimacy to three regimes

including that of General Ziaur Rahman, the Seventh

Amendment ratified the proclamation of martial law and other

orders by General Ershad between March 24, 1982, and

November 10, 1986. General Ershad, the then Chief of Army

Staff, declared himself the Chief Martial Law Administrator and

imposed martial law on March 24, 1982.

Hundreds of Catholics in Albania held a mass to

commemorate the birth centenary of Mother Teresa.

Men and women in traditional folk costumes,

schoolchildren, nuns and bishops filled the courtyard of a

cathedral named after Mother Teresa, who was of Albanian

origin, in Vau i Dejes, 110 km north of the capital, Tirana.

��

��

ERSHAD'S REGIME “ILLEGAL”

ALBANIA, MACEDONIA HONOUR MOTHER TERESA

The government has allocated 24.5 billion roubles ($800

million) for the first stage of the project. Russia currently

launches its manned spacecraft and commercial missions from

the Soviet-era Baikonur space centre, which it has leased from

Kazakhstan for $115 million a year till 2050. Military satellites

are launched from the small space centre in Plisetsk in northern

Russia.

Russia will continue to use Baikonur as demand for space

launches kept growing, Mr. Putin said, but it was strategically

important to have “independent access to space.”

Kenya's President signed a

new Constitution into law on Aug

27, that institutes a U.S.-style

system of checks and balances and

has been hailed as the most

significant political event since

Kenya's independence nearly a

half century ago.

Kenya's new Constitution is part of a reform package that

leaders there committed themselves to after signing a power-

sharing deal in February 2008. That deal ended violence that

killed more than 1,000 people following Kenya's disputed

December 2007 presidential vote.

President Mwai Kibaki's signature formally marks the end of

a decades-long struggle to cut down the massive powers of the

presidency.

The government and Parliament now must implement the

ambitious document, a process expected to take up to five years.

The document requires, among other things, the formation of a

Supreme Court and a Senate. It also demands that the judiciary

be vetted to rid it of corrupt or incompetent judges and that

Parliament pass 49 new laws.

The Constitution alters the governance structure by

introducing 47 counties. The Senate will be composed of 47

members each elected from the counties, 16 women nominated

by political parties, two members of different gender to

represent the youth and two members of different gender to

represent persons with disability.

The country will still be ruled by an executive President, but

he will be constrained by checks and balances and the Senate

will vet key appointments made by the President. The President

and Senate will have fixed terms, with elections every five years.

��

KENYA GETS NEW CONSTITUTION


In Tirana, hundreds gathered to place

red roses at the Mother Teresa

monument. All the main streets were

decorated with little white and blue flags

and portraits of the nun. The Albanian

authorities announced that they would

issue special gold commemorative coins

with Mother Teresa's likeness.

I n S ko p j e – t h e c a p i t a l o f

neighbouring Macedonia, where Mother Teresa was born –

Parliament held a special session to pay tribute to the city's most

famous daughter.

Born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in 1910, she arrived in India in

1929 and two years later took her religious vows as a nun. She

adopted the name Teresa, under which she would achieve

worldwide recognition.

Mother Teresa was beatified in 2003, but her elevation to

sainthood is still awaiting proof of a medical miracle.

Iran has test fired its home–built surface–to–surface Fateh

110 missile, on Aug 20, state television reported.

State television showed a sand–coloured

missile being launched from a vehicle and

blasting into the sky from a desert terrain,

leaving behind a thick plume of smoke. It did

not say when the missile was fired.

Iran's English–language Press TV said

the Fateh 110 (Conqueror) missile is nine

metres long and weighs 3,500 kilograms.

The channel's website quoted Defence Minister Ahmad

Vahidi as saying that the third generation Fateh 110 was a “single

stage solid propellant” missile with a longer range.

He did not specify the range of the missile but Iran has

previously paraded a version of Fateh 110 which it said could

travel between 150 and 200 kilometres.

Mr. Vahidi said the latest version of Fateh 110 was “more

accurate.”

The launch of Fateh 110 follows an announcement by Vahidi

that Iran had successfully test fired its Qiam (Rising) short

range missile, which was propelled by liquid fuel.

��

IRAN TEST FIRES SURFACE-TO-SURFACE MISSILE

The test firing of Fateh 110 comes two days after Iran began

mass–producing two high–speed variants of missile–launching

assault boats, the Seraj and Zolfaqar.

I r a n i a n a n d Ru s s i a n

engineers have begun loading

fuel into Iran's first nuclear

power plant in Bushehr – a move

that Tehran has described as

historic and a reflection of the

country's steadfastness and

perseverance.

“Despite all the pressures, sanctions and hardships imposed

by Western nations, we are now witnessing the start-up of the

largest symbol of Iran's peaceful nuclear activities,” Iran's

atomic energy head, said Ali Akbar Salehi at press conference.

Russia has partnered Iran in finishing the plant which will

have a 1,000 MW power generation capacity. The facility does not

pose a proliferation risk as it has been placed under the watch of

the International Atomic Energy Agency. Russia will take away all

the spent fuel generated by the plant so that the material cannot

be used for making atomic weapons. Spent fuel contains

plutonium, which can be used for making nuclear weapons.

“I thank the Russian government and nation, which

cooperated with the great Iranian nation and registered their

name in Islamic Iran's golden history,” said Mr. Salehi. “Today is

a historic day and will be remembered in history.”

Russia took over the project in the mid-nineties after work on

the Bushehr facility, which began in 1974 stalled following Iran's

1979 revolution. The plant, which had been partially completed,

also suffered damage in the eighties during the course of the

Iran-Iraq war. Before reaching out to Moscow, Iran had turned to

Argentina, Spain and other countries for help. However,

American pressure prevented these countries from concluding

deals with Iran on this project.

Sergei Kiriyenko, the head of the Russian Atomic Energy

Agency (Rosatom) said Moscow would fully handover the plant

to the Iranians over the next two or three years.

The Busher facility is located on the shores of the Gulf. Its

cream dome, set against a green natural backdrop is visible from

a long distance. Security is expectedly tight, and in view of the

threat from the air, anti-aircraft weapons, linked to a string of

radars have been deployed at the site.

��

IRAN STARTS LOADING FUEL IN 1ST N-PLANT


More than two months after the 22-

party coalition led by Prime Minister

Madhav Kumar Nepal collapsed, a sixth

run-off poll failed to elect a new leader, with

both Prachanda and 65-year-old Poudyal

unable to get majority support of the

lawmakers in the 601-member Constituent

Assembly.

55-year-old Prachanda polled 240 votes, while 101

lawmakers voted against him. Poudyal received only 122 votes.

Out of total 504 members present, 163 lawmakers stayed

neutral.

Lawmakers from CPN-UML and Terai based Madhesi

parties remained neutral like in the earlier five rounds and

abstained from voting.

Nepal's lawmakers have rejected Poudyal and Prachanda in

the earlier five rounds of vote since Prime Minister Nepal quit on

30th June amid intense pressure from the former rebels,

plunging the country into a deep political crisis in the absence of

a government.

On 23rd August , Prachanda, a former Prime Minister, had

managed to bag only 246 votes, with 111 members opposing him.

Poudyal also failed to touch the magic figure of 301, receiving

just 124 votes in favour and 243 against, forcing the House to fix

another round of voting.

Out of the total 563 lawmakers who participated in the

voting, 206 members, mostly from CPN-UML and the Terai-

based Madhesi parties, had remained neutral and abstained

from voting.

The CPN-UML with the strength of 109 and the Madhesi

alliance with the combine strength of 84 and other smaller

parties have called for a national government and remained

neutral and abstained from voting.

CPN-UML candidate Jhala Nath Khanal withdrew his

candidature during the first round of voting on 21st July as he

could not muster the two-thirds majority support in the House.

CPN-Maoist, which ended its decade-long civil war in 2006,

is the single largest party with 238 seats in the 601-member

Constituent Assembly, while Nepali Congress has 114 members

in the House whose two-year term was extended by one year on

28th May.

The country has been in political limbo since 30th June.

Efforts to form stable government have failed.

4-NATION PACT TO FIGHT TERRORISM

NEPAL FAILS AGAIN TO ELECT PM IN 6TH RUN-OFF POLL

Russia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and

Tajikistan agreed to step up joint fight

against terrorism and narcotics at a

quadripartite summit on Aug 18.

Terrorism and drug trafficking pose a

“threat to peace and stability,” they said in

a joint statement adopted at their

meeting, in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi.

The four countries will intensify joint efforts in combating

terrorism and narcotics in the framework of the Shanghai

Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and the Collective Security

Treaty Organisation (CSTO), Russian Foreign Minister Sergei

Lavrov told reporters after the summit.

The four leaders discussed undertaking joint economic

projects in power generation, transport infrastructure and

mining, said Mr. Lavrov. He singled out such projects as

restoring the Salang tunnel in northern Afghanistan and

rebuilding the country's hydropower plants.

Four-way summits will be supplemented with regular

meetings of the Economic and Foreign Ministers, he said. The

third summit would be held in Tajikistan, he said.

Russia pledged to provide a free shipment of firearms and

munitions for the Afghan police and reaffirmed readiness to sell

20 helicopters to Afghanistan.

At a bilateral meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali

Zardari, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev pressed the need

“to continue cooperating in fighting terrorism, drug trafficking

and international crimes”.

The two leaders also discussed “revitalisation of trade and

economic links, and undertaking joint projects in fuel and

energy sphere, metallurgy, railway transport, as well as

facilitation of investment and development of business-to-

business contacts,” said the Kremlin press service.

Nepal's parliament failed to elect a new Prime Minister for

the sixth time on September 5, as Maoist supremo Prachanda

and his Nepali Congress rival Ramchandra Poudyal could not

muster a majority, deepening the two-month constitutional

crisis in the country.

��


Does one ‘propose to’ or ‘propose’ a girl?

Difference between ‘wake up at seven’ and ‘wake upby seven’

Laugh down

You usually ‘propose’ something.

Examples: “I propose that we cancel tomorrow’s meeting.”

“Diya proposed that the fees be hiked”.

When you ask a girl to marry you, you propose ‘to’ her.

Example: “It’s about time you proposed to Shyamali”.

“Poor Vimal, he proposed to three girls last semester, and all

of them turned him down”.

When you wake up ‘at’ seven, you get out of bed at exactly

seven o’clock. Not before or after seven, but exactly at seven.

When you wake up ‘by’ seven o’clock, you get out of bed at seven

or a few minutes before seven.

Examples: I told my mother that I would be home by 5:00

o’clock.

Gayatri said she’d be back home by 9: 00 o’clock. She

returned at 10: 00 o’clock.

When you laugh someone down, you cause someone to quit

something he is doing. You force him to give up. You do it by

laughing at the individual. In other words, you ridicule the poor

guy.

Examples: “The poor guy was laughed down by everyone in

the audience.”

“Harshita gave up the idea of becoming a singer after her

audience laughed her down.”

“The little children laughed down the magician’s act”.

“Tejaswini gave up the idea of becoming an actor when her

performance was laughed down by her own family members.”

When you refer to someone as being a queer fish, what you

mean is that he/she is strange. The person tends to be aloof. In

other words, a queer fish is a bit of a loner.

Examples: “If I were you, I would stay away from Prerna. She

is a queer fish.”

“A lot of people say that your friend Jai is a queer fish.”

When you say that you combed for something, it means that

you searched everywhere hoping to find it.

Example: “Riya combed the entire house for the missing

diamond necklace that her husband had given her.”

It is also possible to comb for an individual.

Examples: “The police combed the neighbourhood for the

escaped convicts.”

“Everyone combed the temple for the missing children.”

‘Queer fish’

‘Comb for something’

KNOW YOUR ENGLISH

��

Know your englishKnow your english


Is it okay to say, ‘You can contact him in ....(telephone no)’?

Difference between “impel” and “compel”

Is it okay to say,“The words she uses are unintelligible for me?”

Difference between “graceful” and “gracious”

No, it isn’t. You usually contact someone ‘at’ a number. “If

it’s an emergency, you can contact me at “2490071”. “I tried to

contact him at 2490071, but the line was busy.”

When you compel someone to do something, you force him

to do it. The individual has no choice about the matter. Whether

he likes it or not, he has to do it.

Examples: Rajesh’s parents compelled him to take English

literature.

The children were compelled to return by five o’clock.

When you are “impelled” to do something, you feel that you

have to do it. In this case, the desire to take action comes from

within. No one is forcing you to do it.

Examples: The detective felt impelled to investigate further.

Looking at him, I felt impelled to offer him more money.

No, it isn’t. Something is intelligible or unintelligible “to”

and not “for” someone. When you say that something is

unintelligible, what you mean is that it is incomprehensible; it is

difficult to understand. The word has nothing to do with

intelligence.

*The teacher used a lot of jargon which was unintelligible to

the students.

*What Chandan said was intelligible to the audience.

The word “graceful” is normally used to refer to a person’s

movement; the individual moves in a way that is attractive to

watch.

Examples: The young dancer moved gracefully across the

stage.

For someone who was terribly overweight, Sonam was

surprisingly graceful.

‘Preloved’

‘Give out’

Difference between “He died” and “He was killed”?

How does one address a divorced woman?

The word ‘preloved’ is being used instead of ‘second hand’.

Examples: “Reenee said that she would never buy a preloved

car.”

“I bought some preloved books last week.”

“I think you should get yourself a new bike. Not a preloved

one.”

When you say that something ‘gave out’, what you mean is

that it has become old and has stopped working.” In other words,

you are saying it has worn out.

Examples: “My neighbour’s car finally gave out when he was

taking his wife to the hospital.”

“Your sandals look as though they are ready to give out.”

“My motorcycle will probably give out in another six

months.”

Both refer to the fact that the individual has stopped living.

It’s the manner in which this event happened that differentiates

the meaning of the two words.

‘Killed’ suggests that the death was not due to natural

causes. For example, when you say, ‘The minister was killed in

his sleep’, it suggests the person was murdered while he was

asleep. Someone did something that resulted in the minister’s

death – maybe the person stabbed/shot/smothered the minister

while he was sleeping. ‘Kill’ suggests that the death was caused

by some external agency – it was not natural.

When you say that someone ‘died’, what you are implying is

that the individual’s death was due to natural causes. No one was

the cause of his/her death. ‘Died’ is not as strong as ‘killed’.

How you address her is going to depend on the woman. If she

chooses to retain her married name, then you address her ‘Mrs.’

so and so. If on the other hand, she chooses to go back to her

maiden name, then you call her ‘Ms.’ so and so. If you are unsure,

use one of the titles and she will correct you if you are in the

wrong.

Know your english


The word can also be used to talk about an object which is

pleasing to looking at.

Examples: He had a graceful little cottage in the countryside.

“Gracious”, on the other hand, refers to people who are

pleasant and polite. It is considered formal.

Example: Jaya is the gracious lady you met last week

Whenever you buy something, you usually pay “in cash” and

not “by cash”.

For example: “Since Malati paid in cash, she got a big

discount”.

“Sorry, we don’t accept cheques. You need to pay in cash”.

It is also possible to say, “to pay cash”.

Example: “Since Malati paid cash, she got a big discount”.

The expression “pay by” is normally used with credit cards

and cheques.

Example: “If you don’t mind, I’d prefer that you pay by credit

card”.

“Sorry, you can’t pay by cheque. You’ll have to pay cash”.

Is it okay to say,“Sandeep always prefers to pay by cash”?

What do you mean by“jaywalking”?

Difference between “wedding” and “marriage”

Jaywalking is something that we Indians specialise in. We

cross the road wherever we like; it’s a tricky business, but most

of the time we manage to negotiate the traffic. The word “jay” is

a slang term coined in the U.S. in the early 20th Century to refer

to rustics – people living in the country. When “jays” visited

cities, they had a tough time crossing streets because of the

presence of automobiles. These cars which could run at an

incredible speed of 15 miles an hour scared the living daylights

out of the “jays”. Hence, whenever these individuals crossed the

street, they did so very erratically, seldom bothering to look at the

traffic signals.

Both words are used to refer to acts – religious or civil – by

which a man and a woman become husband and wife. Of the two,

“marriage” is more common. It can be used to refer to the actual

ceremony that takes place or the spiritual union entered upon by

the two individuals.

Examples: The two have had a long and happy marriage.

I am sorry to say that I can’t be present at your marriage.

“Wedding” is used to refer to the ceremony and the

festivities which follow it. Unlike “marriage”, it cannot be used

to talk about the relationship between the married couple. A

“wedding” may last only an hour, but you can remain married for

40 years.

“ Today is Vinisha’s wedding. Unfortunately, I won’t be able

to make it”.

“Please don’t invite too many people to the wedding”.

Trivia: Saturn

The density of Saturn is around 0.687 grams per cubic centimeter. Its density is so low

that if it is kept on a water body, it would actually float on it.

The speed with which Saturn completes one rotation is so high that it ends up

flattening itself. It has 60 moons and in the ancient times the rings were thought to have

been the moons of the planet. Saturn has no solid surface and the day is only 10 hours and

35 minutes long. It takes almost 30 years for the planet to complete one revolution around

the sun and during these 30 years there are times when the rings around the planet seem

to disappear.

