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jagdu

@jagdu

Dazzler

Posted: 16 years ago

#321

Omar Abdullah resigns over sex scandal allegations

Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah submits his resignation to the governor after allegations by PDP of his involvement in Srinagar's 2006 sex scandal. PDP leader and former deputy chief minister Muzaffar Beig linked the J&K chief minister to the infamous sex scandal that had rocked Srinagar in 2006. In an emotional outburst during the J&K assembly session, Omar Abdullah said," I can't bear this kind of humiliation. I am innocent until proven guilty."

India to unveil 20 GW solar target under climate plan

India will unveil its first solar power target as soon as September, pledging to boost outputs from near zero to 20 gigawatts (GW) by 2020 as it firms up its national plan to fight global warming, draft documents show. The target, which would help India close the gap on solar front-runners like China, is part of an ambitious $19 billion, 30-year scheme that could increase India's leverage in international talks for a new U.N. climate pact in December, one of several measures meant to help cut emissions

Gujarat rejects President's suggestion passes anti-terror bill

The Gujarat Assembly on Tuesday passed the Gujarat Control of Organized Crime (GUJCOC) Bill, rejecting suggestions by President Pratibha Patil to modify it. President Pratibha Patil's had suggested three changes to be made to the act. The Bill will now be sent to President for approval.

Naxals blow up mobile phone towers in Orissa

Naxals blew up two mobile phone towers in Orissa's Malkangiri district even as security was tightened in the state in view of 'martyrs week' being observed by the red rebels from Tuesday, the police said. Two mobile phone towers of different private operators were blasted by the rebels at Padmagiri and Tandapali, about 25 km from district headquarters of Malkangiri in the wee hours, Malkangiri Superintendent of Police Satyabrata Bhoi said.

Pakistan says Indian submarine harms regional peace

India's launch of its first nuclear-powered submarine capable of carrying ballistic missiles is detrimental to regional peace and stability, Pakistan's foreign ministry said, vowing to safeguard its own security.India la unched the submarine on Sunday as part of a $2.9 billion plan to build five submarines. The vessel, Arihant, will undergo sea trials before being formally inducted in 2015.

No proof against Hafiz Saeed in 26/11 attacks: Pakistan

Pakistan has said it cannot arrest outlawed Jamaat-ud-Dawah chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, linked by India to the Mumbai terror attacks, since there is no proof of his involvement in the 26/11 assault. Saeed will not be arrested merely on the basis of statements linking him to the attacks and the Indian government has been asked to provide proof of his involvement in any misdeeds, Pakistan's interior minister Rehman Malik has said.

In a remarkable spirit of preserving the dharmic traditions and our cultural heritage, Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists have made remarkable strides in establishing houses of worship in America. Now, to remain relevant to both their own communities and the larger mainstream, they are realizing the need to transform, mobilize talent and resources, and institutionalize the service, or seva, component. Seva is an integral part of dharmic culture and religious practice, our sadhana, from volunteering in soup kitchens and shelters, to assisting in health camps and disaster relief. In Livingston, N.J., the Interfaith Clergy Association, which promotes interfaith collaboration. Here,the important role secular and Judeo-Christian institutions play in community governance. Unfortunately, few dharmic institutions have the capacity to provide social services and do seva in a sustained manner. As we, the new Americans, mature and root ourselves further, transformations are needed to strengthen community governance. This transformation is in synch with the evolving dharmic culture which itself has undergone cycles of change through the ages. During the Vedic and subsequent eras before colonization, the multifaceted temples in India served as major centers for communal living through integrated worship, education and cultural exchange: prayers, devotional dance and drama, bhajans, yoga, bazaars. Today, there is fragmentation, a separation of philosophy and practice or rituals. Most Hindu temples in India are places for worship with limited community engagement. Congregational learning and seva take place in ashrams. In America, in transplanting traditions and creating a new Hindu American identity, we are becoming independent and blending current best practices pulled from East and West, then and now. In this age of instant communication, our modified practices as new Hindu Americans can have a global ripple effect.As we strive to become integrated in all aspects of American life, we are addressing growing social service needs. Some great examples to build upon: The Ganesh Temple in New York has a culturally sensitive senior center. Sri Siva Vishnu Temple in Maryland regularly feeds 4,500 homeless. Bharatiya Temple in Detroit provides confidential referral services for family situations, basic health care referral for uninsured families, bereavement support. The Swaminarayan temples provide myriad services earthquake and flood relief, blood drives, medical assistance. In fact, in response to President Obama's call for service, many segments of the Indian American community are coming together in the spirit of seva for a major national event. During the Aug. 1 weekend and throughout summer, temples are making a united effort to host health awareness programs and other service projects by leveraging the community's strengths in the light of the current economic reality. Through these outreach programs, temples are opening their doors to all the diverse South Asian and the mainstream community to address contemporary social needs. Throughout the history of America, waves of immigrants have changed the cultural and religious composition. Migration brings its own sense of loss and of course gain. For the newly transplanted community, their faith-based institutions, traditions and culture provide comfort and a sense of security necessary to manage change. Yesterday's immigrants established churches and synagogues. Today's post-1965 dharmic immigrants are building temples and gurudwaras. Technical talent from India came for advanced studies, had families, settled and built such institutions. The Ganesh Temple, a first, was established in the 1970s. Today, Harvard's Pluralism Project records about 1,000 dharmic organizations, estimating 300-400 active temples and gurudwaras. Yesterday's new immigrants, too, addressed their social needs through faith-based institutions. Catholic Charities, the largest private network of social service organizations, was established nearly 100 years ago to resettle poor Catholic orphans in America. At its core are the Catholic principles, despite the variety of people of many faiths and none at all who make Catholic Charities a reality. Similarly, the National Council for Jewish Women strives to improve lives of women, children and families. In a dharmic environment we need to address issues similarly:

Post 9/11 harassment

For New Americans, the point of reference for civic engagements is based on their traditions. the infrastructure needs of the Asian American Pacific Islander community in New Jersey for a White House initiative under the Clinton administration. the reality is South Asians do not know how to engage in the civic process and our community governance needs are not well understood. In the U.S., many faith-based institutions receive funding from the government to provide social services, but generally dharmic institutions are not recipients. Systemic changes require a comprehensive study of existing Hindu community needs and seva capacity in contemporary America. We also need to establish more local faith-oriented Seva Centers. Nurturing a broad coalition of these centers, as through Hindu American Seva Charities, will help accomplish common goals, leverage learning and reduce isolation. HASC is a collective initiative formed to mobilize talent and resources to address contemporary social needs collaboratively. Transformation in the sacred and secular landscape of America requires a mental paradigm shift to provide dharmic communities with access to services and to articulate concerns at all levels. We need public recognition of our issues and how to address them effectively. In fact, the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships is fostering innovative inclusionary ideas. HASC was developed with this Office's guidance. many are beginning to recognize what is needed today is an integrated effort from multiple sources. Interfaith collaboration will enhance integrated community governance. It is a mutual acculturation process; recognition of America's pluralism, enabling New Americans to integrate and contribute to an enhanced civic life.

Adani Power IPO to hit market Tuesday

The much-awaited big-ticket IPO from the Adani group will open on Tuesday amid high expectations from the group that saw its earlier offering, the Mundra Port & SEZ (MPSEZ) issue, being oversubscribed a record 116 times in November 2007.

RNRL to take QIP route to raise Rs 30 billion

Anil Ambani firm Reliance Natural Resources (RNRL) plans to raise funds through qualified institutional placement (QIP) of shares. The company will place a special resolution pertaining to the fund raising on Tuesday at its annual general meeting.

Link Air India bailout to performance, says govt

A Committee of Secretaries (CoS) headed by Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar is studying a request from Air India for the government to provide a debt-and-equity package of around Rs 70 billion to help the airline tide over accumulated losses of Rs 5,000 crore. Top sources involved in the talks, however, said the growing consensus in government is to halve that amount and release it in tranches linked to certain performance criteria.

India's FDI inflows improved 13%: DIPP

India's FDI inflows have improved by 13 per cent at USD 4.2-billion in April-May against the previous two months led by recovery in the global financial markets, a top government functionary said today.

FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) inflows were higher in April and May (first two months of FY10) at USD 4.2 billion. In February-March, inflows were about USD 3.7 billion, Secretary to Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP), Ajay Shankar, told on the sidelines of a CII function here.

Boost for retailers as rentals fall; more relief may be in store

Modern retailers in India stand to benefit with rentals at malls and high streets across cities falling, according to a report by real estate consultant Cushman and Wakefield. Any reduction in mall rentals is good news, as for us the occupational cost of rentals and maintenance of the store amounts to a significant amount of the revenue, said C.B. Navalkar, chief financial officer, Shopper's Stop Ltd.

110 incidents of ceasefire violation along LoC since 2006

110 incidents of ceasefire violation from Pakistani side have taken place along the Line of Control (LoC) since 2006 in which nine Indian security personnel were killed, Government said on Monday. A total of 110 incidents of ceasefire violations have taken place along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir since 2006. These include 47 incidents of trans-LoC firing our troops have suffered nine fatal and 25 non-fatal casualties, Defence Minister A K Antony said in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha.

Congress wants PM to undo Baloch damage

The Congress on Monday made it public that it wanted Manmohan Singh to repair the political damage from the controversial Indo-Pak joint statement a development that reinforced the p erception of a disconnect between the party and the prime minister on his diplomatic gamble.The Congress is confident that when the prime minister speaks in Parliament on July 29, he will set at rest all the questions, apprehensions and speculation relating to the Into-Pak joint statement at Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt party general secretary Janardan Dwivedi said, breaking the four-day-long spell when the party studiously stayed away from commenting on the issue.

India dominates world of films

That the Indian film industry is the world's largest in terms of number of films produced as well as the number of cinema-goers is perhaps known. But you really get an idea of its size when you discover that it produces almost as many films as the next three the US, Japan and China combined

Some 70% of India still exists in rural and semi-urban areas, where people derive their income predominantly from agriculture and related activities. Increasingly, there has been an emphasis on the critical requirement of inclusive growth with successive governments placing enormous stress on providing the necessary stimulus to make this happen. That has put relatively more liquidity in the hands of rural India. From time immemorial, people in India have been amongst the highest savers in the world, saving around 32% to 33% of the country's Gross Domestic Product annually. However, most of these savings, especially in rural and semi-urban areas, were parked in regular bank deposits. With these deposits earning only 3% to 4% net of tax and inflation hovering around 5% on average, the hard earned savings of rural India are actually depleting in value in the absence of proper financial planning. Apart from Life Insurance Corporation of India and, to an extent, UTI in its erstwhile form, no other financial distribution or broking houses had made any serious effort to take modern financial products and services to the masses. Most state-owned banks and microfinance institutions cater to a different need mostly accepting deposits and making loans. At the same time, the advent of large companies and financial institutions as well as product innovations in the financial services industry over the last few years necessitate an expansion of the overall market. speaking English and spouting jargon does not cut ice with villagers. Identifying that gap, expand geographically. growth aspirations would not be met if one concentrates on, and establishes presence only in, the metros. Hence it became imperative to develop a viable long-term business model that looked beyond urban India to tap the vast rural market. Bhor, Saswad, Talegoan, Saidpur, Goasigang, Gouribazar, Deoria, Tadipatri, Nizamabad, Gadag, Davangere and Perundurai are among the more than 5,000 tehsils (also called talukas and mandals in various regions)employing city-based managers in these areas would not be a viable option as local people would never trust and feel comfortable with a non-native person who did not speak their language. devise a strategy which relied heavily on local partners. It was extremely important to work with the existing eco-system prevailing in the hinterland as opposed to trying to create a new or parallel structure. take the franchisee route and appoint at least three or four local youths as franchisees in each tehsil. Typically, all franchisees are people whose families have resided in the area for several generations and who know most of the people residing in the village and are also known to people in the surrounding areas. This strategy helps achieve financial inclusion of the rural masses while creating a new breed of local entrepreneurs who could bring financial products and services closer to the villagers. With continuous training, convert local partners into brand ambassadors, advising locals on financial investments and selling them appropriate financial products in an extremely beneficial manner.