Saturn in Horoscope represents hard work and discipline. There are theories that

Saturn is astrologically a powerful planet and it is used as advertising tool for many

corporations like: Nike (that Nike logo represents Saturn's ring), cars, oil companies etc.

Planet was named after the Roman god of agriculture Saturn. God Saturn was father of: Neptune, Pluto, Jupiter and Ceres.

Saturday was also named after the Roman God Saturn. Saturn is one of the five planets that is visible from the Earth with the

naked eye (to see the actual rings you will have to find yourself a decent telescope).

��


Geared with the tee-shirt (For many years I called these tea-

shirts. May be that is why it was spoiled by coffee once as I

understand tea and coffee don’t get along!), a short (which was

too short from today’s standard), and (expectantly) suitable

brains, I started off on my ‘dandi march’. My sincere apologies to

Mahatma Gandhi; ‘dandi’ because I had to carry a danda for the

fear of the unfriendly stray dogs in the dark. As another

precaution against these beasts, I took the ‘middle of the road’

approach. (It is not that I can’t write; its only this time that I am

constipated! In fact, I had written an article some years back on

the ‘middle of the road’ approach which made me a ‘safe’ person

and, hence, an average achiever everywhere.)

But my ‘middle of the road’ safety approach met the first

hurdle when a number of cows had comfortably occupied the

width of the road and I had to sidestep them. When this so

happens, on good days you splash cow dunk; on bad you bump

into a dog. It was my bad day and, half way across the distance I

had to negotiate, there was a black dog (not a whisky bottle,

please) who could not be seen in the dark and I almost stumbled

on him. He protested, of course, the way a dog does. And others

around him (they do have a strong communication system I am

sure) joined the chorus. Luckily, the ‘dandi’ gave me enough

courage and I did a Milkha Singh (with a relay race baton!) for

the remaining distance and came out the victor! Is there a secret

pact between these cows and the dogs?

But this was just the beginning of my troubles. While on

main road I tried to concentrate on the article remembering the

phrase from a Stephen Covey book, ‘Keep the main thing the

main thing’. And suddenly, ‘Dhoom’! A young bike rider zoomed

past continuously honking his double horn. How can you think

with such explosion around? Now why was he at full throttle and

horn? Was it the anger against his girlfriend (so early in

morning!)? Was it the loss of Indian Cricket team (which

happens often these days)? Or was it show off, “I am the king of

the road”? Whatever was the reason, he zoomed past and I tried

to concentrate again.

Just when I was about to get into a rhythm, came a middle-

aged man clapping to his heart’s delight. What exercise is it? If it

is a good one, all eunuchs (who have the professional skills of

‘tali’ - clapping) would have had a Ghajini physique! He was

overtaken by me quickly (looked quite out of shape when I

passed him; how can he be so obese if he is ‘exercising’ every

day?) He must be showing-off then. A 20 year later version of

that mobike kid who passed some minutes back, may be, but his

noise kept me away from my thoughts for the next 5-7 minutes.

The sound he was making was almost like a Chinese torture - by

the time you are through with one drop, you are worried about

the next!

I proceeded. And suddenly saw a well-shaped girl in front.

Thank God, my good time was coming! But no, some 20 meters

behind her I was distracted by her shrill voice on the mobile she

had thrust in her elaborate hairdo (I felt like that famous

advertisement where the old man is mistaken for a waiter, “One

black coffee, please!”) She must have taken that Abhishek ad on

‘Talk while you walk’ rather seriously. So her shrill cooing kept

me distracted for another 5-7 minutes.

Half an hour gone, no output! Disgusted, I started walking

back home thinking that this about turn may bring an about turn

in my luck too. Far from it!

Oh no!! The deadline has arrived; in fact it’s almost over! I was to send this ‘guest column’ article some two days back and here

I am yet to start! Honestly, I have not been able to decide on the subject itself. What should I write which interests the

youngsters today. Even if they don’t like what they read, they should not hate it and start humming ‘Athithi (guest) tum kab

jaoge’! My mind was cluttered with no ideas as well as many ideas, as it usually happens. So, I decided to start early in the morning

and tried to concentrate but the ‘bhaktjan’ at the mandir near my residence started their full-throttled bhajan on the loud speaker.

The singer had a horrible voice and her singing was pathetic, but, I suppose the God does give licence to those who know nothing

about singing to get on a public platform. I gave up the thought for the article and decided to get the inspiration through a long

morning walk.

Okay, Talk While You Walk.But Think?

Lt. Col P. Deogirikar (Retd.)

Guestroom


And when the ‘mahaul’ was of disturbing others, how can an

Indian truck driver (no ‘distinction’ please!) be far behind?

There he was, with the truck dangerously tilted on one side

(towards me) and the 1970 Bollywood ‘kawalli’ blaring in full

volume.

I gave up. Remember that dialogue of SRK’s Om Shanti Om?

I turn it around with my negative thinking. “Jab kisi cheez ko

aadhe man se socho to puri kainat use bigadane ke liye ikkaththi

ho jati hai!”

So I stop here and send this ‘aap-biti’ to the editor with a

hope that he would kindly publish it (not on substance but on my

reputation only!). And pay me the honorarium which would help

me purchase a pair of ear-plugs for the next article.

‘Bye’ till then!

(If the no-balls can be ‘encashed’, why not the ‘byes’?)

Next was the turn of two ladies. In sarees this early in the

morning! How do they? In our office, we tried to have the girls

wear a saree on every Monday and we almost had a mutiny!

These two were talking very animatedly, unmindful of any one

around. Obviously about another person known mutually.

Obviously another woman. Will they ever rise from this level of

talking about others in their absence? Can they ever graduate to

discussing ideas and concepts? Again, are these the 20 year later

versions of that ‘mobile girl’ who was left behind?

By now my mind was in turmoil. How the hell could I

concentrate in such conditions? But now was the time for a

gang...! Well, gang disturbance. Some 7-8 old guys occupying the

entire width of the available (after waterlogged edges) road and

blabbering like teenagers. On politics. Do we all Indian males

feel that we could have been politicians running (or draining – as

you feel) this country? And try to make it up at the fag end of the

life? Like ‘back-seat driving’ the nation? And is it because of this

passion that politics takes the top billing at that stage? Were

these like that mobike rider 40 years back?

� Cadbury second-largest

Cadbury

John Cadbury

Schweppes

biggest confectionery group

Adams chewing gum

Cadbury Schweppes Plc

Dr Pepper Snapple

is the world's confectionery

group after Mars-Wrigley, making brands such as Dairy

Milk chocolate, Trident gum and Halls cough drops. Now

operates in over 60 countries and employs more than 46,000

people.

began its Indian operations as a trading concern

in 1947 and remains the market leader in India with brands

like Cadbury Dairy Milk, Gems, 5 Star & Perk and now

additionally with products like Celebrations, Bytes and

Temptations.

Starts life in 1824 with opening a shop in

Birmingham selling tea and cocoa.

Merges with in 1969 to create Cadbury

Schweppes.

Becomes the world's in

2003 after buying the U.S. business

for $4.2 billion.

Demerges in May 2008

following shareholder pressure, creating the London-listed

confectionery group Cadbury Plc and U.S. soft drinks

group Group.

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Cadbury's history is a fascinating study of industrial and

social development; it shows how a small family business

can be developed into an international giant. The Cadbury

family was a prominent member of the

or .

Quakers held strong beliefs on justice, equality and social

reform and an end to poverty and deprivation.

involvement with the

had an influence on the direction of his business enterprise.

By providing tea, coffee, cocoa and chocolate as an

alternative to alcohol, which was believed to be one of the

causes of poverty and deprivation amongst working people,

he felt that he was helping to alleviate some of the misery.

An interactive campaign – a tie-up with

service that allowed students to check their exam

results using their mobile service and encouraged those

who passed their examinations to celebrate with

– also bagged a at the prestigious

Advertising Festival 2006 for best use of internet

and new media.

One of its primary performance measures at Cadbury is the

' ' that measures the extent of care that

employeesexperience in the work teamto which they belong.

Society of Friends

Quakers

John

Cadbury's Temperance Society

Reliance India

Mobile

Cadbury

Dairy Milk bronze Lion

Cannes

People Care Index

Brand trivia Cadbury


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Anil Agarwal is a Businessman and a founder Chairman

and a majority shareholder of Vedanta Resources Plc, A

London based London Stock Exchange (LSE) listed

mining and metals conglomerate with a market cap of US $ 10

Billion. Anil Agarwal is an industrialist and India’s 10th richest

person and a Forbes Billionaire having net worth of US $ 6.4

Billion (Forbes 2010).

Anil Agarwal was born in Patna India in 1954. His father was a

small businessman. His father was in the business of making

aluminium conductors. He is a matriculate from Miller High

School, Patna. A fellow cyclist and family friend, Kiran Gupta,

became Agarwal’s bride when she was just 16 and he, 21.

Agarwal came to Mumbai as a scrap-metal dealer in 1976,

going on to build an empire in copper, zinc, aluminium and iron

ore, recently venturing into power generation.

From being the Patna lad who left school at 15 without

knowing a word of English, to being the founder of Vedanta

Resources, Agarwal has travelled a long way. Vedanta Resources

was the only Indian group to go for a primary listing on the

London Stock Exchange in 2003 and its subsidiary, Sterlite

Industries, was listed on NYSE in 2007 in the largest IPO in the

US by an Indian company.

Today Sterlite Industries is a Subsidiary Company of

Vedanta Resources. In 2001, he acquired BALCO – Bharat

Aluminium Company Limited, a PSU (Public Sector Unit) that

he bought from the Government. Today he is the Chairman of

BALCO.

The proposed takeover of Cairn Energy’s India business

could see NRI billionaire Anil Agarwal emerging as the richest

promoter of a corporate house ahead of Mukesh Ambani, who

has ruled the list for long. After the acquisition of Cairn India

and a proposed IPO of group firm Sterlite Energy, Anil Agarwal,

as head of the promoter family, would command an estimated

net worth of close to Rs 1,67,000 crore, ahead of Mukesh Ambani

at Rs 1,45,275 crore, a comparison of promoter family holding

valuations for leading groups reveals.

With his entry into oil and gas exploration, Agarwal has set

foot on Mukesh Ambani’s turf.

However, Mukesh-led RIL is

a wealthier group than Agarwal’s

Vedanta, although both are

behind the Tatas, whose market

capitalisation in terms of listed

entities is over Rs 3,70,000 crore.

Agarwal is now entering oil

business through the Cairn India

acquisition and his capacity to

play to the size could now make

competition intense in oil sector.

The USD 9.6 billion takeover of Cairn India has already

pushed Vedanta group head Anil Agarwal to the second position

after Mukesh Ambani in terms of family net worth, measured in

terms of value of shares held as promoters in five listed group

companies.

Add to this, the value of shares he holds in aluminium major

Balco and IPO-bound group firm Sterlite Energy, the promoter

family wealth of Anil Agarwal group could rise to nearly Rs

1,66,938 crore. In comparison, the promoter family wealth of

Mukesh Ambani group currently stands at Rs 1,45,276 crore,

based on the value of promoter holdings in two listed group

firms Reliance Industries and Reliance Industrial

Infrastructure.

Vedanta today touches the lives of over 2.5 million people

living in over 425 villages in India, through corporate social

responsibility, an initiative driven directly by Mr. Anil Agarwal.

Vedanta caters to nutrition and Mid-day meal for children,

computer education to under-privileged, agriculture

development and multi-cropping, infrastructure development

in rural India, livelihood programmes and women

empowerment through creation of self-help groups in villages.

By pledging USD 1 billion from his personal wealth, for the

most coveted USD 3 billion Vedanta University, - a state-of-the-

art research and development centre in India, for about 100,000

students, Mr. Anil Agarwal aims to build this educational

institution at par with world 's most reputed institutes like

Harvard and Stanford. It is a testimony of his passion for

contributing to the education sector in India.

Anil Agarwal

Profile


CONVERT LAND LINES TO 10-DIGIT PHONE NUMBERS:TRAI

Telecom regulator TRAI

recommended that fixed line

telephones should have 10-

digit numbers like mobile

phones to avoid a situation in

which there are not enough

numbers due to growing

demand.

TRAI has called for the

new phone number system to

be implemented by December next year.

However, TRAI said, “The existing 10-digit numbering

scheme for mobile telephony should be continued to avoid

inconvenience to the customers that would accompany any move

to shift to an 11-digit numbering scheme,”

In January this year, TRAI had initiated a consultation

process on several important issues related to numbering

resources, as it was anticipated that there would be a shortage of

numbers to be allocated given the explosive growth in the Indian

telecom industry.

“Both fixed line and mobile phones will have a 10-digit

number. This would make available enough numbers to cater to

expansion of existing services and introduction of new services

for the next 30-40 years,” TRAI added.

The move will also facilitate extension of number portability

to fixed lines, it added.

The authority said that while all preparations for extension

of the 10-digit numbering scheme to fixed lines will be complete

by 30th September, 2011, the actual migration should be

completed by 31st December, 2011.

Once the recommendations are accepted, TRAI proposes to

go ahead with the preparation of a detailed plan for migration to

the integrated numbering scheme.

The existing national numbering plan 2003 was designed for

750 million connections, including 450 million mobile

connections.

Expected to be applicable till 2030, the numbering plan has

come under severe strain, with the number of mobile

subscriptions surpassing the expectations in 2009 itself.

With the number of subscribers likely to exceed 1 billion by

2014, the situation calls for an urgent review to facilitate

continued availability of numbers with minimum disruption to

any service.

��

Canada has identified India as a priority

market in its global commerce strategy and

committed to increase its bilateral trade with

the country to USD 15 billion by 2015.

“Canada would like to take economic relationship with India

to a new level in trade. It has identified India as a priority market

in our Global Commerce Strategy,” Jim Flaherty, Canadian

Minister of Finance said at a function organised by Indian

Consulate to commemorate the 64th India Independence Day.

“Our goal is to increase bilateral trade to $15 billion by 2015”,

he said.

Bilateral trade between India and Canada during 2009-10

was USD 3.19 bn.

Flaherty said that Canada had added three new trade offices

in India in 2010, raising the number of its trade offices in the

country to eight.

While commending India's 'extra-ordinary' emergence from

a nation that was primarily based on agriculture to as an

emerging economic superpower, Flaherty said both India and

Canada were discussing Global Bank Tax and reforms of

international financial institutions.

INDIA-CANADA BILATERAL TRADE TO INCREASE BY 2015

Business and economy

Current events


COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA OPENS FIRSTBRANCH IN MUMBAI

MUKESH AMBANI RESTRUCTURES HIS HOLDING IN RIL

Commonwealth Bank of Australia

opened its first Indian branch in

Mumbai and became the only

Australian bank to operate a full Indian

banking licence. The Mumbai branch

would provide trade finance, remittance

and foreign exchange to organisations

that trade between Australia and India,

Commonwealth Bank of Australia

(CBA) said in a statement.

In addition, the branch brings to India Commonwealth

Bank's global expertise in financing infrastructure and

resources businesses, it said. Leveraging these relationships,

the branch seeks to build a robust domestic commercial banking

business that will serve small and mid-market enterprises and

corporates, it added.

Commenting on the development, Commonwealth Bank

Group Executive, International Financial Services, Simon Blair

said, “The bank's growth plans for India over the medium term

is to build a robust domestic commercial banking franchise and

to build a platform for building its retail financial services

presence in the country.”

Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and

promoter of Reliance Industries (RIL), has

restructured his shareholding in India’s

most valuable company by transferring his

34% stake to a set of investment firms,

which include a large number of limited

liability partnerships (LLPs).

RIL informed the stock exchanges

about the transfer of shares among the promoter group, known

as inter-se transfer in market parlance, without disclosing the

rationale, but tax experts said the move would make the

promoters shareholding more tax efficient.

As many as 32 investment companies transferred nearly 106

crore shares, amounting to 34% stake, on August 17, to 61 firms

including 27 LLPs, RIL said in its regulatory filings. Prior to the

transfer, these 32 firms owned 39% of the company. In all, the

promoters own 45% of RIL through 74 firms, according to the

shareholding pattern on June 30 this year.

��

MERCEDES BENZ LAUNCHES NEW E-CLASS ATRS 64.5 LAKH

RBI TO ISSUE NEW RS 10 NOTES IN GANDHI SERIES

German carmaker, Mercedes

Benz launched a new version of

its E-Class sedan priced at Rs

64.5 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi),

in a bid to strengthen its

leadership position in the Indian

luxury car market.

The new car, E-Class Cabriolet, is the seventh offering

within the E-Class range by the company in India.

“With its launch, the versatility of the E-Class range is

further reinforced. The E-Class now offers the Cabriolet in

addition to the already present E-Class Saloon and the E- Class

Coupe,” Mercedes Benz India Managing Director, Wilfried

Aulbur said.

The existing E-Class range offered by the company in India

is priced between Rs 42 lakh and Rs 50 lakh. The latest offering

is aimed at strengthening the company's position in the Indian

luxury car market.

As per the data released by Society of Indian Automobile

Manufacturers, Mercedes Benz has beaten compatriot BMW in

the race for the top spot in the Indian luxury car segment with a

massive 79.31% jump in sales to a total of 2,921 units in the Jan-

July period as against 1,629 units in the same period last year.