An interesting aspect that was the fact that not all franchisees were illiterates. A sizeable chunk of them were graduates and some were even MBAs.

speaking English and spouting jargon does not cut ice with villagers. It is essential to simplify the jargon and speak the language they understand. For example, to promote money transfer facility, conduct road shows in regional languages. Even after two years, logistics still pose a major challenge. During the IPO boom days, pre-plan each and every step and schedule timelines. The first step was to ensure that the forms and the marketing material reached the villages on time. get the forms filled in and delivered to the bidding centers on time. On certain occasions people miss the deadlines because of underestimating the travel time and costs. Learning from this experience, fine-tuned the entire operation to close two days prior to the actual closing date of an IPO. Overall, experience in this initiative has been mixed. invested in this sector with the clear understanding that the exercise will pay dividends only in the long-run. Just because 70% of the country's population is dependent on agriculture and lives in the villages, not get 70% of income in financial services from villages in two years' time. However the 80-20 principle that 80% of the locations give you 20% of your income works in rural India as well and have already seen this in operation, allowing to hone marketing and distribution strategies.

Welcome Address by Sonia Gandhi, president of the Congress Party

Madam President,

Mr Prime Minister,

Mr Bill Gates,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies & Gentlemen.

I am delighted to welcome Mr. Bill Gates to receive the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development on behalf of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This Prize commemorates Indira Gandhi, a leader who was above all a champion of the poor and disadvantaged. At the heart of her policies and programmes was a passionate resolve to raise them out of poverty and to help them live with dignity. Throughout her life, she had no doubt where her priorities lay and I am sure that she would have been moved and impressed by your work.

Mr Gates, your extraordinary success as a businessman has been overtaken by your even more extraordinary impact as a philanthropist. Your belief that every life, wherever it is lived, should be respected and valued, has led you to transform the destinies of millions around the world. Your foundation is an inspiring example of what can be achieved through an effective combination of magnanimous generosity and sound management.

Indeed, it is your example that has given meaning to the idea that successful businessmen can look beyond the bottom line, and even beyond conventional ideas of social responsibility, to actually conduct philanthropy on the principles of modern management. Your work has given currency to the term "venture philanthropy", because what you have done is to invest, not just your money, but your time and your energy, as in a business venture. Giving is wonderful; but, as you have shown, giving becomes more efficient and has more impact when carried out as a managerial project driven by a vision. Thus, the over-arching goals of, say, preventing HIV/AIDS or eradicating malaria are subjected to the same discipline of efficiency, cost effectiveness and review as in a business enterprise.

Yours is an example that we in India ought to emulate. We have in our country a long but uneven tradition of philanthropy. As far back as 1912, Sir Ratan Tata provided funding to the University of London to research the causes of poverty and suggest relief measures. A Trust set up in his name, has since played a pioneering role in the social sector. There are other examples of Foundations set up by various Indian business houses. Many of these command resources. But it must be said that we are yet to produce a truly visionary contemporary philanthropist.

Today, when we can proudly affirm that there is almost nothing that anyone else is doing around the world that we in India cannot do, you have set us a challenge. I hope that, in addition to inspiring entrepreneurs and software engineers all over India, you also inspire successful Indian businessmen (and women) to recognize that it is not only governments who are responsible for the uplift of the poor, the afflicted and the marginalized. Civil society too has an important role to play -- most of all those whose business triumphs equip them to transform the lives of others.

Mr Gates, you belong to the finest traditions of American philanthropy. There is an Indian tradition too, embedded deep in our culture. A Sanskrit saying from the "Nitidvishastika", an ancient compendium of moral maxims, says: and I quote: "That man's life alone is meaningful - who sustains and nourishes vast multitudes of men from his provisions. And he who does not sustain others is indeed dead, even if alive" unquote. You, your wife and your Foundation have indeed nourished vast multitudes, and it is for this that I take particular pleasure in congratulating you on receiving the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development.

Thank you.

Technology holds the key to solving many of India's health-care and education challenges, Microsoft Corp. co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates said in New Delhi. computers and cellphones become more user-friendly and affordable, they can be used to modernize access to public services in rural parts of the country, for example delivering video lectures to villages without schools or letting doctors examine patients remotely, Mr. Gates said at a seminar.

Microsoft founder Bill Gates says technology holds the key to India's challenges

Mr. Gates, who is on a trip through India, also said he is very excited about a recently formed Indian government agency tasked with creating a nationwide identity database, adding that Microsoft is interested to partnering with the agency on the project. Such an database, which would issue a national identity number to each Indian, would help health groups and doctors to track infants who need immunizations and also allow nearly all Indians to open a bank account, which few in the country currently have, he said. Mr. Gates said he planned to meet Nandan Nilekani, the Indian tech guru who is heading the agency tasked with implementing the database, to offer his help. It's a very ambitious project, Mr. Gates said. But the government has picked somebody with a lot of energy and intelligence. Mr. Gates was in India to receive the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development on behalf of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which Mr. Gates co-chairs with his wife. The organization, which has the largest endowment of any private philanthropic foundation in the world, is spearheading a $258 million effort to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS in India. On the eve of Mr. Gates's arrival in India, it announced an additional $80 million of funding. In wide-ranging comments to Indian industrialists, health-care professionals and technology executives, Mr. Gates said that India's competition has proven healthy for the country because it's spurred India to invest in developing its infrastructure and encouraged India to continue the funding. Despite the tough times, it's amazing that this country has not pulled back its spending on development, he said. Basic infrastructure investments whether it is public computer kiosks, schools and roads you can't get away from it. Technology could also help control leakages of public funds from India's massive bureaucracy, by letting people give their feedback on public services by cellphone or public computer terminal, Mr. Gates said. Mr. Gates, 53 years old, removed himself last year from overseeing day-to-day operations at Microsoft to focus his attention on the foundation.

Edited by jagdu - 16 years ago

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jagdu

@jagdu

Dazzler

Posted: 16 years ago

#322

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh defended controversial statements he made weeks ago to try to improve relations with Pakistan, saying Wednesday that a new dossier from Islamabad convinced him the nation is making a sincere effort to crack down on cross-border terrorism and that peace in South Asia had to be pursued. At the same time in a move to smooth ruffled feathers within his own Congress party and to counter taunts from the opposition that he has taken a soft line Mr. Singh repeatedly said talks between the two countries on broader issues like trade and travel cannot continue unless Pakistan pursues strong action against terror. [India Prime Minister Singh] Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

A joint statement signed two weeks ago by Mr. Singh and his Pakistan counterpart, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, said India and Pakistan agreed to decouple discussions about terrorism from broader talks between the two countries on issues such as trade and travel. Mr. Singh has thrust India's relations with Pakistan to the top of the political agenda in a way few expected when he began another five-year term of office a few weeks ago. How he fares in this political skirmish could help set the tone for how India deals with Pakistan through his administration. His supporters say he is determined to leave good relations with Pakistan as part of his political legacy. But Mr. Singh has been facing flak from his political opponents who say his statement was too concessionary and a departure from popular consensus. Yashwant Sinha, a parliamentarian from the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, said in parliament Wednesday that the Indian public, still riled by the Mumbai terrorist attacks last year, wants Pakistan to bring the terrorists responsible to justice. The agreement obliterates the distinction between being a perpetrator and victim, said Mr. Sinha during a vitriolic, two-hour confrontation in parliament. At another point, Mr. Sinha accused Mr. Singh of walking all the way to the Pakistani camp. Mr. Singh countered that unbracketing the discussion of terror from general talks between the neighbors was not a signal that India's aggressive stance on terrorism had changed, or that the formal peace talks between the two countries would resume regardless of Pakistan's action against terror. What the agreement meant to convey was that Pakistan was making satisfactory progress in investigating the November 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, he said. A 34-page dossier detailing a high-level Pakistani investigation into the planning and execution of the Mumbai attacks was handed to Mr. Singh just days before his meeting with Mr. Gilani in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, at a summit of nonaligned countries. It provided details of the communication networks the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba used to plan the attacks, photographs of the alleged plotters in custody in Pakistan, and also an account of the progress of the investigation. A charge sheet has been filed against 18 of the attackers, and a trial in Pakistan is in the offing, Mr. Singh said. This is the first time that Pakistan has ever formally briefed us on the results of an investigation into a terrorist attack in India, he said Wednesday. It is also the first time that they have admitted that their nationals and a terrorist organization based in Pakistan carried out a ghastly terrorist act in India. He said his goal is to ensure long-term peace and stability in the region, and that the best approach is to begin to trust each other, but not blindly, but trust and verify that the necessary steps are being taken by Pakistan to root out terrorism. At the same time, Mr. Singh emphasized that India's general position on terrorism was unchanged. It's not enough to say that Pakistan is a victim of terrorism, he pointed out. They must show the same political will and take the same sustained action on terrorism on their eastern border as they are taking on their western border. Some observers over the past two weeks have speculated that Mr. Singh would cave to pressure from his party and retract his conciliatory statements with Mr. Gilani before parliament. But according to Sanjay Kumar, a fellow at the New Delhi-based think tank, Mr. Singh has stuck with his original line of opening up the dialogue with Pakistan. He didn't backtrack from anything in the joint statement, Mr. Kumar said. In fact, the prime minister kept on repeating the verbal assurances of his Pakistani counterpart. He took the line that to emerge as a superpower in the region, India has to engage in negotiation even if it would seem he had conceded some ground to Pakistan. The joint statement also made reference to new information from Pakistan on the insurgency in the western province of Baluchistan, a sore point between the two neighbors. Pakistani officials have repeatedly accused India of helping Baluch separatists through its consulates in southern Afghanistan, a charge India denies. The raising of Baluchistan as an issue between the two countries could create further political static. Mr. Singh Wednesday defended the inclusion of Baluchistan in the agreement, saying India has nothing to hide. Baluchistan is going to be in focus for a few years to come, Mr. Kumar said, and the passing reference to the situation in the joint agreement will only add fuel to the fire. If you issue a statement on Baluchistan without saying anything on Kashmir, that will be a big problem in the coming days, he said.

Upbeat India Inc lining up salary hikes: Report

Almost all Indian companies have given or will give their employees a pay hike this year, a survey showed, pointing to optimism in corporate India that the economy is on the rebound. One in every two companies in India raised the salaries this year, and most of the rest plan to do so before December, human resources consulting firm Mercer's survey found.

JLR was a worthwhile acquisition: Tata

Setting at rest speculation that Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) acquisition was a bad deal, Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata has said it was very worthwhile strategic move bringing in considerable technology and global presence. I strongly feel that in later years we can look back on the JLR acquisition and say to ourselves that this was a very worthwhile strategic acquisition and one which has brought us considerable technology and global presence, he was quoted as saying in Tata Motors' annual report.

PowerGrid in talks with US firm to jointly bid for Arizona project

State-owned electricity transmission firm Power Grid Corp. of India Ltd (PGCIL) is in talks with Advanced Engineering Associates International Inc. (AEAI) of the US to bid for a 500-circuit km transmission contract in Arizona, US. We have been approached by them to partner together for the contract, said a top PGCIL executive.

BPOs may miss 2020 export target

Growth in India's software and back office service exports will slow to a single digit rate this year, and while the domestic market is expected to expand, the country could still miss a 2020 target for the business. India's software and back office service providers saw export growth stutter to 16.3% in 2008-09. That figure is likely to more than halve this year, in what can be compared to a bungee jump for a sector that for close to a decade saw a 30% average annual growth rate. However, revenue from domestic IT and back office services is expected to grow 15-18% this year, double the 7% by which it grew last year.

Rajmata Gayatari Devi passes away

Charismatic former royal Rajmata Gayatri Devi, who had an eventful stint in politics and was jailed during Emergency, died at a hospital in Jaipur following prolonged illness. She was 90. Once listed among the World's Ten Most Beautiful Women' by Vogue magazine and a style icon during her time, Devi was the founder of the Swatantra Party and a member of the third and fourth Lok Sabha.

26/11 attacks: Lakhvi, Shah believed to have confessed

Key Lashkar-e-Toiba operatives Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and Zarar Shah are believed to have confessed to their involvement in the Mumbai terror attacks but Pakistani authorities are yet to make it public. Pakistani investigators have found substantial evidence directly connecting LeT to the November 26, 2008 attacks and proving beyond any reasonable doubt that it planned and financed the terror strikes.

Edited by jagdu - 16 years ago

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jagdu

@jagdu

Dazzler

Posted: 16 years ago

#323

A striking 71% of students in Indian metropolitan areas say they use personal computers, according to a new survey by information technology giant Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. And 66 % of students in the southern city of Bangalore said they were active on blogging and social networking sites, compared with 39% nationally, the same survey found. The survey of nearly 14,000 kids studying in English-language schools in 12 major cities in India shows schoolchildren here have embraced technology and the Internet, with Google and Wikipedia overtaking the library as the most trusted source of information. The survey confirms that today's students are shifting their academic and social life online and embracing the digital world as true digital natives, said S. Ramadorai, chief executive officer and managing director of Tata Consultancy. Conducted in 2008 and 2009, the survey is the outgrowth of a quiz show that Tata Consultancy launched a decade ago in English schools across India to create an interest in technology. Through the survey, Tata Consultancy hopes to connect with potential employees by gaining a better understanding of how young people use technology to work, play and think. Rising incomes among India's middle class have meant that more families are likely to own a personal computer. Among the many significant findings of the survey was the fact that the highest percentage of users of personal computers were in Bangalore and Delhi at 77%. Some 63% of children surveyed said they spent more than an hour each day on the Internet; 41% of school children surveyed chose Google as a source of information, while 46% said they use online sources to access news. Far fewer children reported using the library. Cochin in Kerala ranked the highest in library usage, at 14%. Blogging and social networking also appear to be gaining ground. Higher education abroad remains a common goal among students. The U.S. remains the most popular study destination with nearly 40% preferring to study there, the survey found. However, when it comes to their careers, 49% said they would like to stay in India. Laptops and Ipod players do not appear to have reached many homes, according the survey. Mumbai had the highest laptop penetration, at 38%, compared to the national average of 19%. Tata Consultancy is one of India's largest information technology players, with 48,000 employees in India, 95% of whom are 25 years old or younger.

At the biennial Vinexpo in Bordeaux last month, the world's largest wine expo where producers, importers and other members of the wine trade gather for a five-day bacchanal, it was almost funereal compared to the frenzy of past fairs. Here in India we haven't been spared. The world's fastest-growing wine market for the past five years came crashing down to earth in 2009 with sales falling for the first time since 2001. Local producers who jumped into the game expecting quick returns in a can't miss market with 25% annual growth are now sitting on full tanks of wine which they have to empty before the next harvest, when their contracted grapes come flooding in. Meanwhile the banks which were once so eager to lend are getting impatient and the dreaded Non-Performing Asset phrase is bandied around depressingly often, usually pertaining to small farmer-operated wineries that really never figured out how to make quality wine and had even less idea of how to market it. Grape growers who rushed to plant wine grapes without having contracts with wineries have been left high and dry in the just-concluded harvest, with the most unfortunate ones having to leave the fruit to rot on the vine. And no new wine vineyards were planted in the planting season in December 2008, compared to a frenzied 2,000 new acres annually from 2004 to 2007. But there's a bright spot to all this. The situation has led to ripe pickings for consumers, who are spoiled silly with special offers at their local wine stores in Mumbai"buy one, get one free being the most common mantra, giving them a peek into the once-unthinkable fast-growing Indian wine lake. New producers who once thought nothing of pricing their wines at 500 rupees-plus, even with zero market pedigree, have learned their lesson the hard way. Pricing is much more sober these days and more and more winemakers are realizing that the "sweet spot" is between 150 and 300 rupees, not the glorified 400-800 rupees that the market seemed to have accepted earlier. The hottest wine launch of 2009 is a sub-200 rupee quaff called Samara, which is flying off the shelves as consumers realize wine doesn't have to be expensive to be eminently drinkable. The Maharashtra government has also rushed to the rescue, announcing three major policy decisions that should make wine drinkers in the state very happy. First, local duty on imported wine has been slashed, and the effect will be most dramatic on higher-end wines and champagne. Second, out-of-state wines have to pay much lower registration fees, which were earlier stiflingly high and had led to retaliatory duties in Karnataka which hopefully will get rolled back. Finally, local producers will get a big VAT refund which will be a lifeline to those gasping for air. All in all, Maharashtra will regain its title as the wine-friendliest state. And other states aren't far behind; Karnataka just put in place a wine-friendly policy that slashed tax on local wine and unveiled a new cheaper wine bar license. So 2009 is a turning point, but mostly good things ahead. Most importantly, local producers have realized that simply fermenting grape juice and sticking a label on the bottle is not the same as making decent wine. Farmers who didn't know the first thing about wine and jumped onto the winery bandwagon are pulling out and new winery projects are on hold. Growers will also have to think hard before planting new vineyards on a whim. They'll have to plant varieties that the market might need in the future, and they'll have to use best quality, sustainable viticultural practices. That's the only way profitability will be sustained over the long term. At Sula there's emphasizing quality over quantity for years to growers, and now the lesson has hit home. Those who grow quality grapes will always find buyers even in the hard times The consumer will see more and more varietal wines like Chenin Blanc and Shiraz at prices below 300 rupees. Wines at prices above 500 rupees are likely to be of much better quality than in the past, and some of these Indian wines will win medals at world shows in the not-so-distant future. Apart from the usual suspects, exciting new varieties like Viognier, Riesling, Malbec and Grenache will tickle the palate, spoiling the consumer for choice. All in all, the Indian wine drinker is in for a great time in the years to come, so here's to that!

Job loss due to global crisis declines: Govt

Unemployment caused last year by the global recession has declined but some sectors like leather, transport and metals continue to be affected, Labour Minister Mallikarjun Kharge told the Lok Sabha. He said the situation in India is better than many other countries and the four stimulus packages, including provisions in the Union Budget 2009-10, announced by the Government have helped stop to some extent the growth in unemployment.

Boeing rolls out P-8A Poseidon; India to be first buyer

American aviation giant Boeing today rolled out its first P-8A Poseidon, claiming it to be the world's most advanced multi-mission maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft, with the Company saying that India would be its first buyer country. India has ordered eight P-8Is, a derivative of the American version, the first of which Boeing will deliver within 48 months of the contract being signed. The rest seven aircraft would be delivered by 2015, filling a wide gap in India's maritime reconnaissance capability, hit by crashes of its Russian built aircraft.

Americans ready to buy Indian cars: Survey

Americans are ready to buy cars from India a survey in the US has revealed. Results of the survey called 'Opportunity for Indian Brands in the USA' shows that in the US say 11 percent would consider buying a car from India.

Mittal meets officials to clear regulatory wall

Sunil Mittal, chairman and group CEO of Bharti Enterprises, is in talks with government officials to clear regulatory issues over listing of the Bharti Airtel-MTN combined entity in India as well as South Africa in case the negotiations between the two telcos eventually lead to a full merger. India's largest mobile operator Bharti Airtel and Africa's top telecom service provider MTN are engaged in a second round of exclusive talks for a merger deal estimated to be worth $23 billion.

UN acknowledges IFFCO's giant leap to counter global warming

The Ammonia-Urea manufacturing facility of Indian Farmers Fertilisers Cooperative Ltd (IFFCO), the world's largest fertiliser cooperative, became the first fertiliser project in the world to earn carbon credits from fuel switch category. Iffco, acclaimed world leader in production and marketing of fertilisers has achieved a major break through in its efforts to counter global warming with this. IFFCO's fuel switch over project at its Ammonia-Urea fertiliser manufacturing facility at Phulpur, Allahabad has become the first fertiliser project in the world to earn carbon credits from fuel switch project.

Recession helps reshape India carbon deals

The recession and falling prices of U.N.-backed carbon credits are changing the way carbon deals are structured in India, with more players seeking partners to spread financial risks. India is the second top source of carbon offsets under the U.N.'s Clean Development Mechanism, or CDM, and until recently clean-energy projects were developed by Indian investors by themselves. Most usually hung on to the credits hoping for higher prices.

J-K governor dismisses PDP charge, asks Omar to continue

Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra dismissed PDP's allegation that Omar Abdullah was involved in the 2006 sex scandal and asked him to continue discharging his responsibilities as Chief Minister. The Governor while turning down Omar's offer to step down said there was no truth in the allegations levelled against him in the assembly by PDP leader Muzaffar Hussein Beigh about his alleged involvement in the sex scandal.

SC asks SIT to complete Gujarat riots probe by Dec 31

The Supreme Court on Thursday gave another five months to Special Investigation Team (SIT) appointed by it to complete the probe into the alleged role of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, his cabinet colleagues and police officials in aiding and abetting killings during post-Godhra riots. A bench headed by Justice D K Jain asked the SIT to conclude the investigation and file its report by December 31. The court had on April 27 asked the SIT to complete the probe within three months on a complaint made by Jakia Nasim Ahesan, wife of slain Congress MP Ehsan Jafri, accusing Modi and 62 others of aiding and abetting the persons involved in the killings during the 2002 riots that followed the Godhra carnage.

India's foreign policy not based on whims of one party

Even as the ruling UPA emphatically and vociferously defended the signing of the recent India-Pakistan joint statement in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt, the Bharatiya Janata Party BJP-led opposition walked out of the Lok Sabha on Thursday afternoon, specifically protesting on the issue of Balochistan and the de-linking of terror from the composite dialogue process. Defending Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's stand on the statement, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who was an external Affairs Minister not too long ago, said India's foreign policy was an extension of national interest, and New Delhi had not compromised on this at any stage in the past or at the recent Red Sea resort summit meeting.

Tech firms seek default insurance

The country's top software exporters are, in a first for them, exploring credit guarantees on sales to the US, on rising concerns over payment defaults from customers reeling under the worst recession since the 1930s. Export Credit Guarantee Corp. of India Ltd (ECGC), the government agency that offers risk covers to Indian exporters on payment defaults by overseas customers, is in talks with technology firms, including Infosys Technologies Ltd and Wipro Ltd for such guarantees, a top official said.

Anil Ambani, Kumar Birla to float PE funds

Mumbai: For private equity (PE) arms of big Indian corporations, fund-raising, such as charity, seems to be beginning at home. The Reliance-Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (R-Adag) will invest Rs4 billion in a PE fund being floated by group company Reliance Capital Ltd. This will include a contribution from R-Adag chairman Anil Ambani, a senior official of the group said.

Anil Ambani articulates why his company, Reliance Natural Resources Ltd., is battling Reliance Industries Ltd., controlled by his brother Mukesh, in the Supreme Court over a controversial gas deal Among the highlights: "The question is where are business ethics and morality if one of the parties wants to dishonor a binding contract, just because in retrospect it realizes it could perhaps have got a better price!"

It is only now, after the adverse verdict of the Mumbai High Court against RIL, that the Petroleum Ministry has suddenly decided to intervene in this purely corporate dispute.
Regarding a possible settlement, at every stage over the past four years, I have made sincere efforts to resolve this matter through bilateral negotiations, but to no avail.
Will this not set a precedent, allowing any ministry to alter any contracts in the future at will?
Unfortunately, with his passing away in 2002, things have never been the same again.
My respected elder brother has already made it amply clear, both within the family and externally, that he does not visualize any further role for my respected mother in resolving this matter or any other matter.