On the other hand, BMW which outperformed Mercedes

Benz last year, sold a total of 2,718 units in the seven-month

period compared to 2008 units in the same period last year.

The Reserve Bank will soon issue new Rs 10 banknotes in

the Mahatma Gandhi series with an inset letter, 'S', in both the

numbering panels as an additional security feature.

The notes would bear the signature of RBI Governor D

Subbarao, the RBI said in a statement in Mumbai.

Except for the change in the inset letter, the design of these

notes is similar in all respects to the banknotes issued earlier on

April 27, 2006, in the Mahatma Gandhi Series, the RBI said.

All banknotes in the denomination of Rs 10 issued by the

bank in the past would continue to be legal tender, it added.

��


“LLPs offer tax efficiency in respect of distribution of after

tax profits as they do not attract distribution tax,” said Sunil Jain,

partner, taxation at J Sagar Associates. LLPs do not attract

minimum alternate tax (MAT) too, said another tax consultant,

who did not wish to be named. Tax rate on income is fixed at 30%

for LLPs, 3% lower than limited companies, he added.

The unique identification

number (UID) will be a

'number for life' for millions of

Indians who are now excluded

from access to public schemes,

a c c o r d i n g t o U n i q u e

Identification Authority of India

(UIDAI) , Cha i rman, Mr

Nandan Nilekani.

“The domestic movement within India is slated to escalate

due to development and climate change that would drive

migration. Due to lack of identity proof, 100 million people are

unable to avail of public schemes. It is here the unique

identification number will make a difference as it will be the

'number for life' for them,” Mr Nilekani said.

He was speaking at a lecture on 'India: Yesterday, Today and

Tomorrow' in Mumbai.

“With technological development, as the paper work

reduces, the cost of technology also goes down and capability

goes up. Once you make everything electronic, the prices drop.

It is when more number of people make use of technology,” Mr

Nilekani said.

The UID would be given to every Indian irrespective of his

financial or residential status, he said.

“The main aim of issuing these numbers is to ensure better

service delivery to those who have been excluded from public

schemes, be it related to finance or food,” he said.

UIDAI will roll out a biometric database of beneficiaries, Mr

Nilekani said, adding, the data can be used by banks and post

offices for generating their own UID numbers.

As banking services cannot reach each of the six lakh villages

in India, there will be micro ATMs where people can withdraw or

deposit money, he said.

��

UID TO BE 'NUMBER FOR LIFE' FOR INDIANS: NILEKANI

RELIANCE POWER GETS $900 MN LOAN FROM US EXIMBANK FOR SASAN POWER PLANT

NEW FIRE HITS TATA NANO, WORLD'S CHEAPEST CAR

Reliance Power (R-Power) has received

a loan guarantee of $900 million from the

US Export-Import Bank to buy equipment

for its coal-fired power plant at Sasan in

Madhya Pradesh.

The US Exim Bank's board of directors

approved financing for R-Power's plant,

which is expected to produce about 4,000 mw, reversing an

earlier decision in June to deny the funding.

Environmental groups had opposed to the setting up of the

project stating that it will emit huge amount of carbon dioxide

gas, thus contributing to global warming.

However, the Exim Bank reversed its decision after

assurances that the company will develop green energy projects

near the site of the coal-fired unit and will reduce carbon

emissions of the plant.

The loan will be used to buy goods and services from US

companies. Approximately $400 million will be used to buy

mining equipment from Wisconsin-based Bucyrus

International, which will help support 1,000 jobs.

R-Power raised Rs 11,500 crore through initial share sale,

India's largest, in 2008 to develop power projects in India. It

plans to add 35,000 mw in at least 10 years.

India's leading vehicle maker Tata Motors said another of its

ultra-cheap Nano cars had caught fire and that the company was

investigating the incident.

The fire was the latest of several involving the snubnosed

hatchback – billed as the world's cheapest car – that was

launched on Indian roads in 2009. A Tata Motors spokesman

said the incident occurred in New Delhi and the company was

“conducting a probe”.

Despite the fires, the Nano was a safe car that had been

rigorously tested, the spokesman said. In May, Tata Motors,

which owns British luxury marque Jaguar-LandRover, began

safety inspections of its Nano models, which range in price from

Rs 123,000 to Rs 172,000.

��


MOBILE NUMBER PORTABILITY FROM OCT 31

India's telecom regulator

said that mobile number

portability (MNP) will be

implemented nationwide from

October 31, as announced

earlier, ruling out any further

delay.

MNP is a service that allows a

mobile user to change his

operator while retaining the

number.

“There will be no further delay in the implementation of

MNP,” Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)

ChairmanJ S Sarma said.

The Department of Telecom (DoT) said the operators must

ensure that all inter-operator tests for porting the numbers from

one service provider to another are completed soon.

The Dot made it clear to all telecom operators that in case

they fail to implement MNP as per the scheduled deadline, they

will be barred from launching any new commercial services.

“It has been decided that permission to launch commercial

service in any area with effect from September 1, 2010 shall be

given to only those licensee(s) who are MNP compliants,” said a

DoT note.

Mobile service providers – Bharti Airtel, Reliance, Vodafone

Essar, Tata Tele, Idea, STel and Aircel – are getting ready to

launch high-speed 3G services in the coming month.

State-owned telcos Bharat Sanchar Nagar Nigam and

Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited have said they are ready

with the infrastructure to implement the MNP service.

The earlier June 30 deadline for the implementation of MNP

was deferred as the operators were not ready with the

infrastructure to provide the service.

The MNP was to be implemented by December 31, 2009 in

all the metro cities as well as in the states of Maharashtra,

Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The

deadline was then changed to March 31, 2010 and thereafter to

June 30, 2010.

Asked about the rolling out of 3G services, Sarma said, “I see

no reason to believe that there would be any delay.”

The company described the

dealership checks at the time as a

move “to allay owners' concerns”

and not a recall. Tata Motors

ordered an internal investigation

earlier in 2010 after a Nano caught

fire in Mumbai in March soon

after being delivered to a

customer.

In April another Nano caught fire as it was being delivered to

a dealership in western Gujarat state. The company blamed the

fires on “isolated” and “unrelated” reasons.

Several other Nano owners complained of smoke in the car in

2009. The company attributed the problem to faulty ignition

switches that had been resolved by switching suppliers.

The Nano, launched with great fanfare, is pitched at India's

aspiring middle classes, many of whom currently use

motorbikes but want to upgrade.

Tata Motors began deliveries of the Nano in July 2009 and

here are now more than 45,000 Nanos on the roads. Tata Motors

has unveiled a European version of the Nano and is looking to

sell the vehicle in the United States. Both models will have to be

redesigned to meet higher safety standards.

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has

signed a Rs 130 crore e-governance

contract with the Madhya Pradesh

government. Official sources said under

the contract, TCS would help the

Madhya Pradesh government introduce

IT applications in the budget making

process.

They said TCS would help to improve the existing system

and would not only strengthen the budget preparations but also

support the bill making process.

“TCS will be implementing the software platform to help

the State Revenue Department develop an integrated solution to

automate public provident fund management, human resources

and payroll management and pension management,” sources

said. Infosys was also in the race for the contract but it lost out to

TCS as the latter had quoted less operational expenses.

��

TCS SIGNS RS 130 CRORE E-GOVERNANCE WITH MPGOVERNMENT

TRIPURA THERMAL POWER PROJECT TO BEOPERATIONAL IN 2012: ONGC

GOVT SHOULD ALLOW DUTY FREE IMPORT OF THERMALCOAL: ASSOCHAM

T h e m u c h - a w a i t e d

726.6 MW gas- based

thermal power project at

Palatana in Tripura's South

D i s t r i c t w o u l d b e

operational by March 2012,

ONGC Chairman R S

Sharma said.

“All efforts have been

taken by ONGC for timely achievement of gas supply

commitments, which would be operational by March 2012,”

Sharma told reporters in Agartala.

He said the power plant comprises two blocks, each with a

gross rating of 363.3 MW and the plant would be operational by

March 2012.

Sharma said heavy equipment, including turbines, would be

transported through Ashuganj river port in Bangladesh, for

which a portion of roads would be widened by Oil and Natural

Gas Corporation in Bangladesh in the next three months.

He said the Rs 9000-crore power project, including the high

tension transmission line from Palatana to Bongaigaon in

Assam, is the single largest investment by ONGC in the North-

East, which would be able to meet the requirements of power in

the region.

When asked, if power could be sold to neighbouring

Bangladesh, Sharma said even after meeting the requirements

of 400 MW power in the North-East region, some power would

be surplus and the Centre would decide about selling off the

surplus power to the neighbouring country.

Industry body Assocham said the government should allow

duty free import of thermal coal to bring down power tariffs in

the country.

“The government should bring down customs duty on

import of steam coal for coal-based power plants so that power

generated reach out to masses at affordable rates,” the chamber

said in a statement.

��

Import duty on thermal (steam)

coal is five per cent. Power tariffs in the

country are already very high, it said.

“The levy of customs duty only

leads to an increased cost of

generating power, which will have a

cascading effect on all the goods and

services,” it said.

It said, as thermal power plants

would be a major source for generating electricity, country's

dependence on coal import would continue to grow, in case

production from captive blocks do not come as envisaged.

The current demand-supply gap is estimated at 80 million

tonnes and likely to double in the next few years. During April-

December 2009, the consumption of coal by power sector was

271.0 million tonnes, Assocham said.

Laying the foundation stone of a Rs 6,000 crore power

equipment manufacturing plant near Tirupati, Prime Minister

Manmohan Singh said the nation needs to bridge the gap

between demand and supply of electricity for sustained

economic growth.

“Availability of affordable power is of critical importance to

development of agriculture and industries,” Singh said.

Stressing upon the need to bridge the gap between demand

and supply of electricity, he said that it was the “only way to

achieve higher rates of economic growth on sustainable basis.”

India has installed capacity of over 1.62 lakh MW, and the

power deficit is about 13-14 per cent.

The government plans to add over 78,000 MW by March

2012, the end of the current 11th Plan Period.

The new plant, NTPC BHEL Power Projects Pvt Ltd

(NBPPL), will go on stream in 2014-15 and produce equipment

to support 5,000 MW of power generation capacity, Singh said

after laying the foundation stone at Mannavaram near Tirupati.

This will be India's first integrated plant that will

manufacture turbines, generators and boilers.

��

PM LAYS FOUNDATION STONE FOR POWER EQUIPMENTPLANT



ULIPS TO BECOME MORE INVESTOR-FRIENDLY

PRESIDENT GIVES AWAY NATIONAL AWARDS TO MSMES

Insurance regulator IRDA's new

guidelines protecting unit-linked insurance

product (ULIPs) holders from mis-selling

by dealers and onerous commissions came

into effect from September 1, 2010 and are

likely to make the equity-linked instruments

more investor-friendly.

As per the new IRDA guidelines, the commission paid to

distributors and expenses charged by insurers will no longer be

front-loaded and will be distributed over the lock-in period of

the schemes, which has been raised to five years from three years

earlier.

Furthermore, IRDA has fixed the floor on guaranteed

returns from ULIP pension plans at 4.5 per cent, which will

greatly benefit policyholders saving up for retirement.

Along with these changes, the regulator has fixed stringent

minimum disclosure guidelines for insurers.

Under the new disclosure norms, agents cannot take

policyholders for a ride, as they can now see the financial

position of the company over the website and do not need to

depend on agents, said an industry expert.

Of the 23 private life insurance companies, most have filed

applications to launch two new policies each.

The President Pratibha Devi

Singh Patil gave away the National

Awards to excellent performers

among Micro, Small & Medium

Enterprises, primary co-operative

societies and Apex Coir federation.

This year’s National Awardees

include 99 MSME sector units, 47 Khadi and village industries

and 19 coir industries in different categories, besides six

banks. Addressing the gathering the President said that the

MSME sector can act as a link between the rural economy and

industry for overall growth.

National Awards were instituted in 1983 with a view to

recognize the efforts and contribution of MSMEs. National

Awards are given annually to the successful entrepreneurs,

enterprises and banks.

��

India has ambitious power generation capacity addition

targets in the 11th (2007-12) and 12th (2012-17) Five Year Plan

periods, Singh said, adding that large additional capacity targets

mean big demand for power equipment.

“I'm very happy that our public sector has come forward to

take lead in manufacturing power equipment to help us achieve

our target in power sector,” he said.

NBPPL is a 50:50 joint venture between state-owner power

generator NTPC Ltd and equipment manufacturer Bharat

Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL).

Singh said the joint venture brings together vast experience

and expertise of NTPC and BHEL.

“It will provide direct employment to 6,000 men and women

and indirect employment to another 25,000 people,” he said,

adding, “I greatly appreciate the vision of Andhra Pradesh to

have large industrial hub around this plant.”

Singh added, “I'm sure that this innovative manufacturing

plant will go a long way in improving the economic condition of

people of this backward area.”

NBPPL Chairman and Managing Director C P Singh said

the JV would help meet huge emerging demand for setting up of

new power projects in the country.

Chief Minister K Rosaiah could not attend as he was

indisposed.

��

The economic recession forced a total of

110,058 Spanish companies to go out of

business, the ministry of labour and

immigration has said.

Businesses which employed between six

to 50 people have been hit hardest by the

slump, with 47,835 such firms shutting

down. Another 39,708 enterprises having between two and five

workers had to be closed.

The number of companies with workforce of over 500,

however, increased by 96 between January 2008 and the end of

July 2010.

A total of 33,332 new companies were registered with the

Social Security Bureau since February this year.

OVER 110,000 FIRMS SHUT DOWN IN SPAIN


The Awards are given to MSME for outstanding

performance in entrepreneurship, research and development

and quality, to honour one outstanding woman entrepreneur,

one outstanding entrepreneur from SC/ST community and one

entrepreneur from North Eastern Region.

The sectoral regulator IRDA said the

initial public float guidelines for the

insurance industry will be ready by early

October.

"The IPO (initial public offering)

guidelines will be finalised by a panel jointly

set up by the SEBI and us (IRDA). We expect

the final guidelines to be ready by early

October," Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority

Chairman J Hari Narayan told newsmen on the sidelines of an

insurance summit organised by industry chamber Assocham in

Mumbai.

He further said the guidelines, which will allow both life and

non-life insurers to mop up funds from capital markets, will

certainly be out before insurance companies complete 10 years

of operations.

Under the Insurance Act, promoters having 26 per cent

stake, could offload their equity after 10 years into operations.

Currently, most of the 22 private life insurers and 17 non-life

players have foreign partners and the Insurance Act caps foreign

direct investment at 26 per cent. The Act also restricts private

players from entering the capital markets before completing a

decade of operations.

In July the IRDA had finalised the IPO norms and had sent to

the capital markets regulator SEBI for clearance. Following this,

the two regulators jointly formed a panel to vet and finalise the

IPO norms.

It can be noted that the IRDA had already notified the

disclosure norms, necessary for providing details about the

operations and balance-sheets on quarterly and yearly basis.

The IPO guidelines would deal with the minimum norms

that an insurer must fulfil before hitting the primary markets.

The private players are waiting to tap the primary markets to

augment their resource base as all the private players are yet to

break even.

��

IPO GUIDELINES TO BE READY BY OCT: IRDA CHIEF

ADVANCED ECONOMIES NEED LONG-TERM EFFORTS TOTAME DEBT: IMF

Advanced economies must pursue long-

term policy reforms to reduce public debt

levels over the coming decades and ensure

future fiscal sustainability, the International

Monetary Fund has said.

In order to protect the fragile economic

recovery, support growth and job creation and provide

reassurance to capital markets, fiscal adjustment plans must be

clearly defined but with a focus on the medium term rather than

seeking a quick fix, the IMF said in its three different studies

released.

"Public debt levels among advanced economies have reached

levels not seen before in the absence of a major war," said Carlo

Cottarelli, Director of the IMFs Fiscal Affairs Department and

one of the authors of two of the reports.

General government debt in the G20 advanced economies

surged from 78 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) in

2007 to 97 per cent of GDP in 2009 and is projected to rise to 115

per cent of GDP in 2015, it said.

"High public debt is due not only to the financial crisis, but

also to weak fiscal policy over the preceding decades, when debt

levels rose up during hard times but failed to fall in better years,"

he said. Thus, the task ahead is all the more complicated

because aging societies and global warming are putting

additional pressure on public finances.

"This calls attention to the critical need for long-term fiscal

reforms that will guarantee a gradual but sustained

improvement in debt positions over the coming decades,"

Cottarelli said. The IMF said the most indebted economies are

approaching a "debt limit" beyond which their fiscal positions

may become unsustainable.

"Debt limits are not etched in stone, but they show that a

fundamental change in behavior relative to historical patterns will

be needed to restore sustainability. In other words, business as

usual wont cut it," said Jonathan D Ostry, Deputy Director of the

IMFsResearch Department and lead author ofone of the papers.

"Countries will generally want to target debt levels well below

their debt limits because governments may get little or no

warning about imminent spikes in borrowing costs or curtailed

access to markets as public debt rises or as views about fiscal

risks or the reliability of fiscal data change, Ostry said.