For many people unfamiliar with the intricacies of the gas dispute at issue, a complicated disagreement over gas pricing and family succession that has morphed into a battle over India's sovereign rights before the Supreme Court. [Anil Ambani] The issue is not complicated at all. It is a simple case of RIL reneging on its binding contractual commitments. There are no family or succession issues involved here. This is a purely commercial issue, whereby RIL first agreed to supply gas to us and government-owned NTPC (India's largest utility, which is also in court against RIL) at a commercial price, determined under an international competitive bid, and thereafter, motivated by corporate greed, RIL is dishonorably trying every trick in the book to get out of its binding commercial obligations. This includes RIL's shadow-boxing over the past few weeks through the Petroleum Ministry, and influencing them to try and reverse what RIL perhaps now feels was a bad business decision it made earlier! The question is where are business ethics and morality? If one of the parties wants to dishonor a binding contract, just because in retrospect it realizes it could perhaps have got a better price! There is no battle over India's sovereign rights here this is just a bogey deliberately floated, in a desperate attempt to help RIL, only after the High Court judgment has come in our favor else, why were these issues not raised earlier all relevant facts have been in the public domain since 2005-06 i.e. for more than 3 years. You have said repeatedly that the gas dispute between RNRL and RIL is a private commercial matter but the government has intervened before the Supreme Court to have the agreement between the two companies declared void and to establish its right to set the price of the gas.: I draw a very clear distinction between the Petroleum Ministry which is acting in an apparently biased and partisan manner, and the rest of the government with which I have no issues, and am indeed, a great supporter.Way b ack in September 2007, when the Empowered Group of Ministers a sub-group of the Union Cabinet met, it took note of the full details of the gas supply agreement between RIL and RNRL. The Union Minister for Petroleum was an integral part of the Cabinet sub-group and represented the Petroleum Ministry's point of view. The Cabinet sub-group actually went further, and recognizing the rights of the parties, categorically recorded that its decisions were without prejudice to the NTPC vs RIL and RNRL vs RIL cases which are sub-judice. This has been reiterated, reinforced and restated twice in the Cabinet sub-group meetings, in October 2008, and January 2009, as per the minutes filed by the government in the Bombay High Court. Through this entire period, the Petroleum Ministry was a party to, and concurred with, this decision, and did not make any attempt to question the corporate restructuring agreement between RIL and RNRL. It is only now, after the adverse verdict of the Mumbai High Court against RIL, that the Petroleum Ministry has suddenly decided to intervene in this purely corporate dispute. Apparently, the Petroleum ministry has done so and taken a stand which runs contrary to that of the Cabinet sub-group apparently without even consulting it even though that group represented the broader, collective wisdom of several other ministers, including inter alia the ministers of finance, law, power and fertilizers! I am also really puzzled by the Petroleum Ministry's actions if they genuinely believe that RIL has violated the terms of the production sharing contract by allegedly trying to divide national property why don't they exercise their powers and terminate the PSC, and take back ownership of the gas fields from RIL? Why are they belatedly rushing to the Supreme Court, challenging commercial contracts between two corporate entities, and seeking annulment of corporate arrangements? Forget about just us, I am surprised that the Petroleum Ministry has apparently not hesitated to take actions against the best interests of Government owned NTPCthereby allowing RIL the opportunity to claim that NTPC should pay a higher price for gas, despite RIL quoting a lower price in an international competitive bid! Initially, RIL had willingly and voluntarily quoted to supply gas to NTPC at USD 2.34 per unit, in a global competitive bid, and the dispute was only as regards certain terms and conditions of the agreement. Now, based on the Petroleum Ministry's revised stand, RIL has told the Courts that it cannot supply gas at the earlier contracted price of $2.34 even to NTPC! government's intervention before the Supreme Court that threatens to quash the agreement between the two companies: We do not feel threatened by the Petroleum Ministry's unfortunate actions before the Supreme Court, and are confident we will succeed. Regarding a possible settlement, at every stage over the past 4 years, I have made sincere efforts to resolve this matter through bilateral negotiations, but to no avail. To give just one recent example, during the proceedings before the Bombay High Court, I offered to personally meet at a time and place of the Bombay High Court's direction, at an hour's notice, and sit across a table with my respected elder brother to amicably resolve all issues. Unfortunately, RIL's counsel informed the Court that it was not convenient for my brother to participate in any such discussions. Last month, we addressed several letters to RIL to meet and arrive at a workable agreement as per the High Court Judgment. RIL refused to cooperate, and instead sent us a letter on July 1, declining to participate in any such discussions. Thereafter, they unilaterally decided to proceed to the Supreme Court. I have also spoken to my respected elder brother personally and requested him, as my elder brother, and in the interests of over 8 million shareholders of my companies, to arrive at a fair and amicable solution.

Suffice it to say, I was disappointed at the outcome.

***

The contract terms would provide RNRL with gas at a rate of $2.34 per million British thermal unit, less than the government-recommended price of $4.20. Why it's important for RNRL to receive this gas at a preferential price: There are no preferential or low prices. The price of $2.34 was not decided by two brothers on the dinner table. Nor is it part of some private family arrangement. The price of $2.34 was approved by RIL's board of directors, nearly five years ago, and has been duly recorded in the commercial agreements signed by RIL as a properly constituted legal corporate entity, with all relevant authorizations. All these facts are recorded in the recent order of the Bombay high Court. The proposed gas supply arrangements were also part of the publicly disclosed and widely circulated demerger scheme:

- approved by RIL's board,

- approved by over 2 million shareholders of RIL,

- approved by the Bombay High Court,

- after receiving the central government's No-Objection Certificate.

In other words, everybody, including the Petroleum Ministry had an opportunity to raise objections against the de-merger scheme, but they didn't do so. Secondly, ours is not some arbitrary price that came from nowhere. This price was discovered in an international competitive bid floated by the government-owned NTPC in 2004, in which RIL voluntarily and unequivocally agreed to supply gas at $2.34; a price that was authorized by the RIL Board. RNRL's gas supply agreement with RIL, finalized at the same time as the RIL-NTPC agreement, was based on this competitive arm's length price, discovered through a full-fledged competitive global bid. Unfortunately, the later price discovery of $4.20 by RIL for valuation purposes is completely flawed. The formula was never approved by the Petroleum Ministry prior to the orchestrated tender by RIL where participants were invited to bid on a nominated basis. The formula as constructed is not rational, and does not pass on real benefit to the consumer, even if the crude price was to drop 50% from $60 to $30! Moreover, the price has been decided for only five years, and It is unlikely that any new investments in greenfield power projects would materialize on the basis of a five year contract and, more importantly, on a very high gas price. NTPC, the largest and most experienced power utility in India, with all its financial strengths has not gone ahead with the construction of 2600MW Kawas and Gandhar expansion projects as it does not have assured gas supply contract and is finding it unviable to accept gas at a delivered price of nearly $7 per mmbtu including the transportation costs. Any price for valuation determined for a short-term commitment of five years based on needs of plants sitting idle, and desperate for gas at any price, cannot have any relevance for long-term, fixed price, seventeen-year gas supply contracts on take-or-pay basis, for setting up Greenfield power and fertilizer projects involving investments of tens of thousands of crores. Most importantly, we are for the gas price being fixed at $2.34 or indeed, lower for all customers, and not just for ourselves. India will very shortly be hugely surplus, in terms of gas availability, even earlier than was projected, and it is completely against the public interest that RIL is trying to extract an exorbitant price, by arm-twisting existing users having stranded assets. The myth of gas scarcity in India is being propagated by RIL for obvious reasons.RNRL has to pay more for gas from the Krishna-Godavari Basin, impact will it have on RNRL's plans for power projects: I would very much doubt that our Prime Minister's vision of Power for All could become a reality if long term gas prices were set at $4.20, resulting in a delivered price in excess of $ 6.50 simply to enrich contractors and transporters like RIL, and to the detriment of hundreds of millions of consumers across the country. Such high prices would also go against the objective of elimination of power and fertilizer subsidies, thereby increasing the government's fiscal deficit. issue of national sovereignty and the government claims the contract between the two companies impinges on those rights, government owns the gas field, has an interest in maximizing the price received for the gas, and has to take into account the needs of other industries, specifically fertilizer and power companies: How and why has the issue of national sovereignty come up only now, after RIL lost in the Bombay High Court, and not before the matter has been on everybody's radar for the past nearly 4 years, and the Petroleum Ministry has been in possession of all relevant facts. All these issues have also already been considered by the Bombay High Court in its judgment.Fo r the record, the Government has repeatedly stated on the floor of Parliament that, as per the PSC, RIL is the owner of its share, and has the right to sell the gas freely, and that the government does not fix the sale price. Incidentally, the High Court order has ensured that the government's interests are fully protected, by adopting the price of $4.20 for determination of its royalty/take. The needs of other power and fertilizer companies are not being compromised in any manner, and they will be receiving gas as decided by the government. RIL is shortly ramping up gas production to 80 mmscmd and thereafter to 120 mmscmd which is nearly equal to the entire existing production of gas in India, and thus, there will be enough gas for all, and more to spare. Lastly, as regards utilization, the government has already approved our proposed plant at Dadri and other power projects to receive the contracted quantity of gas from RIL. The government has also decided that power and fertilizers are the highest priority sectors.The dispute between the two companies involves contract terms, pricing agreements, etc. in considerable detail.family animus prevented the two sides from reaching a settlement that would have avoided a protracted court battle: From my point of view, there is no animus against any individual. I am simply trying to get a commercial contract honored by RIL, for the benefit of over 8 million shareholders in my companies. I would have acted in the same manner if it were any other supplier of the gas. I am only personally saddened that the counter-party in this case is RIL – a company founded by my visionary father, Late Shri Dhirubhai Ambani, and which, in his lifetime was run under the one simple and time-trusted philosophy he lived by My word is my bond. That's why, back in the 1960s, he named the company Reliance signaling everybody could rely on him. Unfortunately, with his passing away in 2002, things have never been the same again.RNRL has repeatedly sought to negotiate with RIL over this but have been rebuffed. To give you just one example, I offered to personally meet at a time and place of the Bombay High Court's direction, at an hour's notice, and sit across a table with my respected elder brother to amicably resolve all issues. Unfortunately, RIL's counsel informed the court that it was not convenient for my brother to participate in any such discussions. Last month, we addressed several letters to RIL to meet and arrive at a workable agreement as per the High Court judgment. RIL refused to cooperate, and instead sent us a letter on July 1, declining to participate in any such discussions. Thereafter, they unilaterally decided to proceed to the Supreme Court. mother, Mrs. Kokilaben Ambani, was supposed to play a role in mediating the dispute. My respected elder brother has already made it amply clear; both within the family, and externally, that he does not visualize any further role for my respected mother in resolving this matter or any other matter.Bombay High Court's ruling spoken directly with brother Mukesh on resolving the dispute?I have no ego in this. I have spoken to him personally and requested him, as my elder brother, and in the interests of over 8 million shareholders of my companies, to arrive at a fair and amicable solution. Suffice it to say, I was disappointed at the outcome. letter to the Prime Minister, requested that he direct various ministries and departments to cease from "overtly or covertly attempting to intervene: The actions of the Petroleum Ministry have already been too well documented in the media, and have already raised enough eyebrows, to require any further comments from me. I'm afraid I cannot make any comments on my inter-action with the Prime Minister's Office. RNRL's appeal before the Supreme Court We are seeking implementation of the Bombay High Court judgment, as RIL refused to sit at the table and craft out a gas supply agreement in line with the Bombay High Court judgment. government has the right to approve the gas price, It will not be proper to speculate on the Honorable Supreme Court's possible judgment in the future. At a broader level, I am deeply concerned on the signals emanating from this episode what is the sanctity of commercial contracts between private parties, if one arm of the government can seek cancellation of the same for the apparent benefit of one of the parties, a monopolistic gas producer like RIL? investing in India: Firstly, I am confident that under the leadership of our Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, such incidents, if at all they occur, are isolated, and not indicative of a general trend, and we can and will deal with them under our well established processes of law. That said, I am deeply concerned that the Petroleum Ministry's stance is, in effect, that it will solely decide:

- who should sell gas

- to whom,

- at what price

- and in what quantity,

- and when

- without any heed to commercial considerations or contractual provisions!

In complete reversal to the entire direction of economic reforms, being implemented by our respected Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, the Petroleum Ministry is regrettably pursuing a different path, seeking perhaps a return to the command-control elements of the dismantled license-permit-raj! Through its intervention, the ministry is aiming to re-write the PSC after nearly 10 years, and also seeking to cancel a contract between third party corporate entities! What then is the sanctity of a contract, which is the fundamental cornerstone of any law-abiding, market-driven economy? And will this not set a precedent, allowing any ministry to alter any contracts in the future at will?

Clearly, the Petroleum Ministry's unfortunate intervention in a corporate commercial dispute in this manner, if permitted to continue, will erode investor confidence, and thwart the government's efforts to attract investments into India This will also naturally have adverse policy implications for private investments in all natural resources, which are subject to similar considerations.Reliance Communications' bid for MTN. All relevant aspects of the agreement impacting any of our listed companies are already in the public domain we are not in favor of keeping anything hidden from our stakeholders. For the record, RIL stated in the Bombay High Court that there was no MOU. Then they changed the stance to say that the MOU did exist, but it was rubbish thereby causing emotional hurt to my mother. Now they are saying they cannot abide by it, because it seeks to divide national property!major issues As per the terms of the PSC, if RIL gets a higher sale price from us based on the price the Petroleum Ministry wants to fix for the first few years, 99% of all revenues and profits will go to RIL, and only a measly 1% will accrue to the government! Of the initial revenue of 50,000 crore rupees, RIL gets almost all, i.e. 49,500 crore rupees vs. the government's 500 crore rupees. The simple fact is that RIL has a short term monopoly, and to perpetuate this monopoly, and earn disproportionate profits at the cost of the people, RIL is spreading misinformation in the public domain to get a higher price for its gas. It is a huge scandal that at the price of $ 4.20, RIL wants to make super normal profits of over 50,000 crore rupees which will ultimately be paid for by hundreds of millions of end-consumers in the power and fertilizer sector. People wonder if the Petroleum Ministry realizes that its efforts to make this the uniform price for all users will benefit only one monopolistic supplier, RIL, at the expense of the whole country!

Quote

jagdu

@jagdu

Dazzler

Posted: 16 years ago

#324

An Indian court issued a warrant for the arrest of the former head of the U.S. chemical company responsible for a gas leak that killed at least 10,000 people in Bhopal 25 years ago.W arren Anderson was the head of Union Carbide Corp. when its factory in the central Indian city leaked 40 tons of poisonous gas on Dec. 3, 1984 the world's worst industrial disaster. More than 555,000 people who survived the initial disaster are thought to have suffered aftereffects, though the exact number of victims has never been determined. On Friday, in response to an appeal by a victims' group, Prakash Mohan Tiwari ordered the arrest of Mr. Anderson. Mr. Tiwari, the chief judicial magistrate of Bhopal, also ordered the federal government to press Washington for his extradition. Mr. Anderson was arrested after the disaster, but he left the country soon after. The Indian government has said that it didn't know where he was, but has reportedly been living in the U.S. In 1989, Union Carbide paid $470 million in compensation to the Indian government and said officials were responsible for the cleanup. Victims accuse New Delhi of delaying distribution of the funds.

One of the main aims of the government is to create and implement sound public policies. How are they to do so? The basic principle here is specialized knowledge. Our government officials are not always, but basically trained administrators, prepared and qualified to take political decisions. However, not every issue that has to be dealt with is an administrative one. Just as even a high court judge is not qualified as a doctor to judge a DNA report, there are some issues that government officials, able as they are, do not have the necessary skills or knowledge to tackle. The government often has the idea, but not the know-how. A proposal in mind, but not the human resources to carry it out. These are voids that the government itself cannot often fill. What we need is an entity that can give some substance to this vacuum. What we need, therefore, is some sort of collaboration with the private sector. Bringing a private entrepreneur into politics seems to be something of an idea that is gaining momentum. Take the example of the appointment of former co-chairman of Infosys, Nandan Nilekani, to the Cabinet. It is one of those rare occasions where the Indian government has gone beyond the political sphere to fill a top post. This decision has met with varied reactions; there is enough praise for this refreshing change, and more than enough criticism. And why should this change be taking place at all? A private entrepreneur is able to fill in those deficits that weaken government policies or services. The government cannot, after all, hope to specialize in every sphere. The private sector comes in at this point, and helps to bring in strong managerial capacity, access to new technology, and imperative specialized skills that governments cannot afford to develop on their own. Further, with a post in the government, the entrepreneur now has the freedom, power, and resources that he or she needs to put his proposals into action. Some may question the need for an actual post in the government as in the case of Mr. Nilekani. Supporters of the move argue he needs it to have the authority to pursue a very complex task.That is not to say that with the addition of the private sector to the government, every policy will meander into perfection but the only way we can hope to attain a true optimum level of these services is by the delegation to, and recruitment of, those skilled businessmen who individually specialize in every field that they can be required to. To quote Manish Sabharwal, chairman of TeamLease services, Getting the right person in the right job at the right time is half the battle For those looking at this superficially, the change takes a step away from the usual corruption" we associate with the government, and introduces a new, refreshing touch. At a deeper level, this change is a collaboration of two strong entities, a joint effort of the public and private. It is an engagement of professionals from fields where they stand out, where they outshine others; the best of the best. And, government or not, why shouldn't we have the crme de la crme handling our national affairs? Counter thought is The debate this week has its roots in the appointment of Nandan Nilekani as the chairman of National Authority for Unique Identity. In this capacity Mr. Nilekani will be functioning under the planning commission and will be enjoying cabinet powers. The interim budget allocated for this project currently stands at 100 crore rupees. However, this figure is likely to go up by about 200 crore rupees in the next budget. The project is aimed at addressing the widespread misappropriation of funds that affects subsidies and poverty alleviation programs in the country. Addressing illegal immigration as well as curbing the terrorist threat are also goals of this project. An inalienable fact of Indian politics is that it has been hampered, some will say seriously, by politicians who often sacrifice the country's well-being at the altar of vote-banks. Therefore, the induction of someone as accomplished and knowledgeable as Mr. Nilekani into the government is not only something that makes perfect sense but also something that should be lauded and encouraged. The problem with this sort of appointment is that it undermines the entire concept of democracy. As one minister said What is the use of having elections, if non-elected functionaries are going to run the show? The fact is that if, god forbid, Mr. Nilekani was to fail in his endevour and five years down the line we see that the National Identification program has failed and all the allotted tax-payers' money has been spent, who do we, as citizens of this country, turn to for answers? What action can we take against the non-elected technocrat? If it was a politician we could vote them out of power but what do we do if someone who we didn't vote for is in a position of such power and then fails to deliver?The fear of the ballot, the fear of elections, is intended to keep ministers working in the interest of the country. Yes, this is a utopian dream of sorts the fear of these elections seems to make political leaders turn more towards vote bank politics rather than working for national welfare. But at least the citizens of the country have some sort of control over the politicians they elect through the power of the ballot. Appointments like those of Mr. Nilekani serve only to by-pass the elections and in effect hand the real executive power of this country to unelected technocrats. induction of people who are knowledgeable and know how to run organizations efficiently, in short the appointment of technocrats, into the government is a bad thing. hese technocrats should be elected into the government rather than just be given high-powered posts. The nation admires a person like Prime Minister Manmohan Singh because he is a technocrat who has been democratically given charge of the government. The crucial difference between Mr. Singh and a Mr. Nilekani is simple, Mr. Singh is an elected member of parliament and is therefore directly responsible to the people of India and Mr. Nilekani is not.

Edited by jagdu - 16 years ago

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jagdu

@jagdu

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Posted: 16 years ago

#325

Uproar in Parliament over release of Hafiz Saeed

Criticizing government's policy of de-linking terrorism from Indo-Pak talks, leader of Opposition LK Advani slammed government on the release of Hafiz Saeed. He said Saeed's release is acid test for India-Pakistan ties. Even secretary level talks with Pakistan do not make sense, says Advani.

Maharashtra swine-flu death: Negligence on hospital part says Chief Minister

Terming the death of a swine-flu infected girl in Pune as unfortunate, Western state Maharashtra's Chief Minister Ashok Chavan has said negligence on part of the private hospital which treated the 14-year-old was to blame for it. This incident is really unfortunate. I feel there was total negligence on part of those who admitted her to the hospital and negligence on part of the hospital, the Chief Minister, who discussed the issue with senior health officials here said.

2003 Mumbai blasts: Court set to sentence three convicts

A special Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) court will pronounce the quantum of sentence on Tuesday to three convicts who were found guilty for carrying out twin bomb blasts at the Gateway of India and Zaveri Bazaar in 2003. July, POTA Judge M R Puranik had convicted Ashrat Ashrat Ansari (32), Hanif Sayed Anees (46) and his wife Fehmida Sayed (43).

SGSY to be restructured: Government

Government will soon restructure the Swarnjayanti Gram Swarojgar Yogana (SGSY) into National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) to make it universal in application, rural development minister C.P. Joshi told the Rajya Sabha. We will restructure SGSY as soon as possible, Joshi said adding: SGSY addresses below poverty line families and shortcomings of past would be overcome in the restructured program.

India helps Sri Lanka in rebuilding war-hit areas

An India-aided project to rebuild the northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka, which bore the brunt of the decades-long civil war, has taken off which will help the country in reducing unemployment and providing rehabilitation, the government said. The project, launched as part of Sri Lanka-India bilateral cooperation agreement signed last month, is being implemented in the Northern and the Eastern Provinces under the Uthuru Vasanthaya development program, an official said.

morningstar inc. Inc., the U.S. mutual-fund research company, is launching in India as part of its push to expand globally. The Chicago-based firm on Wednesday will launch an India Web site, www.morningstar.in, that will provide tools to research 1,150 mutual funds and exchange-traded funds offered in India by 36 fund companies. The site contains data such as performance and fees for all mutual funds, and provides some commentary on a handful of funds. Morningstar is best known in the $10 trillion U.S. mutual-fund industry for its proprietary star-rating system, in which it assigns stars to funds based on their risk-adjusted returns relative to other funds that follow the same investment strategy. In India, it faces stiff competition from local research companies, most notably from New Delhi-based Value Research India Pvt. Ltd., which has been providing fund research and data since the early 1990s. Valueresearchonline.com already offers many of the tools and features that Morningstar India offers, including its own version of the star rating. Aditya Agarwal, Morningstar India Pvt. Ltd.'s managing director, said global companies that license Morningstar data in the U.S. and Europe for marketing and internal reporting would prefer to use Morningstar in India as well. That's the major edge that we have, he said. Morningstar's India Web site provides most of the data it offers on U.S. mutual funds, though it currently lacks in-depth commentary and analysis on most Indian funds. Mr. Agarwal said he hopes to change that over the next several months as he hires more analysts. He also plans to eventually offer stock research and data on insurance products. Separately, the value of assets managed by Indian mutual funds grew 2.8% in July from a month earlier, slowing from June's 5% expansion despite a rise of 8.1% in the Bombay Stock Market's benchmark Sensitive Index, according to the Association of Mutual Funds in India. Total assets under management rose to 6.90 trillion rupees ($145.8 billion) in July from 6.71 trillion rupees in June. It's quite surprising I doubt if these numbers reflect collections from the new funds that were launched last month, said Dhirendra Kumar, chief executive of Value Research, an independent provider of data on mutual funds.