Scindia said the Agreement on Fixed Tariff Preferences

between India and Mercosur, which came into force in 2009 and

covers import-export of 452 products, will gradually be

expanded to include new products with special taxation.

Trade volume between Mercosur and India should reach

around $17 billion in 2012 and $30 billion in 2030, he said.

Roberto Giannetti, Director of the Department of

International Relations of the Federation of Industries of Sao

Paulo, said the agreement would be beneficial to Brazil.

'We're very interested in a Mercosur-India free trade

agreement. Brazil needs investments to be made in several areas

and may also collaborate with India, especially in the supply of

food and energy,' he said.

Brazil-India trade increased from $1 billion in 2003 to $4.7

billion in 2008.

Facebook is being valued at more than $33

billion as investors try to secure a stake in the

social networking site in anticipation of its

flotation on the US stock market. The latest data

shows that shares in Facebook are changing

hands for up to $76, more than double their value

at the start of this year. While Facebook is still

privately held, shareholders are able to sell the company's stock

through "secondary market" trading.

By buying at these prices, some investors are calculating that

Facebook is worth more than eBay or Dell, or nearly twice as

much as Yahoo!

Secondary market trading can inflate the value of a private

company, as the relative scarcity of its shares may encourage a

buyer to overpay.

But with founder Mark Zuckerberg thought to be planning

to float Facebook in the next couple of years, there is already

strong interest in what would be the tech sector's biggest IPO

since Google went public six years ago.

Facebook is expected to earn about $1.3 billion of advertising

revenue this year, a figure that is tipped to rise sharply to $1.8

billion in 2011.

Facebook attracted its 500 millionth user last month (July).

It is also benefiting from the smartphone boom across the world.

��

FACEBOOK IS NOW A $33 BILLION ENTITY

EXPORTS GROW BY 13.2 PC TO USD 16.24 BN IN JULY

INDIA-SOUTH AMERICA TRADE DEAL TO BE EXPANDED

Exports grew by 13.2 per cent to USD

16.24 billion in July compared to the same

period last fiscal, posting growth for the

ninth month in a row.

Imports too jumped by 34.3 per cent

to USD 29.17 billion in July compared to

the same month last fiscal, according to

the official data released on September 1.

During April-July this fiscal, exports

posted a growth rate of 30 per cent to

USD 68.62 billion on year-on-year basis.

Imports during the April-July period grew by 33.3 per cent to

USD 112.2 billion.

Oil imports in July grew by 4.4 per cent to USD 7.6 billion,

while non-oil imports jumped by 49.6 per cent to USD 21.5

billion.

The country's trade deficit widened to USD 12.93 billion in

July compared to the year-ago period.

India's Minister of State for

Commerce and Industr y

Jyotiraditya Scindia said in

Brasilia that India and a trade

bloc of South American

countries have agreed to expand

a trade agreement.

'Teams from both sides have met and we pledged to develop a

list of new products to be included in the agreement in

November this year,' Scindia said after an India-Brazil business

meeting in Sao Paulo.

The trade bloc in South America, Mercosur, comprises

Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. It was formed in 1991

with the objective of facilitating free movement of goods,

services, capital and people among the four member countries.

A framework agreement was signed between India and

Mercosur in June 2003 in Paraguay for trade between the two

parties in conformity with the rules of the World Trade

Organisation.

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The Academy Awards Oscar presentation

for excellence in the film industry has a

long and rich history. This award has

remained the ultimate industry standard of

recognition.

In 1927, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts

and Sciences (AMPAS) was formed by 36 of the

film industry's most prominent individuals,

choosing film actor Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. as its

first President.

Shortly after the (AMPAS) was organized in

1927, a dinner was held in the Crystal Ballroom of the Biltmore

Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. At this dinner they discussed

ways to honor outstanding achievements to encourage higher

levels of quality in all areas of motion picture production.

A major item of the business discussed was the creation of a

trophy to recognize achievements in films. MGM Art Director

Cedric Gibbons took the idea to several Los Angeles artists who

submitted designs. Los Angeles sculptor, George Stanley was

selected to create the statuette the figure of a knight standing on

a reel of film, hands gripping a sword and the Academy's world-

renowned statuette was born.

Over 2,300 statuettes have been presented since the initial

awards banquet on May 16, 1929, at the Hollywood Roosevelt

Hotel's Blossom Room. In 2002, additional new golden

statuettes were cast, molded, polished and buffed by R. S.

Owens and Company. This Chicago awards specialty company

has been making the award since 1982.

Initially, Oscar was solid bronze. Then, due to a shortage of

metal during World War II, Oscars were made of painted plaster

for three years. Today, the statuette is gold-plated britannium, a

pewter-like alloy. It stands 131/2 inches tall and weighs a robust

8-1/2 pounds. It hasn't changed since it was first created, except

when the pedestal was made high in 1945.

Officially named the Academy Award of Merit, the statuette

is better known by a nickname, Oscar, the origins of which aren't

clear.

A popular story has been that Margaret

Herrick, an Academy librarian and eventually

as Executive Director, thought it resembled

her Uncle Oscar. After she said so, the

Academy staff began calling it Oscar.

By the sixth Awards Presentation in 1934,

Hollywood columnist Sidney Skolsky used the

name in his column when he referred to

Katharine Hepburn's first Best Actress win.

The Academy didn't use the nickname

officially until 1939.

The Academy won't know how many statuettes it will actually

hand out until the envelopes are opened on Oscar Night. Even

though the number of categories and special awards is known

prior to the ceremony, the possibility of ties and of multiple

winners sharing the prize in some categories, makes the exact

number of Oscars to be awarded unpredictable.

The Oscar statuette is one of the most recognized award in

the world. Its success as a symbol of achievement in filmmaking

would probably amaze its creators, Cedric Gibbons and George

Stanley.

The Oscar stands today, as it has since 1929, 13-1/2 inches of

achievement on the mantelsof the greatest filmmakers in history.

A History of the Oscar

PT Panorama

FACTS: FLUORIDE - POISON!

Fluoride is the bio-accumulative toxic that we all ingest

every day either through the drinking water or toothpaste. It is

believed that someone has lots of benefits from making people

sick (to sell pills) or to make them dumb so we can listen/obey

better. It is believed that fluoride does exactly that! We ingest it

in large quantities without any reason. The fact is that we can

have perfectly good teeth without fluoride. US Food and Drug

Administration (FDA) has never approved any fluoride

product designed for ingestion as safe or effective. Some of the

diseases/states that have direct influence from ingesting

fluoride on daily basis: Osteoporosis, Dental Fluorosis,

Hypoactivity or sluggishness, Reduced I.Q, Alzheimer's

disease, Cancer. The list continues.


INTRODUCTION

The Commonwealth Games is a

multinational, multi-sport event which

features compet i t ions involv ing

thousands of elite athletes from members

of the Commonwealth Nations.

Organised every four years, they are the

third-largest multi-sport event in the

world, after the Summer Olympic Games

and the Asian Games.

Apart from many Olympic sports, the

Games also include some sports that are

played mainly in Commonwealth

countries, such as lawn bowls, rugby

sevens and netball. The Games are

overseen by the Commonwealth Games

Federation (CGF), which also controls

the sporting programme and selects the

host cities. The host city is selected from

across the Commonwealth, with eighteen cities in seven

countries having hosted it. The event was first held in 1930

under the title of the British Empire Games in Hamilton,

Ontario, Canada. The event was renamed as the British Empire

and Commonwealth Games in 1954, the British Commonwealth

Games in 1970, and gained its current title in 1978. Only six

teams have attended every Commonwealth Games: Australia,

Canada, England, New Zealand, Scotland and Wales. Australia

has been the highest achieving team for ten games, England for

seven and Canada for one.

The 2010 Commonwealth Games are the nineteenth

Commonwealth Games, and the ninth to be held under that

name. The Games are scheduled to be held in Delhi, India

between 3rd October and 14th October 2010. The games will be

the largest multi-sport event conducted to date in Delhi, which

has previously hosted the Asian Games in 1951 and 1982. The

opening ceremony is scheduled to take place at the Jawaharlal

Nehru Stadium in Delhi. It will also be the first time the

Commonwealth Games will be held in India and the second

time the event will held in Asia (after 1998 in Kuala Lumpur,

Malaysia).

PREPARATION FOR OPENING CEREMONY FOR COMMONWEALTH GAMES DELHI 2010

CURRENT STATUS OF SPORTS FACILITIES FOR COMMONWEALTH GAMES DELHI 2010

To make things vibrant at the opening and closing

ceremonies, Delhi government has roped in renowned Chennai

based ad and feature filmmaker Bharatbala for it. Bharatbala has

been in news for his patriotic videos like "Maa Tujhe Salaam" and

now he has been handed responsibility to compose theme

concept for the games. It is likely to be binding all cultural roots

of India and will be an emblematic treat to the spirit of

Commonwealth Games.

As the days for Commonwealth Games 2010 in Delhi are

approaching, there is a wide speculation about the sports

facilities that are offered for it. It will be a great pleasure for all

Indians to know that these games will have as much as 17 sports

disciplines. These 17 sports disciplines are Aquatics, Archery,

Athletics, Badminton, Boxing, Cycling, Gymnastics, Hockey,

Commonwealth Games

PT Panorama


ORGANISING COMMITTEE

SYMBOLS

The organisation was beset by delays: in January 2010 , the

Indian Olympic Association Vice-Chairman Raja Randhir Singh

expressed concern that Delhi was not well equipped to form and

organise its games committee, and following a 2009 Indian

Government report showing two thirds of venues were running

behind schedule, Commonwealth Games Federation President,

Mike Fennell stated that the slow progress of preparations posed

a serious risk to the event. Singh called for a revamp of the

Games' Organising Committees: Jarnail Singh, a former

Secretary of the Government of India, was appointed as the

Chief Executive Officer and Indian Olympic Association

President Suresh Kalmadi was appointed as head of the

committee. In spite of delays and the corruption cases on the

organisers, commentators stated that they are confident that

India will successfully host the games and do so on time.

The official mascot for the

2010 Commonwealth Games was Shera, an

anthropomorphised tiger. His name came

from "Sher", a Hindi word meaning lion

("Bagh" means tiger. However, Sher is

colloquially used for both lion and tiger).

The mascot truly represents the modern

Indian, proud of his nation’s ancient

heritage and a fierce competitor but with

integrity and honesty. The logo and the look

for the games has been designed by Idiom

Design and Consulting.

The official song of the 2010 Commonwealth

Games "Jiyo Utho Badho Jeeto" has been composed and

performed by the Indian musician, A. R. Rahman. The song's

title is based on the slogan of the games, "Come out and play".

The song has been penned by Mehboob in Hindi with a dash of

English words. It was released on 28 August, 2010.

Mascot:

Official song:

Lawn Bowls, Netball, Rugby 7s, Shooting, Squash, Table Tennis,

Tennis, Weightlifting and Wrestling. The officials of DDA have

confirmed that Games Village is progressively at a faster pace

and will be completed before its due date. It will further be

handed over to the Organising Committee by 1 st June 2010 so

that all necessary arrangements could be made for the

participating sportspersons.

For the Commonwealth Games, Delhi is equipped with six

synthetic tracks, four synthetic hockey fields, seven multi-

purpose halls, one fully air-conditioned timber track for cycling

and it will be the first of its kind in INDIA . The preparation has

been done with such precision that it will be incomparable to

any international event in the world.

For all hockey fans, venues like Thyagaraj Sports Complex

and Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium have been given

sophisticated international standards in all parameters.

As days are passing by so is the heartbeat of all Indians, as we

anticipate a gala international event to take place at the heartland

of our country.

The infrastructure and planning for all venues and

complexes have shaped meticulously and will be a visual

spectacle for the international audience.

Sports like Rugby 7s and Cycling will be special for Indians as

it will be the first big experience for them.

Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi's most coveted sporting

stadium will be offering a seating capacity of 60,000 spectators

and will have a tensile roof over the seating. Even Dr. S.P

Mukherjee Aquatic Complex will be equipped comprehensibly

with fully covered swimming and diving pools.

The Games Village for Commonwealth Games 2010 is being

built on an area of 59.28 hectares. This village is divided into

three zones and they are residential zone, industrial zone and

operational zone. It will function as a residing place for as much

as eight thousand sportspersons and team officials, including

250 physically challenged athletes. Each and every room of this

village will be fully equipped with facilities like telephone and

internet services, laundry etc while extra care has been taken to

provide emergency care services.

SPORTS FACILITIES FOR COMMONWEALTH GAMESDELHI 2010

THE GAMES VILLAGE FOR COMMONWEALTH GAMES2010 FACTS: ANDROMEDA GALAXY

Closest spiral galaxy to our Milky Way galaxy is Andromeda

and even while traveling at the speed of light it would take 2

million years to reach it. , Milky Way, the

Triangulum Galaxy, and about 30 smaller galaxies belong to a

group called Local Group. There are 100 billion galaxies that we

can observe. Prediction is that there is much more, but Hubble

Space Telescope couldn't detect them. The Andromeda Galaxy

and the Milky Way is predicted to merge within the next 5 billion

years. In the event like this smaller galaxies are consumed by

larger ones. Andromeda galaxy is twice as large as Milky Way.

Andromeda Galaxy


Intel Corporation is the largest semiconductor

manufacturer in the world, with major facilities in the

United States, Europe, and Asia. Intel has changed the

world dramatically since it was founded in 1968; the company

invented the microprocessor, the 'computer on a chip' that made

possible the first handheld calculators and personal computers

(PCs). By the early 21st century, Intel's microprocessors were

found in more than 80 percent of PCs worldwide.

The company's product line also includes chipsets and

motherboards; flash memory used in wireless communications

and other applications; hubs, switches, routers, and other

products for Ethernet networks; and embedded control chips

used in networking products, laser printers, imaging devices,

storage media, and other applications.

Intel remained competitive through a combination of clever

marketing, well-supported research and development, superior

manufacturing proficiency, a vital corporate culture, legal

proficiency, and an ongoing alliance with software giant

Microsoft Corporation often referred to as 'Wintel.'

Intel's founders, Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore, were

among the eight founders of Fairchild Semiconductor,

established in 1957. While at Fairchild, Noyce and Moore

invented the integrated circuit, and, in 1968, they decided to

form their own company. They were soon joined by Andrew

Grove, a Hungarian refugee who had arrived in the United

States in 1956 and joined Fairchild in 1963. Grove would remain

President and CEO of Intel into the 1990s.

To obtain start-up capital, Noyce and Moore approached

Arthur Rock, a venture capitalist, with a one-page business plan

simply stating their intention of developing large-scale

integrated circuits. Rock, who had helped start Fairchild

Semiconductor, as well as Teledyne and Scientific Data Systems,

had confidence in Noyce and Moore and provided $3 million in

capital. The company was incorporated on July 18, 1968, as N M

Electronics (the letters standing for Noyce Moore), but quickly

changed its name to Intel, formed from the first syllables of

'integrated electronics.' Intel gathered another $2 million in

capital before going public in 1971.

Noyce and Moore's scanty

business proposal belied a clear

plan to produce large-scale

integrated (LSI) semiconductor

memor ies . A t tha t t ime ,

semiconductor memories were

ten times more expensive than

s t a n d a r d m a g n e t i c c o r e

memories. Costs were falling,

however, and Intel's founders felt

that with the greater speed and

efficiency of LSI technology, semiconductors would soon

replace magnetic cores. Intel was an early developer of SRAM

and DRAM memory chips, and this represented the majority of

its business until the early 1980s.

The company's most dramatic impact on the computer

industry involved its 1971 introduction of the 4004, the world's

first microprocessor. Like many of Intel's innovations, the

microprocessor was a byproduct of efforts to develop another

technology. When a Japanese calculator manufacturer, Busicom,

asked Intel to design cost-effective chips for a series of

calculators, Intel engineer Ted Hoff was assigned to the project;

during his search for such a design, Hoff conceived a plan for a

central processing unit (CPU) on one chip.

The 4004, which crammed 2,300 transistors onto a one-

eighth- by one-sixth-inch chip, had the power of the old 3,000-

cubic-foot ENIAC computer, which depended on 38,000

vacuum tubes.

The 8080, introduced in 1974, was the first truly general

purpose microprocessor. For $360, Intel sold a whole computer

on one chip, while conventional computers sold for thousands of

dollars. The response was overwhelming. The 8080 soon

became the industry standard and Intel the industry leader in

the 8-bit market.

In response to ensuing competition in the manufacture of 8-

bit microprocessors, Intel introduced the 8085, a faster chip

with more functions. The company was also developing two

more advanced projects, the 32-bit 432 and the 16-bit 8086.

Intel corporation

Brand icon


In the mid-1990s, as sales of PCs accelerated and

multimedia and the Internet were beginning to emerge, Intel

continued developing ever more powerful microprocessors. In

1995 the Pentium Pro hit the market sporting 5.5 million

transistors and capable of performing up to 300 MIPS. Intel next

added MMX technology to its existing line of Pentium

processors. MMX consisted of a new set of instructions that was

designed specifically to improve the multimedia performance of

personal computers. Fueled by exploding demand, revenues hit

$20.85 billion by 1996, while net income soared to $5.16 billion.

During the late 1990s, Intel made several strategic

acquisitions that rapidly gave the company a significant

presence in areas outside its microprocessor core: wireless

communications products, such as flash memory for mobile

phones and two-way pagers; networking building blocks, such

as hubs, switches, and routers; and embedded control chips for

laser printers, storage media, and automotive systems. Intel also

entered the market for e-commerce services, rapidly building

up the largest business-to-business e-commerce site in the

world, with $1 billion per month in online sales by mid-1999.

The company was not neglecting its core, however; in 1999 Intel

had its largest microprocessor launch ever with the

simultaneous introduction of 15 Pentium III and Pentium III

Xeon processors.

In early 2000, a one-gigahertz Pentium III chip hit the

market. Later in 2000 came the debut of the next generation

processor for the early 21st century, the Itanium, the company's

first 64-bit processor, which was initially designed to meet the

needs of powerful Internet servers. With its continuing

development of ever more powerful processors and its

aggressive expansion into other key technology areas, Intel

appeared certain to remain one of the linchpins of the

information economy in the new millennium.

The 8086 was introduced in 1978 but took two years to

achieve wide use, and, during this time, Motorola produced a

competing chip (the 68000) that seemed to be selling faster.

Intel responded with a massive sales effort to establish its

architecture as the standard. When International Business

Machines Corporation (IBM) chose the 8008, the 8086's 8-bit

cousin, for its personal computer in 1980, Intel seemed to have

beat out the competition.

Intel's rapid growth, from the 12 employees at its founding in

1968 to 15,000 in 1980, demanded a careful approach to

corporate culture. Noyce, Moore, and Grove, who remembered

their frustration with Fairchild's bureaucratic bottlenecks,

found that defining a workable management style was

important.

Informal weekly lunches with employees kept

communication lines open while the company was small, but

that system had become unwieldy. Thus, the founders installed

a carefully outlined program emphasizing openness, decision

making on the lowest levels, discipline, and problem solving

rather than paper shuffling. Moreover, the company's top

executives eschewed such luxuries as limousines, expense

account lunches, and private parking spaces to establish a sense

of teamwork with their subordinates.

A key initiative that kept Intel ahead of its competitors was

the company's move beyond chip design into computer design.

With the advent of the Pentium, Intel began designing chipsets

and motherboards the latter being the PC circuit board that

combined a microprocessor and a chipset into the basic

subsystem of a PC. With the company now selling the guts of a

PC, dozens of computer manufacturers began making and

selling Pentium-based machines.

Facebook Facts

Google Quantum Algorithm

Facebook was originally named TheFaceBook and it was developed by Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg. The first use of the

FaceBook was on the Harvard campus and it was limited only to Harvard students. Soon the FaceBook spread like wild fire around

the other major U.S. Universities. Mark Zuckerberg dropped the Harvard and pursued his facebook dream to become one of the 4th

most-trafficked websites in the world with more than 90 million active users. The FaceBook website is built on PHP-MySQL

technology and it is probably the most popular PHP website ever built. Interesting fact is that the facebook.com domain was

purchased for $200,000 and FaceBook has more than 24 million photos uploaded daily.

Several reports suggest that in the past three years Google has developed a quantum algorithm that is capable of automatically

recognizing and sorting objects from videos or still images. This has been achieved by using physics that exists at the subatomic

level. Several research teams have been working on the development of quantum processors that can store data as quantum bits.

These qbits represent both the 0 and 1 that are used in the binary computer language simultaneously. That dual possibility state

allows for much more efficient processing and information storage. To consider an example given by Google, an average computer

requires 500,000 peeks to find a particular object hidden in one of a million drawers on an average. But such a quantum computer

could locate the position the ball by just peeking into 1000 out of the million drawers.


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Actor bought the

manufactured for civilian use in 1992. The

vehicle weighed in at 6,300 lbs and was 7 feet wide.

was advertising cough medicine containing

in 1898.

first was installed in Harrods in 1878.

stands for the organizers of the company: ,

.

was invented in 1767 by

, the discoverer of oxygen.

Cheerios cereal was originally called .

was patented in 1869 by .

was so named back in 1885 for its two

ingredients: extract of coca leaves and kola

nuts. As for how much cocaine was originally in the

formulation, it's hard to know.

was sold to cure sore throat, neuralgia,

nervousness, headache, colds and sleeplessness in the

1880s.

False eyelashes were invented by film Director

while he was making the 1916 epic,

“ .” He wanted actress to have

lashes that brushed her cheeks.

was introduced at the

in New York on Feb. 9, 1964.

was named for the

where it was first developed.

are called that because the machine that

makes them looks like it's kissing the conveyor belt.

Arnold Schwarzenegger first

Hummer

Bayer heroin

Britain's escalator

BVD Bradley

Voorhies, and Day

Carbonated soda water Joseph

Priestley

Cheerioats

Chewing gum William Semple

Coca-Cola

'medicinal'

Cocaine

D.W.

Griffith

Intolerance Seena Owen

G.I. Joe annual American

International Toy Fair

Gatorade University of Florida

Gators

Hershey's Kisses

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Hungarian brothers and invented the

in 1938.

In 1889, the , patented by

Hartford, Connecticut inventor , was

installed in the Hartford Bank. Local calls using a coin-

operated phone in the U.S. cost only 5 cents everywhere

until 1951.

In 1964 began marketing

with pink hearts, yellow moons, orange stars, and

green clovers. The marshmallow bits (technically referred

to as marbits) were invented in 1963 by .

The cereal is marketed using a leprechaun character

named Lucky (L.C. Leprechaun is his full name) that touts

his cereal as being Over the years

the various shapes and colors of the marshmallow bits in

the cereal have undergone many changes.

In 1965, a law requiring

manufacturers to put health warnings on their packages.

In 1984, a farmer began advertising

space on his .

In 1991 won a $75,000 lawsuit against

who were found responsible for

spreading rumors that the company supported the Church

of Satan. The two were distributors of , a

competitor of Proctor & Gamble.

In 4000 BC , men and women wore

made from the crushed shells of beetles.

In M&M candies, the letters stand for and ,

the developers of the candy in 1941.

George L'szlo Biro

ball point pen

First coin-operated telephone

William Gray

General Mills Lucky Charms

cereal

John Holahan

“Magically Delicious.”

LBJ enacted cigarette

Canadian renting

cows

Procter & Gamble

James & Linda Newton

Amway Products

Egypt glitter eye

shadow

Mars Murrie

� The in USA

stopped using their slogan

after died of AIDS and many jokes where

made about him and the slogan.

Prudential Life Insurance Company

“Own A Piece Of The Rock”

Rock Hudson

Fascinating Trivia


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The , introduced by

sold for $1.00 in 1900. The camera's 6-exposure

film sold for 15 cents.

The bar was first produced by

in 1923. As an advertising

ploy, candy bars were dropped from an airplane on cities in

40 states.

The - made originally of - was invented in

the early 1500's.

The was invented by

and was first used on on

August 6, 1890.

The first brand of was called

, after the New England woman's college. Next

were “ ” and “ .”

The rolled off the Chevrolet assembly line

in Flint, MI. in 1953. That early ' sold for $3,250.

The , issued in 1950, was

started the company with 200 card

holders.

The product to have a on its packaging

was .

The for an automobile was invented in

1908 by He patented a large net, to be

installed on the front fender, to scoop pedestrians out of the

way before they could be run over.

The was presented to a blind person

on April 25, 1938.

The was opened in 1922

by National Department Stores in

The ever advertised on television was

introduced in 1952.

The sold in the Soviet Union

was

The was invented on August 7, 1888, by

, of ,

Pennsylvania.

The was patented in 1849 by . He

sold the patent rights for $400.

Brownie box camera Eastman

Kodak,

Butterfinger candy

Chicago's Curtiss Candy Co.

condom linen

electric chair Dr. Alphonse

Rockwell William Kemmler

Wrigley's chewing gum

“Vassar”

Lotta Sweet Sixteen Orange

first Corvette

Vette'

first credit card Diner's Club.

Frank X. McNamara

first UPC bar code

Wrigley's gum

first safety feature

John O'Leary.

first seeing-eye dog

first suburban shopping mall

Saint Louis.

first toy product

Mr. Potato Head

first US consumer product

Pepsi-Cola.

revolving door

Theophilus Van Kannel Philadelphia

safety pin Walter Hunt

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Colgate “Tooth Fairy

glue certified kosher.

claims ” as a registered trademark.

The on Israeli postage stamps is

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In the 1700s, European women achieved a pale complexion

by eating actually made

with the .

was discovered in by

and

It was the of Bridgeport, CT, whose

name – and lightweight pie tins – gave birth to the modern

Frisbee.

was created by a former

lumberjack, in 1880.

originated in 1630 in .

was first manufactured as bandages, during

stands for

and was developed between

1950s - 1960s.

blue with copper rivets were priced at

$13.50 per dozen in 1874.

isn't made out of , it's made out of .

Most car horns in the .

Most lipstick contains .

was first produced in a

laboratory in .

contains and 25%

is cheaper to produce and to purchase because

the oil content in cologne is only 3%. Cologne was named

for the German city in which it was first produced. The

original formula combined alcohol, lemon spirits, orange

bitters and mint oil.

The , the went on sale

in 1977.

The , 24-hour

in the United States was opened by

in 1949 on North Loop in Austin, Texas.

The bar was actually named after

Grover Cleveland's baby daughter, Ruth.

“Arsenic Complexion Wafers”

poison

Insulin 1922 Sir Frederick Banting

Dr. Charles Best.

Frisbie Pie Company

Jergens Lotion Andrew Jergens,

Kikkoman soya sauce Japan

Kotex W.W.I.

Laser “light amplification by stimulated

emission of radiation.”

Levi Strauss jeans

Money paper linen

American honk key of F

fish scales

Penicillin synthetically

1946

Perfume ethyl alcohol fragrant oils.

Cologne

first personal computer Apple II,

first unattended self-ser vice

laundromat Nelson

Puett

Baby Ruth candy


1. Which of the following Prime Minister is known for his

"Iron Curtain Speech"?

(1) Clement Attlee

(2) Neville Chamberlain

(3) Winston Churchill

(4) Herbert Morrison

2. Hubbert peak theory is related to which of the following?

(1) Nuclear Energy

(2) Petroleum

(3) Currency Trade

(4) Metabolism

3. Who among the following personalities awarded Padam

Vibhushan 2010 is percussionist and Mrudangam Vidwan?

(1) Umayalpuram K.Sivaraman

(2) Zohra Segal

(3) Bipin Chandra

(4) Prathap C.Reddya

4. The Best feature film chosen at the 56th National Film

Award is

(1) Antaheen (2) Jogva

(3) Rock on (4) Fashion

5. Which country was on the top in medal tally in South Asian

Games 2010?

(1) Pakistan (2) India

(3) Sri Lanka (4) Afghanistan

6. As per the schedule, the Census 2011 Exercise work will be

completed by

(1) February 28, 2011

(2) March 1, 2011

(3) March 5, 2011

(4) March 31, 2011

7. India's 15th National Census Exercise began on

(1) April 10, 2010

(2) March 10, 2010

(3) April 1, 2010

(4) April 30, 2010

8. The Unique Identification (UID) Project, headed by

Nandan Nilekani has been renamed

(1) Aadhar

(2) Pratiksha

(3) Sambandh

(4) Samarthan

9. Who has won the Women's title of Asia Badminton

Championship 2010?

(1) Xuerui Li

(2) Xin Liu

(3) Saina Nehwal

(4) Qing Tian

10. Who has won the Men's title of Asia Badminton

Championship 2010?

(1) Wang Zhengming

(2) Lin Dan

(3) Gun Woo choo

(4) Ling Chen

11. Sebastian Vettel recently (April 2010) emerged winner in

(1) Qater Grand Prix

(2) Malaysian Grand Prix

(3) Chinese Grand Prix

(4) None of the winner

12. As per the recent studies conducted on Indian Insurance

market, which among the following policy segment has

grown faster than any others?

(1) Market Linked Shemes

(2) Child Insurance Plans

(3) Retirement Schemes

(4) Tax saving Plans

13. Which among the following is the leaders of China's socio-

political programs 'Great Leap Forward' and the 'Cultural

Revolution'?

(1) Zeng Qinghong

(2) Wang Zuo

(3) Mao Zemin

(4) Mao Zedong

General knowledge


22. In which year, Dakshin Gangotri, India's first settlement in

Antarctica got buried in Ice?

(1) 1986

(2) 1989

(3) 1990

(4) 1991

23. The Best Parliamentarian Award for 2009 has been

conferred on

(1) Jaipal Reddy

(2) Murli Manohar Joshi

(3) Mohan Singh

(4) None of the above

24. The All India Management Association (AIMA) Lifetime

Achievement Award has been conferred on

(1) Ratan Tata

(2) R.P.Goenka

(3) Mukesh Ambani

(4) Azim Premji

25. The new NASSCOM Chairman is

(1) Gopal Subramanium

(2) Harsh Mangik

(3) G.Raghurama

(4) Mukul Sangma

26. The World's first Homeopathy University is being

established in

(1) Karnataka

(2) Rajasthan

(3) Tamil Nadu

(4) Kerala

27. Which of the European countries recently came into news

for eruption of volcano?

(1) England

(2) Finland

(3) Iceland

(4) Denmark

28. ...... IBSA Summit 2010 was recently held in Brasili

(1) Third

(2) Fourth

(3) Fifth

(4) Sixth

29. ‘United People's Freedom Alliance' recently won a majority

in the parliamentary elections in

(1) Sri Lanka

(2) Nepal

(3) Maldives

(4) Vietnam

14. Which among the following is a Progressive Tax?

(1) Customs duty

(2) Development Surcharge

(3) Income tax

(4) Sales tax

15. Which among the following is not a power of RBI?

(1) Inspection of banks

(2) Nationalization of Banks

(3) Call of returns

(4) Control the lending policies of the banks

16. Which among the following taxes is levied by state

government only?

(1) Wealth Tax

(2) Estate Duty

(3) Corporation tax

(4) Entertainment Tax

17. In context with the banking what is PCR?

(1) Profit Credit Ratio

(2) Provision Credit Ratio

(3) Provision coverage ratio

(4) Profit Coverage Ratio

18. The government has decided to declare the World's largest

river island Majuli (Assam)

(1) A protective zone

(2) An eco-sensitive zone

(3) A national heritage


19. Which south Asian country experienced heavy quake in

April 2010?

(1) Nepal

(2) China

(3) India

(4) Afghanistan

20. Which of the following Indians has got prestigious Dan

David Award?

(1) Amitav Ghosh

(2) Dev Anand

(3) Mani Shankar Mukherjee


21. The best batsman award of Indian Premier League-III was

received by

(1) Suresh Raina

(2) M. S. Dhoni

(3) Sachin Tendulkar

(4) Pragyan Ojha


30. Where was the sixteenth ASEAN Summit held?

(1) Delhi

(2) Beijing

(3) Hanoi

(4) Kuala Lumpur

31. Which of the following Constitutional Amendment Bills in

Pakistan aimed at stripping the president of key powers?

(1) 15th constitution Amendment Bill



(4) 22nd constitution Amendment Bill

32. The Central Asian country which recently came into news

for political turmoil is

(1) Uzbekistan

(2) Kyrgyzstan

(3) Tajikistan

(4) Turkmenistan

33. The deal 'New START' has recently been signed between

(1) Russia and USA

(2) UK and Japan

(3) India and China

(4) China and Russia

34. In which year, Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman was

awarded Nobel Prize for Raman effect?

(1) 1926 (2) 1927

(3) 1928 (4) 1930

35. Sixteenth SAARC Summit recently was held in

(1) Thimphu

(2) Kathmandu

(3) Colombo

(4) Dhaka

36. INS Kamorta is country's first

(1) Anti-submarine warfare corvette

(2) Nuclear Submarine

(3) First naval aircraft carrier


37. Dantewada was in the news recently for the reason of

(1) Communal Violence

(2) Naxal Terror

(3) Caste Clashes


38. Which of the following celebration is observed by

worshiping tools?

(1) Mahatma Jyotoiba Phule Jayanati

(2) Vishwakarma Jayanti

(3) Parashurama Jayanti

(4) Prajapati Jayanti

39. Who among the following is known as the Morning Star of

Indian Renaissance?

(1) Ram Mohan Roy

(2) Swami Vivekananda

(3) Acharya Vinoba BHave

(4) Rabindra Nath Tagore

40. Which of the following organisations has its headquarters

in Rome?

(1) World Food Programme

(2) Food and Agriculture Organisation

(3) International Labour Organisation

(4) European Free Trade Association

41. Which of the following is known as 'Queen of the Adriatic'?

(1) Stockholm

(2) Chicago

(3) Venice

(4) Strait of Gibraltar

42. Which of the following states does not have legislative

council?

(1) Andhra Pradesh

(2) Jammu & Kashmir

(3) Kerala

(4) Uttar Pradesh

43. Which of the following language was added to the Eighth

schedule to the Constitution of India by 21st

Constitutional Amendment Act 1967?

(1) Sindhi

(2) Punjabi

(3) Malyalam

(4) Tamil

44. Which of the following cities is famous for Tobacco

Industry?