Edited by jagdu - 16 years ago

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jagdu

@jagdu

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Posted: 16 years ago

#326

Shaded by an old war and a new economic rivalry, India and China sat down Friday for another attempt to settle the territory that divides them. Indian National Security Adviser M. K. Narayanan and Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo were scheduled to hold two days of talks on contested areas of their shared border. Although a breakthrough wasn't expected like the previous 12 rounds of meetings both sides sought to play down tensions between Asia's two largest emerging economies even amid signs they are escalating.

India's National Security Adviser M. K. Narayanan greeted China's State Councillor Dai Bingguo before their talks in New Delhi.

Despite the twists and turns in China-India ties and border disputes, the two countries share the same historical responsibilities of developing economies, China's ambassador to India, Zhang Yan, said. Mr. Zhang urged the two nations to handle their problems with the utmost political wisdom. China's call for calm comes as the relationship enters choppy waters. With their companies jockeying for market share abroad and their militaries modernizing at home, China and India have been regarding each other less as friendly neighbors and more as future rivals. India has lodged a record number of antidumping cases against China in the World Trade Organization. China has objected to a loan program from the Asian Development Bank that included a proposed flood-control project in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, which covers territory Beijing claims as its own. Both countries have invested heavily in recent years upgrading their navies. India and China fought a brief border war in 1962. India lost the war, but territorial disputes with China have endured. Aside from the area that India calls Arunachal Pradesh, the two countries also differ over part of the border with China's Tibet Autonomous Region. Neither side is showing signs of budging on its claims. In July, as part of the ADB loan fracas, India's foreign minister, S.M. Krishna, told parliament that the government has clearly conveyed to the Chinese side that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India. The sources of friction go well beyond contested territory. India continues to view with suspicion China's close strategic relationship with its arch-rival Pakistan, including recent deals to build nuclear reactors and manufacture jet fighters. China, meanwhile, has closely watched India's warming ties with the U.S., including a civilian nuclear deal that has formed the cornerstone of a new strategic partnership and its closer defense cooperation with the world's only superpower. Brajesh Mishra, the former Indian national-security advisor and a participant in border talks in the past, believes the U.S. nuclear deal has become a source of hostility with China. He contends that India needs to cultivate similarly close ties to other countries to deter future attacks from China. The Chinese must know that if they create something on border there would be an instant reaction far beyond what happened in 1962, he said.

In the latest twist in a feud between billionaire brothers, Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries Ltd. accused Anil Ambani of trying to influence a legal dispute between the company and Reliance Natural Resources Ltd. The comments come after Anil Ambani, who controls Reliance Natural Resources, accused the oil ministry of favoring RIL in a dispute over natural-gas pricing. Anil Ambani's public statements, many of which have been directly made to the press, are a part of an orchestrated campaign designed to bring into public debate and prejudge the issues that are pending before the Supreme Court of India, Atul Chandra, Reliance Industries' president of international operations, said. Reliance Natural Resources has been locked in a three-year-long legal battle with Reliance Industries over the pricing of gas to be supplied by RIL. Anil Ambani says he has the right to buy gas at $2.34 per million British thermal units, a price agreed upon four years ago when the brothers divided the empire of their late father, Dhirubhai Ambani. RIL says the gas should be sold at the state-mandated price of $4.20 per million BTUs. The Bombay High Court ruled in favor of Reliance Natural Resources, allowing it to buy gas at $2.34. The Supreme Court is set the hear the case on Sept. 1. Reliance Power Ltd. Chief Executive J. P. Chalasani said Anil Ambani is pained that RIL is doing everything in its power to renege on its binding commitment to supply gas to us. Anil Ambani controls Reliance Power. I have no idea what it is corporate greed, personal vendetta, misguided advice that has prompted Mukesh to act in this way, Anil Ambani said. While RIL talked of continued restraint in the verbal duel with Anil Ambani, it rejected the baseless, tendentious and motivated allegations and insinuations made by Anil Ambani and his associates.

Delhi govt drops plan on Wi-Fi for security reasons

Delhi Government's ambitious plan to provide Wi-Fi connectivity for high-speed wireless internet services in some of the favorite haunts in the capital ahead of the Commonwealth Games has been stalled due to security reasons. The move has come after it was felt that wireless fidelity (WiFi) was not a fool-proof mechanism in view of militants using it to carry out attacks in Mumbai and Ahmedabad last year.

India, China resume border talks amid rising tension

India and China began talks on Friday to resolve their long simmering border dispute, but hopes of any progress are expected to grind against a recent spike in geopolitical tensions as well as muscle flexing along the border. India's National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan and Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo resumed the talks after a year's gap, focusing on narrowing down differences along their Himalayan border. Twelve rounds of talks have been held.

26/11 Trial: Kasab pleads guilty, then backtracks

In a dramatic development, the lone captured gunmen in 26/11 Mumbai attack case, Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab, told the special court that he wanted to plead guilty and accept all charges against him. However, an hour later after the court reconvened Kasab, after consulting his lawyer Abbas Kazmi, went back on his words informing Judge ML Tahaliyani that he did not wish to plead guilty.

FM to restart meetings with banks, CMs

The Centre is mulling to restart the practice of holding consultations with the representatives of banks along with Chief Ministers to discuss issues related to availability of credit for rural areas. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said he was planning to revive the practice of meeting representatives of banks along with chief ministers and finance ministers of states at least once a year to discuss related issues.

It's a case of Chinese whispers, says Bollywood actor Emraan Hashmi, now that the hype and hoopla surrounding his controversial search for a home is over. I wanted to draw attention to discrimination in general, but what ultimately came out of my quotes and interviews was that Muslims in the city are being wronged, says the star, who recently alleged that he wasn't sold a home in Mumbai's upmarket Pali Hill neighbourhood, because he is Muslim. It happens to other communities too. I just find it unfair that a law-abiding, tax-paying citizen cannot decide where he or she wants to live.Officials from the housing society did not respond to repeated requests for comment. But in other reports they have insisted that Hashmi's allegation is baseless, and claimed he was denied the house because proper procedures for acquiring the NOC had not been followed. Now, the owner of the home in Nibbana housing society says that he does not want to sell at all. While Hashmi may have given up on the home, he isn't backing down from the fight at large. I have filed a complaint with the State Minorities Commission, and hopefully the right steps will be taken, says the actor who believes that it is up to India's youth to make a difference. I took up this cause because I believe that if you want to change the country, you have to start at home. This practice of denying someone a home based on their religion has existed for so long, that people have started to accept it, but I won't, he asserted. The reactions to Hashmi's claim have been manifold. In a film industry where many of reigning largely dominated by Muslims, Hashmi got surprisingly little sympathy from his Bollywood brethren. India's reigning superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan came out to say that the fact that Muslim actors are at the top in India, is testament to the county's secular nature. A local politician even slammed Hashmi for making inflammatory remarks and instigating religious divide. And the blogger world in Pakistan is abuzz with this story, one of which is calling secular India myth But others from the Indian Islamic community assert that Hashmi's cry for change isn't a publicity ploy. Young urban Muslims like 26 year-old Anamara Baig looking to rent/buy a space in Mumbai are disoriented by the so-called cosmopolitan city. I knew that certain housing societies did not permit Muslims to live there, but I experienced it first-hand this week. My real estate options are already cut by 50% because of my religion, says the program reviewer for an NGO, adding, I love Mumbai city which is why I am more disappointed than angry.But this isn't the only community that has found housing society doors slammed shut. It is a known fact that several building complexes across Mumbai refuse buyers based on their caste, religion, dietary preferences and marital status. Hashmi is well aware of the reactions and debates that his allegation has spurred on, but he believes the ultimate outcome will be positive. I have got an overwhelming response to my stand against religious discrimination. Letters are pouring in and those with similar experiences, not just from Mumbai, are now talking about it publicly, he says. The Bollywood star has been made to wear the tag of serial kisser in the past owing to his choice of racy films but he refuses to wear one based on his religion. India has long had housing societies based on religion or ethnicity. As India becomes more urbanized and globalized, Indians will have to ponder whether such societies should continue.

Flip through television channels, and the small-screen landscape seems vastly changed from what it was even six months ago. Today, sex and sleaze have begun to creep into a traditionally familial domain, which until now was dominated by what are derogatorily referred to as saas-bahu soaps, many of which critics accuse of being regressive and stagnant. Ekta Kapoor, head of Balaji Productions, largely credited for facilitating the saas-bahu show trend in India, lashes out against the first accusation.I have shown marital rape, mercy killing, women in politics, date rape, and widows remarrying. These are all social issues of today what's regressive about them? she demanded. She does however, concede to the second criticism. The audience isn't willing to move away from the standard theme and format I do feel stagnant at times she says. But not all TV producers agree, introducing shows into mainstream TV that are significantly more risqu and scandalous than their predecessors. For instance, Siddharth Basu, former quiz master and maker of family hits like Kaun Banega Crorepati is now producing Sach Ka Samna, based on the American Moment of Truth, where contestants are asked 21 probing, personal questions, addressing everything from extra-marital affairs to lying to a spouse. Those whose answers pass polygraph tests win up to one crore rupees.

Activists from National Akali Dal, a regional Sikh political party, carry placards and pictures during a protest in New Delhi. The activists were protesting against what they said were nudity and vulgarity on reality television shows and said the shows must be stopped immediately.

The scintillating material of the show has earned a lawsuit – a viewer has filed a petition against the Sach Ka Samna in the Delhi High Court, alleging that the questions asked in the show are obscene and against Indian culture and ethos, but it also debuted as one of the top five programs on television. The Delhi High Court weighed in saying It is for the government to decide whether the program should be banned or not. It is not the function of the court. There are far more serious problems in this country which we have to settle. In Sony Television's Iss Jungle Se Mujhe Bachao, celebrities are made to carry out difficult and sometimes repulsive tasks in order to survive. But more than the format, which is based on the British I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here, it's the over-exposed girls that are contributing to the show's TRP. One of the main attractions is Negar Khan, item girl and model whose claim to fame is a bikini malfunction while walking the ramp. Another contestant, Shweta Tiwari, has also made waves, allowing herself to be filmed wearing nothing but a bikini after playing the sari-clad, doting daughter-in-law in numerous sitcoms. But if television these days is transforming bahus into bomb-shells, it is also pulling off the opposite feat. Rakhi Sawant, the big screen's ultimate sleaze girl, was morphed into the ideal wife-to-be on Rakhi Ka Swayamvar, NDTV Imagine's just-concluded reality show, where 16 men wooed for the actress's hand in marriage. Sawant played the demure, bashful bride to hilt, bonding with the contestants' families and fasting for their good health. In the much publicised finale, she ended up with a Gujarati NRI. These trends may be contradictory, but they paint a true image of the nation's growing middle class, which is displaying a new cosmopolitan sensibility without losing its roots. In the BPO India, it makes complete sense that an audience which identifies with the bahu also appreciates the bikini-clad model, and can be equally engaged inreality shows about both atraditional swayamvar and the unraveling of a marriage.

South Korea and India completed Friday their three-and-a-half-year talks to reduce or eliminate tariffs by signing a comprehensive economic partnership agreement, or CEPA. The outcome of the bilateral talks, which started in early 2006, has been well flagged when both sides wrapped up their negotiations this year in India. It is the first free trade agreement for South Korea with an emerging economy of scale. We've just laid out a long-term milestone to activate trade, investment and workforce exchange. The CEPA, which covers merchandise and service, investment and economic cooperation, is a de-facto free trade agreement. After the deal goes in effect at the start of next year, as targeted by both sides, India will trim or eliminate tariffs on 85% of its imports from South Korea within a decade, while South Korea will do the same for 90% of imports from India. India, which has the second-largest population in the world and is experiencing fast economic growth, is the sixth partner of South Korea for a trade agreement. For South Korea, the agreement with India will benefit its automobile part makers, steelmakers, machinery builders, petrochemical industry, and electronic goods makers. Trade between the two sides surged to $15.6 billion last year from $5.5 billion in 2004 while cumulative investment in India by South Korean firms totaled $2.2 billion as of March this year. The deal has yet to be approved by South Korea's Parliament.