(1) Jharia

(2) Khetri

(3) Ferozabad

(4) Guntur

45. Which of the following cities is situated on the river

Hudson?

(1) Paris

(2) New York

(3) London

(4) Montreal

46. Dakar is the capital of

(1) Romania

(2) Senegal

(3) Syprus

(4) Mozambique


55. B.C.Roy Trophy is associated with

(1) Cricket

(2) Football

(3) Chess

(4) Hockey

56. Who received the best Actor Award at the 56th National

Film Award?

(1) Upendra Limaya

(2) Amitabh Bachchan

(3) Arjun Rampal


57. The CNN-IBN India of the year 2009 award is

(1) A.R.Rahman


(3) Mukesh Ambani

(4) Sania Mirza

58. The Criminal Procedure Code (Amendment) Act 2008

came into effect in

(1) January 2010

(2) January 2009

(3) January 2008


59. The Copenhagen Accord related to climate change was

adopted on

(1) December 15,2009




60. Phylloquinone is the chemical name of

(1) Vitamin D (2) Vitamin E

(3) Vitamin K (4) Vitamin C

61. Uranium Corporation of India is located in

(1) Mumbai

(2) Delhi

(3) Thiruvananthapuram

(4) Jadugoda

62. Which of the following won Women's Hockey Gold in

Olympic Game 2008?

(1) Holland (2) Australia

(3) Germany (4) USA

63. 'Romancing with Life' is a book written by

(1) Dilip Kumar

(2) Debasheesh Dutta

(3) Dev Anand

(4) Hema Malini

47. Matatilla Multi-purpose Project is located on

(1) River Betwa

(2) River Rihand

(3) River Tapi

(4) River Mahi

48. Theorphrastus is called the father of

(1) Botany

(2) Zoology

(3) Anatomy

(4) Astrology

49. What name was given to the first assault launched in the

world's highest battlefield, Siachen Glacier by the Indian

Armed Forces in 1984?

(1) Operation Vijay

(2) Operation Meghdoot

(3) Operation Black Sky

(4) Operation Ganga

50. National Youth Day is observed on

(1) January 15

(2) January 12

(3) January 20

(4) January 28

51. As per the 2009 Human Development India's rank in

Human Development Index is

(1) 135th

(2) 134th

(3) 133th

(4) 130th

52. Who among the following clinched Junior Boy's single title

in Australian Open 2010 (Tennis Championship)?

(1) Leander Paes

(2) Tiago Fernandes

(3) Bob Bryan

(4) Meke Bryan

53. Which Indian golf player has been named Rookie of the year

2009?

(1) Rashid Khan

(2) Anirban Lahiri

(3) Gaganjeet Bhullar

(4) C. Muniyappa

54. India's first special Economic Zone dedicated to the

aerospace industries has been launched at

(1) Hyderabad

(2) Hallargi

(3) Shimla

(4) Ahmedabad


64. Who among the following is the recipient of Dada Saheb

Phalke Award 2009?

(1) Javed Akhtar

(2) Akkineni Nageshwar Rao

(3) Manoj Kumar

(4) Subhash Ghai

65. Who is known as the father of Sanskrit Grammar?

(1) Panini

(2) Patanjali

(3) Kalidas


66. Which of the following award is associated with

Agriculture?

(1) Bourlog Award

(2) Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar

(3) Arjun Award

(4) Vyasa Samman

67. Which of the following committees is associated with

reforms in small industries?

(1) K.L.Rekhi Committee

(2) R.Chelliah Committee

(3) Abid Hussain Committee


68. The recommendations of the 13th Finance Commission

shall cover the period

(1) April 1, 2010 to March 31, 2015

(2) April 1, 2002 to March 31, 2005

(3) April 1, 2007 to March 31, 2012

(4) None of the Above

69. National Food for Work Programme was launched on

(1) November 20, 2004

(2) December 1, 2005

(3) November 14, 2004

(4) October 5, 2007

70. Who was the first scholar to use the term "Indus

Civilization"?

(1) Rakhal Das Bannerji

(2) John Marshall

(3) Dayaram Sahani

(4) R. S. Bist

71. The Provision of Contingency Fund of India has been made

under

(1) Article 266

(2) Article 265

(3) Article 267

(4) Article 268

72. Which Constitutional Amendment Act, stated that

Parliament has the power to abridge or take away any of the

enactment of Constitutional Amendment Act?

(1) The 25th Constitutional Amendment Act 1971

(2) The 24th Constitutional Amendment Act 1971

(3) The 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act 1976


73. Who said that Directive Principles are "aimed at furthering

the goals of the social revolution or to foster this revolution

by establishing the conditions necessary for its

achievement"?

(1) Dr. B. R. Ambedkar

(2) B. N. Rau

(3) Granville Austin

(4) M. C. Chagla

74. Which of the following Articles provides for securing for all

citizen a uniform civil code throughout the territory of

India?

(1) Article 44

(2) Article 45

(3) Article 46

(4) Article 47

75. Which of the following words was not added to the

Preamble of the Constitution of India by the 42nd

Constitutional Amendment Act of 1976?

(1) Sovereign

(2) Socialist

(3) Secular

(4) Integrity

76. Which British Prime Minister announced a scheme of

representation of the minorities which came to be known

as Communal Award in 1932?

(1) Ramsay Mac Donald

(2) Clement Atlee

(3) Winston Churchill

(4) None of the Above

77. Which of the following is known as the Act for the Good

Government of India?

(1) Indian Council Act 1861

(2) Government of India Act 1885

(3) Pitts India Act of 1784

(4) Government of India Act 1919

78. With which one of the following rivers is the Omkareshwar

Project associated?

(1) Chambal

(2) Narmada

(3) Tapi

(4) Bhima


87. The tip of the match-stick contains

(1) Phosphorus pentoxide

(2) White phosphorus

(3) Red phosphorus

(4) Phosphorus trichloride

88. In Economics the terms "Utility" and "Usefulness" have

(1) same meaning

(2) different meaning

(3) opposite meaning

(4) None of these

89. In which State was the Nalanda University located in India

(1) Orissa

(2) Jharkhand

(3) Bihar

(4) Bengal

90. What is the distance of running in a marathon race?

(1) 26 miles 385 yards



(4) 26 miles

91. The First nuclear test was conducted in India in the year

(1) 1972 (2) 1974

(3) 1975 (4) 1971

92. The French Revolution gave its modern meaning to the

term

(1) Nation

(2) Capitalism

(3) Republic

(4) Sovereignty

93. Which state grows nearly 30% of world opium?

(1) M. P.

(2) U. P.

(3) Gujarat

(4) West Bengal

94. The name of India's first aircraft carrier is

(1) INS Himgiri

(2) INS Virat

(3) INS Vikrant

(4) INS Nilgiri

95. Who among the following Urdu poets was invited to the

Second and Third Round Table Conference?

(1) Faiz Ahmad Faiz

(2) Muhammad Iqbal

(3) Firaq Gorakhpuri

(4) Josh Malihabdi

79. Which one of the following was a journal brought out by

Abul Kalam Azad?

(1) Al-Hilal

(2) Comrade

(3) The Indian Sociologist

(4) Zamindar

80. Who among the following translated the Autobiography of

Madam Curie in Hindi?

(1) Atal Bihari Vajpayee

(2) Lal Bahadur Shastri

(3) Choudhary Charan Singh

(4) Gobind Ballabh Pant

81. On planet Earth, there is no centrifugal force at the

(1) Equator

(2) Tropic of Cancer

(3) Tropic of Capricorn

(4) Poles

82. Which among the following planets is smaller in size than

the Earth?

(1) Neptune (2) Venus

(3) Saturn (4) Uranus

83. Who among the following was the advisor to the Drafting

Committee of the Constituent Assembly?

(1) B. Shiva Rao

(2) Dr. B. R. Ambedkar

(3) Sachidananda Sinha

(4) B. N. Rau

84. Who among the following was the author of Tarikh-i-Alai,

which contains the details of the first few years of Sultan

Alauddin Khilji?

(1) Ziauddin Barani

(2) Shams Siraj Afif

(3) Amir Khusrau

(4) Yahiya bin Ahmad

85. "Let a hundred flowers bloom and let a thousand schools of

thought contend" was said by

(1) Lenin

(2) Karl Marx

(3) Tolstoy

(4) Mao Tse-tung

86. The Magsaysay Award is given for proficiency in which of

the following?

(1) Literature

(2) Mountaineering

(3) Science

(4) Social Science


96. Which of the following is the largest Committee of the

Parliament?

(1) The Public Accounts Committee

(2) The Estimates Committee

(3) The Committee on Public Undertakings

(4) The Committee on Petitions

97. In which of the following years was General Agreement on

Tariffs and Trade (GATT) absorbed into the World Trade

Organization (WTO)?

(1) 1991

(2) 2000

(3) 1992

(4) 1995

98. According to India Strategic Petroleum Reserves Ltd.,

India would complete building its first strategic crude oil

storage by

(1) September 2010

(2) January 2011

(3) October 2011

(4) December 2011

99. In the National Integration Council, reconstituted in April

2010, the number of members is

(1) 144 (2) 145

(3) 146 (4) 147

100. The 16th Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian

Nations was held in

(1) Colombo

(2) Dhaka

(3) New Delhi

(4) Thimphu

101. Which among the following is not a Euro zone country ?

(1) Netherlands

(2) Estonia

(3) Austria

(4) Portugal

102. What is the name of the cyclone that has hit Fiji recently?

(1) Katrina

(2) Tomas

(3) Puppet

(4) Swath

103. India is planning to hold high level talks with many stake

holders to solve the Afghan problem. Identify latest country

it is holding talks with?

(1) Pakistan

(2) The US

(3) Germany

(4) Iran

104. Where is Nirmal Hridaya ?

(1) Bangalore

(2) New Delhi

(3) Kolkata

(4) Varanasi

105. How many members of the United Nations can exercise

the Veto Power?

(1) 5

(2) 8

(3) 10

(4) 11

106. What is the reason of Venus being the hottest planet of the

Solar system?

(1) Proximity to Sun

(2) Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere

(3) High speed of Rotation

(4) Presence of powerful magnetic field

107. Whose court martial has been initiated in Sri Lanka?

(1) Rienzi Arsakularathne

(2) Mahinda Rajapaksa

(3) Sarath Fonseka

(4) Jagath Jayasurya

108. Which Bill was deferred at the last moment from being

placed in the Lok Sabha by the government due to stiff

opposition by all opposition parties?

(1) Women's Reservation Bill

(2) Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill

(3) Finance Bill

(4) SC / ST Reservation (Amendment) Bill

109. Which Bill has been cleared by the cabinet to be introduced

in the Parliament?

(1) Women's Reservation Bill

(2) Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill

(3) Foreign Educational Institutions Bill

(4) Finance Bill

110. Which of the following variety of Marble is found in India?

(1) Makrana

(2) Bhainslana

(3) Phrygia

(4) Carrara

111. The best known of the compilations of the compositions of

Kabir are known as?

(1) Shatapadi

(2) Dohavali,

(3) Bijak

(4) Kavitavali

located


120. Which international music band has turned fifty this year?

(1) The Beatles

(2) Backstreet Boys

(3) Pink Floyd

(4) Dire Straights

122. The Indian team showed dismal performance in 2010 Hero

Honda Hockey World Cup. Who coached India?

(1) Pablo Lombi

(2) Shahid Ali Khan

(3) Markus Weise

(4) Jose Brasa

123. Irina Bokova is currently the head of

(1) Asian Development Bank

(2) UNESCO

(3) International Monetary Fund

(4) World Bank

124. With relation to which case has the Gujarat CM Narendra

Modi be summoned by the Special Investigation Team

investigating Gujarat riots of 2002?

(1) Murder of Ehsan Jaffrey

(2) Best Bakery

(3) Naroda Patia massacre

(4) Media's role during and after the riots

125. Australia won the final of Hero Honda Hockey World Cup.

Which country did it play against?

(1) Argentina

(2) India

(3) Pakistan

(4) Germany

126. A new Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre has been opened in...

(1) Dhaka

(2) Jaffna

(3) Karachi

(4) Kathmandu

127. After becoming brand ambassador of Gujarat, Amitabh

Bachchan has agreed to promote ....

(1) Tamil Nadu

(2) MP tourism

(3) Kerala tourism

(4) Incredible India campaign

121. Which among the following territories was earlier known as

Formosa?

(1) Hong Kong

(2) Taiwan

(3) Uzbekistan

(4) Kazakhstan

112. Which state inaugurated its world's first green legislature

building?

(1) Manipur

(2) Kerala

(3) Uttar Pradesh

(4) Tamil Nadu

113. Which political leader has apprehended that the male

presence in Parliament and State Assemblies would

become negligible in the next 10 years?

(1) Lalu Prasad yadav

(2) Myawati

(3) Mulayam Singh Yadav

(4) Varun Gandhi

114. CountrytobuildtworeactorsatKudankulam,TamilNaduis?

(1) Russia

(2) France

(3) Japan

(4) Kazakhastan

115. Which country has shown its desire to build high-speed rail

links with India?

(1) Bhutan

(2) China

(3) Pakistan

(4) Nepal

116. David Coleman Headley has pleaded guilty in the US court

for all 12 charges against him. Which country, other than

India, figures in these 12 counts of terror charges?

(1) Pakistan

(2) Afghanistan

(3) Denmark

(4) The US

117. Who among the following has written Identity and

Violence: The Illusion of Destiny (Issues of Our Time)?

(1) Robert Solow

(2) Amartya Sen

(3) Robert Mundell

(4) Gary Becker

118. On which date, World Forestry Day is observed?

(1) March 20 (2) March 21

(3) March 22 (4) March 23

119. Praduman Singh Jindrahia whose composition Geet

Sarovar was awarded Sahitya Akademi Award 2009 is a

noted and famous poet of

(1) Assamese

(2) Dogri

(3) Gujarati

(4) Konkani


128. On what ground did Trinamool Congress Chief Mamta

Banerjee abstain from the vote on Women's Reservation

Bill?

(1) Demanding sub-quota for the OBCs

(2) Demanding sub-quota for the women employees of

the railways

(3) Demanding quota in Rajya Sabha as well

(4) Demanding quota in jobs too

129. Who among the following Indian Economists has played a

crucial role in the MNREGA formerly NREGA?

(1) Amartya Sen

(2) Jean Dreze

(3) Jagdish Natwarlal Bhagwati

(4) Dr. Vijay Kelkar

130. Who has been named as the most influential person in

Indian sports in the annual Sports Illustrated (SI) Power

List?

(1) Mahendra Singh Dhoni


(3) Abhinav Bindra

(4) Sania Mirza

131. Identify the first technician who ... has been awarded the

Dada Saheb Phalke award at the 56th National Film Awards

(2008)?

(1) Anirudh Roy Choudhary

(2) VK Murthy

(3) Neeraj Pandey

(4) Ronnie Screwwala

132. On which of the following dates International Literacy Day

is observed every year?

(1) October 7

(2) September 8

(3) November 3

(4) October 23

133. For which movie did Kathryn Bigelow get the Oscar for

best Director becoming the first woman to receive this

award?

(1) Avatar

(2) Inglorious Basterds

(3) Precious

(4) The Hurt Locker

134. At which place in Sri Lanka is India planning to open an

additional Consulate?

(1) Kandy

(2) Kilinochi

(3) Jaffna

(4) Columbo

135. Which among the following programme was related to

training of youth?

(1) CAPART

(2) TRYSEM

(3) NREGA

(4) ASHA

136. Which among the following is the first multipurpose river

valley project of independent India?

(1) Damodar Valley Project

(2) Sutlej Valley Project

(3) Bhakhra Nagal Project

(4) Narmada Valley Project

137. Which country's citizenship has been offered to MF

Hussain?

(1) Qatar

(2) Iran

(3) Bangladesh

(4) Saudi Arabia

138. Which of the following Oil Producing Africa country fulfills

India's 20 to 25 percent of domestic oil demand?

(1) Libya (2) Nigeria

(3) Algeria (4) Angola

139. How much quota has Ram Vilas Paswan, President, Lok

Janshakti Party, demanded for the Muslims in government

jobs?

(1) 20 per cent

(2) 10 per cent

(3) According to proportion in population at national

level

(4) According to population in each state

140. Which country has launched a year-long "Festival of India"?

(1) Thailand

(2) Canada

(3) Australia

(4) China

141. Which Latin American country has said that it differs with

the US on its position on Iran?

(1) Argentina

(2) Venezuala

(3) Brazil

(4) Chile

142. Who among the following is TIME's Person of the year

2009?

(1) Barak Obama

(2) Ben Bernanke

(3) Bill Gates

(4) Dalai Lama


151. Saina Nehwal recently touched her all time high by gaining

a good position in World Rankings. What is her rank?

(1) 3rd (2) 5th

(3) 1st (4) 2nd

152. Which among the following accord is known to led the

formation of Palestinian Authority?

(1) Oslo Accords

(2) Camp David Accords

(3) Sharm el-Sheikh Memorandum

(4) London Agreement

153. In context with the Vietnam War, the following statements

holds correct?

(1) The US backed North Vietnam side and USSR was

neutral

(2) The US backed South Vietnam side and USSR was

neutral

(3) The US backed South Vietnam side and USSR

backed North Vietnam side

(4) The US backed North Vietnam side and USSR

backed South Vietnam side

154. The meaning of name which of the following country in

Italian means "Little Venice"?

(1) Vietnam

(2) Venezuela

(3) Spain

(4) Bahamas

155. Which among the following countries does not border

Uzbekistan?

(1) Russia (2) Kyrgyzstan

(3) Tajikistan (4) Afghanistan

156. On which of the following dates, Sri Lanka observes its

Independence day?

(1) February 4, 1947

(2) March 16, 1948

(3) May 22, 1948

(4) February 4, 1948

157. Which of the following European countries has Highest

Muslim Population density?

(1) Bosnia and Herzegovina

(2) Albania

(3) Kosovo

(4) Turkey

158. Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles is known to be a founder of

which of the following modern nations?

(1) Vatican City

(2) Singapore

(3) Cyprus

(4) New Zea Land

143. Who has Sir Garfield Sobers, the former West Indies

Cricket team captain, rated as the best batsman of all

times?


(2) Sunil Gavaskar

(3) Allan Border

(4) Brian Lara

144. Which among the following states is the highest producer

of Soya bean in India?

(1) Uttar Pradesh

(2) Madhya Pradesh

(3) Rajasthan

(4) Gujarat

145. Which among the following is highest producer of wheat in

India?

(1) Punjab

(2) Uttar Pradesh

(3) Madhya Pradesh

(4) Andhra Pradesh

146. Approximately what fraction of world's sugarcane is

produced by Brazil?

(1) 1/3 (2) 2/3

(3) 1/5 (4) 2/5

147. Which British-Asian filmmaker has been honoured with

the Lifetime Achievement Award by the South Asian

Cinema Foundation (SACF) for making films like 'India!

My India!'?

(1) Meera Nair

(2) Deepa Mehta

(3) Lavleen Tondon

(4) Yavar Abbas

148. To which country has India sent members of Assam Rifles

under the aegis of United Nations?

(1) Bosnia (2) Chile

(3) Fiji (4) Haiti

149. The World Expo 2010 where Indian pavalion's design will

be inspired by the Sanchi stupa will be held at?

(1) Dubai

(2) Shanghai

(3) Rome

(4) Muscat

150. Khasi and Garo languages are mostly spoken in which of

the following states of India?

(1) Madhya Pradesh

(2) Nagaland

(3) Meghalaya

(4) Tripura


159. Which of the following countries has largest reserves of

Petroleum in the world?

(1) Kuwait

(2) Iraq

(3) Saudi Arabia

(4) UAE

160. Which among the following is referred to 'Trucial States'?

(1) United States of America

(2) United Arab Emirates

(3) Central African countries

(4) Caribbean Countries

161. Which among the following is world's largest freshwater

lake?

(1) Caspian Sea (2) Lake Baikal

(3) Lake Superior (4) Lake Nero

162. Which Indian IT company is associated with FIFA World

Cup 2010 as one of the sponsors?

(1) TCS

(2) Infosys

(3) CTS

(4) Mahindra Satyam

163. Which are the BRIC countries?(1) Brazil, Russia, India, and China(2) Botswana, Rwanda, Ivory Coast, and Croatia(3) Bangladesh, Romania, Indonesia, and Cambodia(4) Bhutan, Russia, Indonesia and China

164. Who won the World Team Table Tennis Championship this

year?(1) China (2) Russia(3) Singapore (4) China

165. Who was the first Indian to be honored with the Param Vir

Chakra?(1) Major Som Nath Sharma(2) Subedar Joginder Singh(3) Captain Vikram Batra(4) Major Hoshiar Singh

166. Who was appointed as the officiating Secretary of the

Athletics Federation of India of the Commonwealth Games

(October 30, 2010)?(1) Ravinder Chaudhary(2) Ram. Murali Krishnan(3) Dr Lalit K Bhanot(4) Sushil Salwan

��

111. Ans.(3)112. Ans.(4)113. Ans.(3)114. Ans.(1)115. Ans.(2)116. Ans.(3)117. Ans.(2)118. Ans.(2)119. Ans.(2)120. Ans.(1)121. Ans.(2)122. Ans.(4)123. Ans.(2)124. Ans.(1)125. Ans.(4)126. Ans.(1)127. Ans.(3)128. Ans.(3)129. Ans.(2)130. Ans.(2)131. Ans.(2)132. Ans.(2)133. Ans.(4)134. Ans.(3)135. Ans.(2)136. Ans.(1)137. Ans.(1)138. Ans.(2)

1. Ans.(3)

2. Ans.(2)

3. Ans.(1)

4. Ans.(1)

5. Ans.(2)

6. Ans.(3)

7. Ans.(3)

8. Ans.(1)

9. Ans.(1)

10. Ans.(2)

11. Ans.(2)

12. Ans.(2)

13. Ans.(4)

14. Ans.(3)

15. Ans.(2)

16. Ans.(4)

17. Ans.(3)

18. Ans.(2)

19. Ans.(2)

20. Ans.(1)

21. Ans.(3)

22. Ans.(2)

23. Ans.(2)

24. Ans.(2)

25. Ans.(2)

26. Ans.(2)

27. Ans.(3)

28. Ans.(2)

29. Ans.(2)

30. Ans.(3)

31. Ans.(2)

32. Ans.(2)

33. Ans.(1)

34. Ans.(4)

35. Ans.(1)

36. Ans.(1)

37. Ans.(2)

38. Ans.(2)

39. Ans.(1)

40. Ans.(2)

41. Ans.(3)

42. Ans.(3)

43. Ans.(1)

44. Ans.(4)

45. Ans.(2)

46. Ans.(2)

47. Ans.(1)

48. Ans.(1)

49. Ans.(2)

50. Ans.(2)

51. Ans.(2)

52. Ans.(2)

53. Ans.(4)

54. Ans.(2)



139. Ans.(2)140. Ans.(4)141. Ans.(3)142. Ans.(2)143. Ans.(2)144. Ans.(2)145. Ans.(2)146. Ans.(2)147. Ans.(4)148. Ans.(4)149. Ans.(2)150. Ans.(3)151. Ans.(4)152. Ans.(1)153. Ans.(3)

154. Ans.(2)155. Ans.(1)156. Ans.(4)157. Ans.(4)158. Ans.(2)159. Ans.(3)160. Ans.(2)161. Ans.(3)162. Ans.(4)163. Ans.(1)164. Ans.(3)165. Ans.(1)166. Ans.(1)


Abrilliant student all throughout his academic life and a

go-getter by nature, 53 year-old Indian, Vikram Pandit

hogged the media limelight worldwide when he was

declared as the youngest CEO of the world's largest

conglomerate, the Citigroup in 2008. The group operates as Citi

and happens to be a prominent American financial services

company having its base in the New York City in the United

States.

Vikram Pandit was born on

14 January in 1957 at Nagpur

in the state of Maharashtra in

I n d i a t o a re a s o n a b l y

prosperous Marathi Brahmin

family. His father, S B Pandit,

was an executive director at

Sarabhai Chemica ls in

Baroda.

H e c o m p l e t e d h i s

schooling at the Dadar Parsee

Youths Assembly High School in Dadar, Mumbai. He moved to

the United States when he was sixteen years old, to study at

Gannon University. He received a B.S. and M.S. in Electrical

Engineering from Columbia School of Engineering and Applied

Science in 1976 and 1977 respectively and an M.B.A in 1980

followed by a Ph.D. in Finance from Columbia Business School

in 1986. His thesis was entitled "Asset prices in a heterogeneous

consumer economy". He is a trustee at Columbia University.

Vikram Pundit also has had a stint as a professor at the

Indiana University in Bloomington city in US and thereafter,

joined Morgan Stanley. For the next two decades, Vikram Pandit

worked for Morgan Stanley.

He was appointed the President and Chief Operating Officer

(CEO) of the Institutional Securities and Investment Banking

Group at Morgan Stanley and was in charge of the total operation

of this group. Pandit looked after aspects like the trading, sales

and infrastructure of the business from the year 2000 to 2005.

However prior this, Vikram Pandit was the managing

director and head of the US Equity Syndicate for Morgan Stanley

from the period 1990 to 1994. Then from 1994 till 2000, he

worked as the Managing Director (MD) and head of the

Worldwide Institutional Equities Division for the same firm.

The accomplished Vikram Pandit finally decided to leave

Morgan Stanley Company in March 2005 after differences with

former Morgan CEO Phil Purcell made his position untenable

along with some colleagues to begin a multi-strategy hedge fund

and private equity fund manager, Old Lane Partners that was

purchased by the Citigroup in the year 2007 for $800 million.

At the time of acquisition, Old Lane had $4.5 billion under

management and private equity commitments.

Vikram Pandit is a part of the board of the Columbia

University, Columbia Business School, the Indian School of

Business and The Trinity School. He also happens to be a

former board member of NASDAQ, the New York City

Investment Fund from the year 2000 till 2003.

On December 11, 2007, Pandit was named the new CEO of

Citigroup, replacing interim-CEO Sir Winfried Bischoff, who

became Chairman of the board as well as remaining CEO of

Citigroup Europe. Interim Chairman, Robert Rubin strongly

supported Pandit, who is the effective successor to Chuck

Prince. Prince resigned in November 2007, largely because of

mounting losses from soured loans and complex securities

known as collateralized debt obligations.

While CEO of Citigroup in 2007, Vikram S. Pandit earned an

annualized compensation of $3,164,320, which included a base

salary of $250,000, stocks granted of $2,914,320, and options

granted of $0. In 2008, he earned a total compensation of

$38,237,437, which included a base salary of $958,333, stocks

granted of $28,830,000, and options granted of $8,432,911.

Vikram Pandit was also given the coveted Padma Bhushan by

the Government of India. He now lives with his wife Swati at

Central Park West, New York in a $ 17.85 million-worth

apartment bought from late actor Tony Randall.

Pandit is the first person of Indian origin to scale such

stratospheric heights in the financial world, which has many

well-regarded Indian executives. Citigroup has operations in

more than 100 countries, with 300,000 employees and two

trillion dollars in assets.

Vikram Pandit

Profile


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Differences within the government

on India's poverty estimates persist,

even though the

figures were in

principle agreed upon for a revised

food security law. The lack of a

consensus could affect UPA

government's key welfare schemes.

The Planning Commission had constituted an expert

group under Professor to review the

methodology for estimation of .

The government's plan to build a Rs 350-

crore memorial for former Chief Minister

in the middle of the

forest has hit a hurdle.

The (IFS) will not be split into

two - one each for and . The suggestion

of separation had come from a committee of National

Board for Wildlife headed by Prime Minister

For the first time in the history of the

(AFMS), the top post of the

organisation has been lying vacant for almost two months.

Since July 1, when retired, the

Defence Ministry has put off the appointment of a new

Director General, creating a precedence that some

consider, have long term consequences for the Armed

Forces.

Tendulkar

Committee's

Suresh Tendulkar

poverty

Andhra Pradesh

Y.S.

Rajashekara Reddy Nallamalla

Indian Forest Service

wildlife forestry

Manmohan

Singh.

Armed Forces

Medical Services

Lt Gen N K Parmar

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�

Under fire on the issue of land acquisition for an

Expressway project, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister

backed the demand for amendment to the

while blaming of

the legislation for the recent farmers' agitation in the state.

Archaeological findings in have been found to be

“stunningly” similar to the ones found in and

, throwing light on trade relations with

countries centuries ago.

Mayawati

Land Acquisition Act "shortcomings"

Thailand

Tamil Nadu

Andhra Pradesh

South East Asian

�

�

Justice Bhagwati Prasad

M.O.H. Farook

National Cadet Corps

clean-up operation

was sworn in as

the new Chief Justice of the Jharkhand

High Court by Governor .

Prasad took oath at the Ranchi Raj Bawan.

The ceremony was attended by union Food

Processing Minister Subodh Kant Sahay,

assembly Speaker C.P. Singh and other

dignitaries.

The (NCC) cadets conducted a

on the mangroves, which were all but

destroyed due to the recent oil spill off the coast of Mumbai.

�

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The for the 1993 serial blasts and the

blasts may soon lose access to items like

transistors, dry fruits, bathing soap of their choice and

homemade food. The Maharashtra government will file an

application seeking that these benefits be scrapped, with

politicians having expressed outrage at the

of some prisoners.

In a quiet change of stand, the government has scrapped its

proposal to form a panel to look into the demand for setting-

up in various states, which was likely

to be headed by former Chief Justice of India,

.

Steel tycoon will expand ''Laxmi

Niwas Mittal Institute of Information Technology''

(LNMIIT) Jaipur with rupees around 35 crore. Mittal

during his trip to the state held meeting with Rajasthan

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, and talked about his desire to

invest in micro financing and solar power projects in the

state, an official said.

Hundreds of and devotees

participated in a religious congregation addressed by

Tibetan spiritual leader the , in Manali. The

participants included foreign tourists. The Dalai Lama

imparted the teachings on Avlokiteshavara Abhishek. This

special sermon was held at the Nyingma Monastery under

the auspices of the Himalayan Buddhist Society.

undertrials

Malegaon

“lavish

lifestyle”

high court benches

A.M.

Ahmadi

Laxmi Niwal Mittal

Tibetan Buddhist monks

Dalai Lama

India

News in brief


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The Minister of External Affairs

said that the Legislative

Assembly of British Columbia, a

province in Canada, unanimously

passed a resolution in May 2008

apologizing for

incident of 1914.

The has sanctioned two tranches of

122 million dollars and 166.23 million dollars respectively in

response to a request of the for

the extension of a Line of Credit of 640 million dollars for

the development of the country's .

An comprising well-known

personalities of film, entertainment world and officials,

presented its report to with its

recommendations suggesting upgrading International

Film Festival of India (IFFI) to international standards.

In the absence of a by a medical expert,

family courts cannot conclude that a marriage has not been

consummated due to the of the husband, the

(HC) has observed.

With UPA Chairperson and Home Minister

P Chidambaram listening, National Conference Chief and

Union Minister asked the government

to re-look into his proposal to grant autonomy to

.

National Human Rights Commission Chairperson Justice

(retd) said fake encounters eroded the

credibility of the police and senior police officers should

guard against the tendency of accepting that encounters

enjoyed public support.

S.M.

Krishna

Komagata Maru

Government of India

Government of Ethiopia

sugar sector

expert committee

Ambika Soni

specific proof

impotency

Gujarat High Court

Sonia Gandhi

Farooq Abdullah

Jammu

and Kashmir

K G Balakrishnan

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Sri Lanka Cricket has apologised to India opener

after he was denied a century by

no-ball in their tri-nations one-dayer at Dambulla.

The is attempting to drive the

States' fight against with a series of carrot-and-

stick measures, many announced at a meeting of Pollution

Control Boards in New Delhi. While money will be doled

out to States which take environmental concerns seriously,

defaulting States could find their polluting industries shut

down.

, Managing Director of the Times of India

Group, was elected Chairman of the board of directors of

the (PTI).

Virender

Sehwag Suraj Randiv's

Central government

pollution

Vineet Jain

Press Trust of India

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Visiting

had a breakfast

meeting with Environment and Forest

Minister in New

Delhi. Okada, who is on a two-day

state visit to India, had also met his

Indian counterpart to

conduct the fourth round of the

Indian-Japan Strategic Dialogue. The

m e e t i n g c o m p r i s e d c r u c i a l

negotiations on the civil nuclear

agreement between the two nations.

Dismissing China's objections to the Dalai Lama's meeting

with the , India's

Foreign Minister SM Krishna said that the is

an of India.

The government has made

compulsory in all its colleges from this year. Minister of

State for Agriculture and Cooperatives

said in a statement that modern computer labs are

being set up in every government college in the state.

Environmental NGO sought National

Advisory Council (NAC) Chairperson

intervention for redrafting a proposed legislation that will

act as a single window clearance mechanism for

in the country.

Mass prayers, film festivals, cultural programmes, a special

train and exhibitions will mark the birth

celebrations of in Kolkata, the epicentre of

the nun's work among the poor, old, infirm and the dying.

The said it cannot monitor every scheme

of the Centre as many of its suggestions are not

implemented. "We cannot monitor all schemes which also

include Public Distribution System (PDS).

The Prime Minister, assured a

delegation of leaders from which included

Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi that the Central

Government will make every effort to bring the

and the Rehabilitation

and Resettlement Bill in the next session of parliament.

British Immigration Minister , who is on a

three-day visit to India, met Minister for Overseas Indian

Affairs in New Delhi to discuss issues related

to the and ways to tackle the

illegal migration.

Japanese Foreign Minister

Katsuya Okada

Jairam Ramesh

SM Krishna

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

Dalai Lama

honored guest

Haryana computer literacy

Sukhbir Singh

Kataria

Greenpeace

Sonia Gandhi's

GM crops

centenary

Mother Teresa

Supreme Court

Dr Manmohan Singh,

Uttar Pradesh,

Land

Acquisition (Amendment) Bill

Damian Green

Vayalar Ravi

UK's immigration policy


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A plane with

on board overshot a

fog-shrouded runway at an airport

in northwest China's Heilongjiang

Province and burst into flames

killing 43 of them and injuring 53

others, the media said.