ATMs empty as bank stir sparks higher withdrawals

A number of ATMs ran out of cash in the city. While ATMs of PSU banks that are on a two-day strike went dry early in the day, some ATMs of private banks too ran out of money as PSU bank customers made a beeline for them. ' It's a new situation for us,' said a banker. Now that all ATMs are linked and a customer from any bank can withdraw money from the ATM of any other bank, there was huge pressure on the ATMs of banks such as ICICI Bank

TCS to reinforce product-line to boost offering, ensure growth

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), the country's largest software services firm by sales, will reinforce its product-line to boost its offering and ensure growth in the current economic environment. The company will come up with new packages for SMEs, develop products around cloud computing, engineering design and for the pharma industry too, CEO & MD S Ramadorai said. We are strengthening our product line-up to position the company for the future, Mr Ramadorai said. He was talking to reporters here on the sidelines of an event organised by Calcutta Management Association.

ArcelorMittal to use India, China as sourcing hub

ArcelorMittal, the world's largest steel producer, plans to make India and China the sourcing hub for its greenfield projects equipment to bring down overall costs. Speaking on the sidelines of an event organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), ArcelorMittal Design & Engineering Centre CEO Pierre Jonette said: Our main objective is to bring down the total project cost by 20-22 per cent across all the green projects. We have internally decided to increase sourcing from local low cost destinations for most of our greenfield projects.

Enough evidence given on Hafiz Saeed, says India

India rubbished Pakistan's contention that it was not provided sufficient evidence about involvement of Jamaat-ud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed in Mumbai attacks even as it is seeking details about Islamabad's claim about banning outfits like JuD and Jaish-e-Mohammad. India sees the Pakistani claim about lack of evidence against Saeed as an attempt by Islamabad to build a firewall around the Jamaat-ud Dawa chief who is said to have proximity with the establishment, particularly the ISI.

BJP set for a youthful makeover

The 29-year-old Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is opting for a generational change in its organizational structure as it attempts a youthful makeover. The initiative, led by party patriarch L.K. Advani, is expected to gain momentum after a meeting of the top BJP leadership later this month. The BJP's top leadership is due to hold a three-day brainstorming session in Shimla, where the drive to groom a younger generation of leaders will be discussed.

Krishna takes up student attacks with Australia

Australia has vowed to take firm action against those responsible for the recent attacks on Indian students as External Affairs Minister S M Krishna became the first senior leader to visit Down Under to convey New Delhi's concerns in this regard. During his meeting with New South Wales (NSW) Premier Nathan Rees, Krishna, who is on a five-day visit to Australia, was assured that firm action will be taken against the perpetrators.

The Gangetic planes of eastern India, in a small town called Chandan Nagar about 25 miles from Calcutta. In the traditional spirit of celebrating the rains, an agrarian custom, we sing a Bengali song that goes like this in English Oh rain dear, pour at will I'll give you rice by the fill. Rice being a Bengali and Indian staple, it is the chosen food for offering to the Rain God in return for blessings in the form of water to make the shoots grow. Childhood rains were always a joyful event until the devastating floods they caused and realized why they say in English: Save it for a rainy day. This is also true in business. We forget that extremes happen and we should build our businesses around balance and proportion. When orders pour in from our rainmakers, business thrives. We take these excesses for granted until the turn of the seasons jolts companies with an inevitable drought, a dry spell. Managers then run around in a panic for resources, peering into tanks and ponds that are empty. Capital has dried up, liquidity has evaporated and customer attrition has increased while the rainmakers the sales folks blame the economic weather. Then companies start praying to the Shareholder God, the Bank God, the Customer God, national gods like the presidents of nations and our real gods, in solitude and slumber. A few get to sustain themselves with stimulus grants and survive but many die as institutions. The important lesson is that we all forget balance. In fact, it is the monsoon out there that teaches us the greatest lesson: too much, it's flood; too little, it's a drought. As we contemplate various issues related to the business climate, managers toil in their corporate gardens trying to control the damage. Somewhere, sometimes, green shoots are visible shoots that will one day grow to become tall, fruit-bearing trees if nurtured correctly. And that's when we need to remember to celebrate in proportion, too, with bonuses, pay hikes, costs, and leverage. Anything in excess is likely to damage our harvest. So monsoon time, juxtaposed between spring and winter, shows us the humility of the balance that needs to be remembered and practiced. This allows companies to store up resources for a rainy day and for the harvesting of excesses in a way that avoids floods or catastrophes. Every year, when the rain sets in, is magic as well as tragic. The romantic child on the one hand wants to dance in the rain. The pragmatic side on the other gets reminded of the devastation that results without rain or with an excess of it. Perhaps the mind can overtake the heart in echoing the monsoon logic a lesson of proportions for prosperity in business and life!

Sporadic monsoon rains are threatening to push up already high food prices in India, the federal government said, admitting for the first time that the below normal rains are weighing on the country's hopes for a quick economic rebound. Vegetable prices and lots of other prices have increased because of the monsoon rains, which have been erratic, [and] are having an overall impact on the economy, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee told lawmakers in the upper house of parliament. Data released earlier showed Indian wholesale prices fell for the eighth straight week, but prices of farm products continued to head north. The wholesale price index the country's main gauge of inflation trends shrank 1.58% in the week ended July 25, but prices of food articles rose 0.8% from the previous week, after having risen 1.2% in the week ended. The government will respond with adequate measures to counter spiraling inflation, Mr. Mukherjee said. We are sensitive to it, Mr. Mukherjee said. The government is responsible, the government is responsive and all appropriate measures will be taken. As demand for food grows in the world's second-most populous country, a demand-supply mismatch is bound to push prices higher. The June-September monsoon is critical for summer-sown crops, including oilseeds, rice, and sugarcane, as 60% of fields are rain fed. The deputy chairman of India's Planning Commission, the country's top economic policy think tank, also expressed concerns over the weak rains, adding that the summer-sown crop is unlikely to be encouraging and could put pressure on food prices. No doubt. It's not going to be a good kharif summer crop. There will be some negative impact, Montek Singh Ahluwalia said on the sidelines of a book release function. He said, however, that buffer stocks of food products remained robust, especially for rice, and this will help offset production shortfalls. according to an initial estimate, the annual monsoon rains are likely to be 25% below the 50-year average during June 1-Aug. 5. If rainfall remains sporadic through September, winter crop yields such as wheat could also be hurt. This is a challenge for a country where two-thirds of the 1.1 billion population live in villages and agriculture accounts for around 18% of gross domestic product. Sowing of the rice crop, a staple grain, fell about 28% 15.6 million hectares because of the below-average rainfall. The main rice crop is sown with the arrival of the monsoon rains. As India is one of the world's largest exporters of rice and sugar, the notable fall in output this year due to below-average rains is putting upward pressures on both domestic and global prices. Last month, the Reserve Bank of India raised its inflation projection to around 5% from 4% for the fiscal year, citing rising prices of food grains and the delayed monsoon.

Seven years ago, more than 50% of the power distributed by North Delhi Power Ltd. wasn't paid for by customers. Today, the company has cut that to 15%, signaling that one of India's biggest infrastructure problems can be solved, if tackled aggressively. Power theft by rich and poor customers as well as businesses has plagued India for decades, hindering foreign and domestic investment that could spark the increase in generating capacity the nation desperately needs. [SB124885874162589595]

The experience of North Delhi Power, a joint venture between the Delhi government and Mumbai-based Tata Power Co. Ltd., shows that a broad and sustained effort can make a difference. A key challenge for power companies is reducing theft by India's poor. Many have come to view free electricity as a right, something that politicians have done little to counter in a bid to win votes. The main problem in arresting the theft is a lack of political will, said Vijay Kumar, who works with the Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission. Sajida Siddiqui and her neighbors in New Seemapuri, an impoverished area of Delhi, say they don't pay for power they use at home because it is too expensive. Among their neighbors, a typical household power bill runs between 600 rupees ($13) and 700 rupees a month, while their household monthly income is between 3,000 rupees and 4,000 rupees. Tapping into the network by attaching wires to power lines, they use the electricity to run water heaters, refrigerators and other appliances. Manoj Edathikudy, who works with the Electricity Board in the South Indian state of Kerala, says, People are having that feeling that electricity is something they can take without paying That kind of mind-set has been developed over years. Turning some of these people into paying customers will help North Delhi Power hit its target of reducing losses of power due to theft and other reasons to 12% by the end of March, says Chief Executive Sunil Wadhwa. In addition to turning power thieves into paying customers, North Delhi Power has to keep an eye out for recidivists. We have to be very vigilant that those who were stealing in the past do not think our attention is off them, Mr. Wadhwa said. Sustenance at these levels is a challenge. North Delhi Power trains its staff to coax individuals to expose neighborhood power theft, and doles out rewards to those who report it. For large industrial customers, the utility introduced automated meter-reading, turning to wireless technology in a bid to curb the opportunity for customers to bribe meter readers. Backed by the Central Industrial Security Force, a government agency that is part of the police, North Delhi Power conducts occasional raids in neighborhoods where its intelligence indicates many residents may be stealing electricity. The company obtains information through individuals' reports of suspected theft as well as spot checks in areas where losses are high. To school its employees in antitheft tactics and other aspects of the business, North Delhi Power runs a training center in northwest Delhi. Employees learn how meters can be manipulated powerful magnets can deactivate the meter's mechanism how to safeguard against the practice. To keep thieves from tapping power directly from overhead lines, employees learn to replace wires with insulated cables. Utilities across India are sending employees to North Delhi Power's center to learn how to rein in losses. Bringing down aggregate technical and commercial losses in other words, making sure power is paid for is vital, Mr. Wadhwa, the CEO, says, noting that this, in a way, is basically the most critical operating lever for a company. For India as a whole, those technical and commercial losses which include power lost through inefficient transmission, as well as power unpaid for due to bills going astray are running at about 38%, said Sushilkumar Shinde, India's power minister. About 20% of all power is stolen, Mr. Shinde said, and the government is working to decrease that. Funding for a program to rein in the theft was more than doubled to $437 million in the recent budget. The government also aims to create awareness through training and public-information campaigns, Mr. Shinde said. It's a longstanding problem, he adds. Fixing it will take some years. The industry is bearing the brunt of the power theft. Lenders look to bankroll projects that will pay, said Praveen Chorghade, the North Delhi Power executive in charge of upgrading the company's metering and billing processes. Failure to collect revenues affects investment in the sector, he said.

THE 2 SIDES TO ALCHOL CONSUMPTION

Traditional Indian culture has always been governed by strict values and a strong sense of morality and principle. Though these rules were sometimes rigid, they were based on a foundation of honesty, dignity and integrity. People were proud of their strong sense of right and wrong, and believed in their own personal judgment. Lately, the shift from traditional Indian culture to a more westernized way of life has been drastic. A sudden and wide exposure to the lives of people in other countries, through media such as movies, television etc, has led to a sudden rise of the night club culture among today's youth. The younger generation of today frequents bars and clubs regularly and has taken to consuming large amounts of alcohol. This increased consumption is rapidly destroying Indian culture and society. Pubbing has become a way of life which is considered fashionable, and this has eroded traditional family values and widened the generation gap. The quintessential party goer blatantly lies about his whereabouts to his parents while he is busy drowning himself at the watering hole. Honesty, long considered a virtue, holds no relevance for the one who chooses to embrace a life filled with the heady excitement of alcohol. This is different from an occasional sip of the bubbly, a practice which has not had any lasting effect on Indian culture and is not likely to in the future. But it's a different story when alcohol is consumed in excess, as is considered the norm in night clubs: Dignity, self respect, honesty of purpose and other such core Indian values are being compromised by the ever-growing need to have a good time. Rising alcohol intake among Indian girls, considered a social stigma until recently, is even more problematic. Girls are often found, scantily clad, inebriated and exercising no discretion whatsoever in how they conduct themselves with obvious and dangerous implications for their personal safety. Then there is the issue of drinking and driving. Newspaper headlines scream out the fatalities caused by drivers who are not entirely in control of their senses. The cases of drunk-driving in India have increased sharply. Such irresponsible and reckless behaviour has caused many a tear to be shed by the affected families. This is not what India stood for. Sixty-two years since independence, we have the youngest population in the world. This is our biggest asset. India's youth has to realize the enormous responsibility bestowed upon them by their forefathers to build a great nation. Frittering away their lives in the caverns of smoke and booze rarely enriches the heritage and the culture that they have inherited. Thus, values, morals, judgment and many other core principles of Indian society are being compromised. Our youth is heading down a dangerous path and taking our culture with it. Alcohol consumption is starting to pose a serious threat to the lives of our new generation and to the social values held so closely by our ancestors.