A plane with on board,

including six foreigners, crashed into the hills in bad

weather near Kathmandu shortly after taking off.

is deploying troops, artillery and tanks near

in apparent preparation for a massive military

parade marking key national events later this year, South

Korea said. The military buildup near the capital began in

mid–July amid high tensions on the peninsula, South

Korea's Defense Ministry said in a report submitted to a

parliamentary committee.

Official celebration to commemorate the

of began in at the Cathedral of

the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the world's first cathedral to

be co-dedicated to the Mother.

investors have a strategic role to play in

the

especially the city state's experience in providing urban

solutions and skill development education, Indian High

Commissioner said.

has reportedly asked the United States to amend

controversial provisions of the recently signed

. India's Ambassador to the United States,

, has lodged an official protest with US

Trade Representative and the US Congress

about the bill that was signed by

on August 4.

Chinese passenger

96 people

Nepalese passenger 14 people

North Korea

Pyongyang

birth centenary

Mother Teresa Baruipur

Singapore-based

Mumbai-Delhi Industrial Corridor development,

T C A Raghavan

India

Border

Security Bill

Meera Shankar

Ron Kirk

President Barack

Obama

� Nigerian airlines

United States

has gained the right to fly its own planes

to the after an improvement in the West

African nation's aviation safety standards, Nigerian and

U.S. officials said.

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Angolan President

renewed a $50 billion pledge to

build one million new homes for the

poor, despite growing signs of weakness

in the major African oil-producer's

public finances.

will crack down on street

begging in the capital , the government said, amid

rising international pressure to end the practice of forced

child begging by unscrupulous Koranic teachers.

More than 80 people have been killed in the latest escalation

of violence in the capital , which began when

the al vowed to intensify its holy war

against the .

An spewed a vast cloud of smoke and

ash high into the air, disrupting flights and sending

thousands of people into temporary shelters, officials said.

Airlines were warned to avoid remote in

northern Sumatra as it erupted for a second day after

springing to life for the first time in four centuries.

No other country in the world shares the special

relationship that exists between and ,

Minister for Commerce and Industry has

said. "I would like to find another parallel. I have honestly

tried to but I don't find one," Sharma said in Johannesburg

at the start of the four-day 'India Show'.

India has sought to play down an incident in which some

Chinese entered the Indian pavilion at the

in and took away brochures that contained

. An External Affairs Ministry spokesman in

New Delhi said, "There is no factual basis to this report"

which stated that officers of China's Public Security Bureau

(PSB) marched into the Indian pavilion, taking away the

maps showing Arunachal Pradesh.

Jose Eduardo dos

Santos

Senegal

Dakar

Mogadishu

Shabaab group

fragile government

Indonesian volcano

Mount Sinabung

India South Africa

Anand Sharma

World Expo

2010 Shanghai

map of India

� Sudan nuclear reactor first

nuclear power plant

is planning to build a and its

for peaceful electricity purposes by

2020, the state news agency SUNA said.

World

News in brief


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HSBC

Nedbank

Singapore

Mumbai-Delhi Industrial Corridor development,

Mahindra & Mahindra

SsangYong

Motor Company

South Korea's

Chevron's

Kim Hee-seok

is in talks to buy up to 70 percent

of South Africa's , in a

potential $6.8 billion deal that would give

Europe's biggest lender a broader

gateway to the fast-growing African

continent.

-based investors have a strategic role to play in

the

especially the city state's experience in providing urban

solutions and skill development education, Indian High

Commissioner T C A Raghavan told an industry forum.

Auto major said it has entered

into an agreement to acquire a majority stake in

beleaguered South Korean vehicle maker

. In a filing to the Bombay Stock

Exchange, Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) said that it has

signed a memorandum of understanding with SsangYong

Motor to acquire a majority stake in the South Korean SUV

maker.

national pension fund says it is interested in

buying 23.4 percent stake in Colonial Pipeline.

National Pension Service official said that

the fund is in talks with the U.S. oil pipeline operator, but

emphasized that nothing has been decided on who will buy

the stake.

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As part of its Rs 70,000-crore expansion programme, state-

owned SAIL commissioned a unit procured from Italy-

based at its Steel Plant.

cabinet approved the country joining the

Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development

(OECD). The Paris-based group in May invited ,

and to join the club of free-market

democracies. The trio would swell the ranks of the OECD

to 34 countries.

, the world's biggest miner, could be dragged

into a geopolitical independence row as a result of its hostile

takeover bid for Potash Corp.

Danieli Rourkela

Israel's

Israel

Estonia Slovenia

BHP Billiton

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Germany

Commerzbank

Wolfgang

Schaeuble

Royal Dutch Shell BASF

Swatch Group,

BP Plc

Macondo Gulf of Mexico

Reliance Communications Nokia

Nokia's Ovi Life Tools

wants to sell its stake in

the country's second biggest lender

as soon as possible,

Finance Minister

said. Commerzbank

expects to start repaying the money it got from German

bank bailout fund Soffin in 2012 at the latest.

and German chemicals maker

plan to appeal a first instance Brazilian court ruling on

health injuries related to pollution at a former pesticide

plant. German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

(FAZ) reported that a court in Paulinia, 120 kilometers

north of Sao Paolo, sentenced BASF and Shell to pay 1.1

billion Brazilian real (490 million euros or $626 million) for

soil and ground water pollution.

the world's largest watchmaker, is aiming

for another record year in 2011 as new products come on to

the market in the coming months, the group's new

Chairwoman was quoted as saying. The group, which is

best known for its colourful plastic Swatch watches and also

owns higher-end brands such as Breguet, Blancpain and

Omega, is set to post sales of over 6 billion Swiss francs

($5.82 billion) this year, setting a record for the group.

will remove a failed blow out preventer from its

ruptured well in the under

watchful eyes of investigators probing the deadly April 20

explosion, the top U.S. official overseeing the oil spill

response said.

and joined hands to

offer value-added services in entertainment, education and

agriculture in their effort to tap a larger pie of the mobile

data services business. Under the agreement, Reliance

Communications would offer - a

set of mobile information services for agriculture,

education and entertainment.

� The said that Rs 50,000-crore

Infra Debt Fund for financing infrastructure projects will

become operational by beginning of next fiscal.

Planning Commission

Business and economy

News in brief

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The National Bank of Abu Dhabi

United Arab

Emirates

Egypt

Cairo

World Economic Forum

Mukesh Ambani

Ben J Verwaayen

Zhu Min

Renault

India eight-month

China's ZTE Huawei

Corus

Teesside

Ajay Singh, Spicejet

Sun TV

Tech Mahindra's

Sanjay Kalra

India Japan

(NBAD), a leading bank in the

(UAE), is planning to open 50

branches in over the next few years.

As part of its expansion plan, the bank

opened its 28th branch in Egypt in Helioplis

area in .

The Foundation Board of the

has elected Reliance Industries' Chairman and Managing

Director, , to its Board. Others elected to

the Board are Alcatel-Lucent's CEO,

and , Special Adviser, International Monetary

Fund (IMF) and a former Deputy Governor, People's Bank

of China, a press release issued stated.

French car maker said it is developing a car which

will be designed to meet the requirements of the Indian

market and is expected to be introduced after 2013. Renault

plans to introduce five cars in the country between 2011-

2013, including a small car. The company might share the

platform of its partner Nissan to launch the small car in

2012.

has relaxed an ban on imports of

telecommunication equipment, approving orders from

and and Finland's Nokia Siemens

Networks, sources said, as security fears fade before a high-

priority roll out of third-generation wireless infrastructure.

Tata-owned steel giant , which partially mothballed

its Cast Products plant in February this year, is in

talks to sell the unit to a Thai steel producer for £320

million, or $500 million.

one of the founder Directors of , has

left the board of the low-cost airline, paving the way for

restructuring of the company by its new owner –Kalanithi

Maran – the promoter of .

IT major Chief Executive Officer

(CEO), , has resigned from the company to

pursue other interests, the company said. Kalra was with

Tech Mahindra for the past six years. Mr Vineet Nayyar, the

Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of the company will

take over the operational responsibilities as the company's

CEO, a press release said.

and are likely to sign an ambitious bilateral

market opening pact to enhance their $10.4-billion trade

during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to that

country in October.

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State-run

(KNOC) made a hostile $2.9

billion cash bid for

, reflecting South

Korea's growing urgency to boost

oil reserves.

will pay $7.7 billion for security software maker

making its largest-ever acquisition to bolster

the appeal of its chips as it tries to expand from PCs into the

burgeoning market for Web-connected gadgets.

Wall Street regulator said it fined the U.S.

brokerage arm of for recommending some highly

complex mortgage securities to dozens of small investors.

The $375,000 fine is a small one for the British banking

giant, which neither admitted nor denied the charges.

Auto major Mahindra & Mahindra said it has entered a

strategic alliance with to facilitate

M&M customers to exchange their old commercial vehicles

with new ones.

, the frequent flyer programme of

, announced that it has entered an alliance with

HSBC, Sri Lanka, to allow King Club members, who are

also the bank's credit cardholders, to easily convert their

HSBC reward points into .

Education and Placement Services Company,

announced that it has tied up with the Canada-

headquartered Corel to become its authorised online

training partner.

Auto component maker Steering Systems said

it is exploring possibilities to supply its products to

(CV) makers as it looks to increase

its sale by around 30 per cent in this fiscal.

ADAG firm announced appointing

as Chief Investment Strategist with

effect from September 21, 2010. Kela, who is Reliance

Mutual Fund's Head of Equities at present, will be replaced

by Sunil Singhania, the company said in a filing to the

Bombay Stock Exchange. Singhania holds the position of

Deputy Head of Equities in .

President has signed the

contract for construction of a massive new hydroelectric

dam in Brazil's Amazon region, a project opponents say will

displace some 50,000 Indians.

Korea National Oil

Corp

Britain's Dana

Petroleum Plc

Intel Corp

McAfee Inc,

FINRA

HSBC

Shriram Automall

King Club Kingfisher

Airlines

'King Miles'

EdServ

Sona Koyo

heavy

commercial vehicle

Reliance Capital

Madhusudan Kela

Reliance Mutual Fund

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva



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Four Soft Ltd

A l b a W h e e l s U p

International Inc

Aurobindo Pharma

ampicillin

Indian Overseas Bank

(BPLR)

Reliance Life Insurance Company Limited

Assets Under Management

Zee Turner Star

Den Media Services

Tata Global Beverages Ltd, Tata Tea

Ratan Tata

has signed a deal with

U S - b a s e d

to implement order

management system and global freight

forwarding systems applications.

has received United State Food and

Drug Administration's approval for injection in

single dose and bulk pack formats.

said its board has approved raising

the benchmark prime lending rate by 50 basis

points to 12.50 per cent. from Aug. 23.

announced that the company has crossed the milestone of

Rs 15,000 crore in its (AUM).

Leading broadcasters, including and

, challenged telecom regulator Trai's

tariff order to cap wholesale price of channels to service

providers like DTH and IPTV at 35 per cent of rates for

normal cable operators.

formerly , is

planning to add foods and fortified health drinks to its

portfolio of products that currently includes tea and non-

carbonated drinks. Company Chairman told

shareholders of TGB that he continues to remain

optimistic of continued growth from the core tea business,

while growth is also expected from the health and wellness

space.

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Availability of natural gas, including imported , is

likely to increase in the country by over 52 per cent to 271.92

million cubic meters a day by 2013-14, Oil Minister

said.

and joined hands to

offer value-added services in entertainment, education and

agriculture with reliance now offering Nokia's

Tools which is a set of mobile information services for these

sectors.

, the world's largest personal computer

manufacturer, said it expects its India revenues to grow 25

per cent to touch the Rs 2,500 crore during the calendar year

2010.

is set to get a ‘ by end of

the current fiscal year' Union Minister for Corporate Affairs

and Minority Affairs said in Kolkata.

LNG

Murli

Deora

Reliance Communications Nokia

Ovi Life

Acer second

India brand new Company Law

Salman Khursheed

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The country's oldest foreign bank

has said it will go slow

on retail and credit cards

businesses as it wants to focus on

global banking, investment banking,

wealth management, insurance and

mortgages as the key growth drivers in the country.

State-owned power finance companies –

and

– are contemplating a foray into banking in

order to get access to cheaper funds, a senior official said.

reviled in the US for its role in the

financial crisis, is now getting hammered in the world's No.

2 economy with a sensationalist new book accusing the

investment bank of trying to destroy .

The has appreciated some legislative

initiatives and executive action like creation of the serious

fraud investigation office (SFIO) to check

, but it is not satisfied with the system and said

needed more legal teeth to make it absolutely effective

against white collar crimes.

Like the B.K. Birla Group, Infosys and the Tata Group, the

has also begun its search for a successor.

Mr Chairman of the Oberoi Group will

choose his successor in the next one or two years.

, one of the largest importers of

in the country, said it aims to sell gold coins amounting

to during the ensuing festive season.

expects room tariffs to go up

marginally from September as occupancy level increases in

the after suffering a slump in the

past two years.

Telecom service company, a joint venture between

and launched mobile services in

three North Eastern states of , , and

.

State-owned (NFL) said it

has tied up with banks for financing its Rs 3,850 crore

urea expansions plan. NFL, the second largest producer

of nitrogenous fertilisers in the country with 15 per cent

share, is in the process of converting its three urea

manufacturing plants located in Panipat, Nangal and

Bhatinda to natural-gas based units from oil-based

ones.

HSBC India

Rural

Electrification Corporation Power Finance

Corporation

Goldman Sachs & Co,

China

Supreme Court

financial

scams SFIO

Oberoi Group

P.R.S. Oberoi,

Riddhi Siddhi Bullions

gold

five tonnes

Taj Group of Hotels

hospitality industry

S Tel,

Siva Group Batelco

Tripura Nagaland

Meghalaya

National Fertilisers Ltd


Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair's memoir "A

Journey: My Political Life" is a political biography of

unusual interest. As a book, it’s different because he

wrote it himself, which makes this volume stand apart among

the English-speaking world's recent political autobiographies. It

is also filled with anecdotes that are self-revealing.

Blair expresses not only his deep regard for Presidents Bill

Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, but also the fact

that, during his ten years in office, he "came to love America."

His memoir, he writes, "is a story about America, as well as,

evidently a history of my time as British PM.”

Here he describes for the first time his role in shaping

America’s recent history, from the aftermath of Princess Diana’s

death to the war on terror. He reveals the leadership decisions

that were necessary to reinvent his party, the relationships with

colleagues including Gordon Brown, the grueling negotiations

for peace in Northern Ireland, the implementation of the biggest

reforms to public services in Britain since 1945, and his

relationships with leaders on the world stage–Nelson Mandela,

Bill Clinton, Vladimir Putin, George W. Bush. He analyzes the

belief in ethical intervention that led to his decisions to go to war

in Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Afghanistan, and, most controversially

of all, in Iraq.

‘A Journey’ is a book about the nature and uses of political

power. In frank, unflinching, often wry detail, Tony Blair charts

the ups and downs of his career to provide insight into the man

as well as the politician and statesman. He explores the

challenges of leadership, and the ramifications of standing up,

clearly and forcefully, for what one believes in. He also looks

ahead, to emerging power relationships and economies,

addressing the vital issues and complexities of our global world.

Undeniably, Tony emerges as a master of political thinking.

This book gives a superb analysis of his leadership when he writes

about the period before the election in 1992. He is a genius when it

comes to understanding the change in the public mood and

society, although not without fault, as history has shown. An

interesting read is the analysis of Labour philosophy, its political

agenda, the structure of the voters who favoured Labour, and who

didn't, the meaning of "working class" in the 80's the thinking

systemofsome of the Labour main public figures.

The book is a personal story

narrated in a style that changes

throughout the book. It can be

crisp and clear, but it can be

twisted, dragging the argument

on and on. It gives away a widely

held view between two sides

which contradict themselves: the

intense, ambitious political man

who has the desire to get the

power and the person accepting

the destiny that gives him the

apparition of that power.

One of the aspects liked about

in the book is its authenticity.

Tony Blair emerges as a genuine person; sometimes he becomes

so engrossed with the subject that he almost forgets he is

addressing to a reader. He leaves the door open for others'

interpretation of error on his behalf. He knows the public is

judging him. His only defence is personal belief in what he

considers his duty.

He can be very funny at times. The story of his "freaking"

experience at the Balmoral Castle with the royal family when the

valet asked if he wanted him to "draw the bath" makes the

readers laugh out loud.

One of the more revealing self-descriptions in “A Journey”

comes in the engaging chapter about Diana, Princess of Wales,

in which Mr. Blair writes: “We were both in our ways

manipulative people, perceiving quickly the emotions of others

and able instinctively to play with them, but I knew that when she

reached out to the disabled or sick in a way no one else could have

done and no one else in her position ever had done, it was with

sincerity.”

There are lots of criticisms leveled against the press in “A

Journey”; he describes Britain’s Freedom of Information Act as

“utterly undermining of sensible government.”

Much of this book is fluently written, and the production as a

whole seems meant to ratify Mr. Blair’s belief that he “was a big

player, was a world and not just a national leader.”

A JOURNEY: MY POLITICAL LIFE

Book review

By Tony Blair

epreptalk_e-preptalk sep 2010

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