No Harm Done=Counterpoint The first thing we need to do here is to understand the topic of debate. The legal age for buying alcohol in India is 21 18 or 25 in some states, so it makes sense to assume youth to be those aged a little above 21. However, every adult and child knows that the enforcement of the law is abysmal, and it is a matter of relative ease for underage citizens to procure alcohol from government-sponsored wine and beer shops. Therefore, the definition of youth here can be taken as any teenager who sees fit to drink. Also, it is important to define Indian culture. India boasts of a 5,000-year-old civilization but it is a country with mind-boggling diversity which has had more than a few foreign rulers. The last of those, the British, shaped India as it is today. within India itself you will find scores of different beliefs and cultures, thus making it difficult to understand what exactly Indian culture is. But for all intents and purposes, it can be said that the common Indian mindset remains a conservative one, one that disapproves of the consumption of alcohol, cigarettes, etc. There is a contradiction here. There are indications that alcohol has been brewed in India since 150 B.C. and indeed the consumption and distillation of alcohol has been a part of most if not all traditional societies. So can it be argued that drinking is actually a part of Indian culture? It's difficult to say. It has largely been regarded as a sin, though a minor one. Still, surveys show that about one third of the overall Indian population drinks. The recently published book Indian Youth in a Transforming World: Attitudes and Perceptions tells us that as many as 64% of Indian youth finds drinking unacceptable. So it is unfair to say that the consumption of alcohol among youth is rampant. There is the odd BMW Case, a drunken hit and run, but one cannot base opinions of an entire generation on one-off incidents. Even though the laws are not adequately enforced and it is not difficult for adolescents to buy liquor, there are numerous anti-alcohol campaigns especially those against DUI and most parents would never allow their kids to have a drink before they are of the appropriate age. It should be kept in mind that many who consume alcohol in their youth give it up later as they mature. It's a process common to all generations. The most commonly cited reason for drinking among the young is social circles/peer pressure, etc. That suggests alcohol is chiefly a social pleasure, a disposable indulgence and not the great evil that it is sometimes made out to be. If there are negative effects, they stem not from the drinking but from the responsibility, or lack of it, of the drinker. So if you truly want to discourage the consumption of liquor among youth underage or legal and believe it harms Indian culture, enforce the law more diligently and come up with more comprehensive rules to discourage drinking. But given that it is social issue enjoyed responsibly by the minority of youth who approve of the practice, any real effect on Indian culture is highly improbable.

5 airports for Rs 63 crore: Anil Ambani lands a deal

The Anil Ambani led Reliance Airport Developers Ltd is on its way to picking up five airports in rural Maharashtra on a 95-year lease for a total of only Rs 63 crore from the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation. Government officials told that MIDC passed the proposal last week and recommended to the state that Yavatmal, Nanded, Latur, Osmanabad and Baramati airports be leased. MIDC officials said they could have got a higher price in a better economy but industries secretary A M Khan said the government was satisfied with the price it was getting.

Indians in Australia ask Krishna for 'immediate action'

Union External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on Thursday met the Indian community in Australia to hear first-hand accounts of the problems faced by Indian students in that country. Indians in Sydney told the visiting minister that Australia is not a racist nation and that the Australian government should be encouraged to be more co-operative. They emphasized that immediate action by the Australian government in every case of racism is necessary

Reeda's family sue Jehangir, Ruby hospitals for negligence

The family of Reeda Shaikh, the 14-year-old school girl who became the first victim of Swine flu in India, on Thursday lodged criminal complaint against two private hospitals Jehangir and Ruby in Pune for alleged gross negligence that led to her death. The family had earlier said that when Reeda was admitted to Jehangir hospital, she was first treated for pneumonia and later, when her condition worsened the blood samples were sent to Ruby hospital instead of the government referral centre National Institute of Virology (NIV), nodal agency entrusted with H1N1 virus test.

Mizoram government bans Chinese food products

The Mizoram government has imposed a ban on food items like chocolates made in China alleging they were harmful for consumption. An official statement issued by the state health department warned the people not to eat Chinese food products.

Bank staff start strike, trading hit

Indian bank employees began a two-day strike for higher wages and pension, affecting cash transaction and foreign exchange trading volumes. Bank unions representing about 900,000 employees in state-run banks and old generation private sector banks went on strike after talks with Indian Banks' Association, the apex body representing bank management, failed.

Kerosene, domestic LPG prices lowest in India: Govt

Kerosene and domestic LPG prices in India are the lowest in South Asia, while the rates for petrol and diesel are comparable with its neighbors, Petroleum Minister Murli Deora said Thursday. In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, he said kerosene at Rs 9.22 per liter in Delhi is the cheapest cooking fuel in South Asia.

Pakistan starts Interpol search for Mumbai suspects

Pakistan has launched a global search for 13 suspects in last November's attack on Mumbai, the international police network Interpol said on Thursday. France-based Interpol said a global alert issued from Islamabad asked member countries to assist in locating the fugitives and immediately report any leads to Pakistan, which would seek their extradition if any are arrested. The Interpol statement did not name the suspects.

Prachanda's latest: India, US planned to attack China using Nepal

In a sensational claim, former Prime Minister and Maoist chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that the India-US axis wanted to launch anti-China activities, even a possible attack on China, using Nepali territory. I had to quit as Prime Minister as my party was opposed to letting our territory used against China, Prachanda said while addressing a training program of the Maoist cadres yesterday.

Satyam's Raju took Aussies for a ride too

Ramalinga Raju's multi-billion dollar Satyam fraud is not just giving sleepless nights to authorities in India and the US. It is now kicking up a storm Down Under as well, where the latest episode of the Satyam saga is unfolding in the Australian state of Victoria.

Raju had, last year, promised to invest Australian $75 million in setting up a IT hub at Deakin University's Waurn Pond campus on the outskirts of Geelong, Victoria state's second largest city located 75 kms from Melbourne. A move the Victorian government had hoped would transform Geelong from a decelerating car manufacturing hub into a Silicon Valley by creating 2000 jobs.

Source: Economic Times

Lankan co next for Bharti Airtel

Bharti Airtel plans to bid for Luxembourg-based Millicom's Sri Lankan mobile network, in a move that could make it the second largest mobile phone operator in the island nation. India's largest telecom operator will have to compete with an array of suitors. Bharti, which has a subscriber base of one million in Lanka, to treble its user base.

AAI to become a company, get listed

The Airports Authority of India AAI would be turned into a company by amending laws to enable the body raise funds from market for carrying out modernisation of a large number of major airports across the country, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said. We are looking at corporatising the AAI, turning it into a company from an authority which it is now.Our objective is to list AAI in the stock market.

RIL takes control of city gas distribution project in AP

Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) will pick up a 67 per cent stake in Krishna Godavari Gas Network Ltd (KGGNL), a joint venture promoted by the Andhra Pradesh government, for undertaking city gas distribution in the state. RIL has sought time to meet Chief Minister Rajasekhara Reddy to sign the shareholders' agreement to this effect, according to the state economic adviser, D Somayajulu.

No slowing down on reforms: RBI chief

India will not go slow on financial sector reforms but its future response will take into account the impact of the global financial crisis. There is speculation, apprehension that India may slow down on reforms. That is a mistake. We will not slow down on reforms but will recalibrate our response to reflect lessons learnt from the crisis" said the RBI Governor, Dr D. Subbarao.

India to amend Indo-Mauritius tax treaty

India is planning amendments to the Double Taxation Avoidance treaty with Mauritius to prevent its misuse for avoiding taxes. Amendments to the Indo-Mauritius DTAC Double taxation Avoidance Convention to prevent its misuse and enhance exchange of information, including banking information, are being pursued Minister of State for Finance S S Palanimanickam said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.

2003 Mumbai blasts: Prosecution demands death sentence

A special POTA court on Tuesday deferred till August 6 its ruling on the quantum of sentence to be awarded to three convicts in the 2003 serial bomb blasts case after the prosecution demanded the death penalty saying the accused were responsible for killing 54 persons and injuring 244 others. Among the convicts, a married couple, Hanif Sayed Anees and his wife Fahmida, asked for lenient punishment while another convict Arshat Ansari said he was not guilty of the crime and the verdict was not acceptable to him.

Centre plans to offer financial aid to Naxals who surrender

In an effort to tackle the threat of Naxalism the government is working on a new policy which offers financial assistance to those who surrender. the Union Home Ministry is finalising a financial package for Naxalites who may want to come overground and talk to the government. The Home Ministry is likely to offer rupees 2,500 per month as a stipend and put in rupees three lakh as a fixed deposit for three years for those who give up arms.

Big spending proposed for fresh push to rural economy

In a move that could serve as a stimulus to the economy, the government has set ambitious targets for the second phase of its flagship development programme, Bharat Nirman. One of these involves doubling the number of low-cost houses that are to be constructed to 12 million, a move that will cascade into more demand for steel, cement and construction material.

Parliament passes landmark Right to Education Bill

Children would get the fundamental right to free and compulsory education with the passage of a bill, hailed as historic, by Parliament. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Bill, 2008, seeks to provide education to children aged between 6 to 14 years.

Swine flu: Govt fears surge, announces fresh guidelines

India, which has 574 positive cases of H1N1 infection, expects the number to rocket over the next few months. The health ministry said that August marked the start of the country's six-month long seasonal influenza period during which time the deadly H1N1 influenza virus would spread faster among people.

Quote

jagdu

@jagdu

Dazzler

Posted: 16 years ago

#327

India's aviation industry is in a mess.

Pick up any of India's main papers and stories abound about India's airlines losing $2 billion in the last financial year. NACIL, the publicly-owned company that runs Air India is in particularly bad shape. The government has rejected a request for a $3 billion bailout package.Instead, the government wants to overhaul AI's management within a month and has started the hunt for an experienced chief operating officer. With accumulated losses as of March 31 that total a staggering $1.5 billion, for the first time in its history the airline delayed paying its salaries in June. None of the other large carriers, including Jet Airways and Kingfisher, are faring much better. Those two have taken excess capacity out of the market and reduced overheads. Airport operators, oil companies, hotels and others have either threatened to introduce or already are operating cash-and-carry regimes with carriers that have, in some cases, significantly exceeded their credit limits. The spectacular growth rates of 30% to 40% that enticed airlines to ramp up aircraft orders and to devise unsustainable but until not too long ago universally followed strategies of buying market share by discounting tickets and adding capacity are now history. In such a scenario, is there any chance that India will emerge as a global aviation hub? Looking at its metropolises, including the megacities of Delhi and Mumbai, India should already sport at least one major global aviation hub. Both cities have populations approaching 20 million inhabitants. Delhi is the country's political capital and arguably its second most important commercial hub. It also does not suffer from the severe space constraints afflicting Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. In fact, the masterplan for Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport envisages a capacity of 100 million passengers at the end of its development. The capital hosts embassies of most of the world's countries, international schools, good hotels and entertainment facilities, a rapidly growing infrastructure and, if one includes the satellite towns of Gurgaon and Noida, more head offices of multinational companies than any other city in India. Until today, infrastructure has been a major handicap. Lack of efficient connectivity between the domestic and international terminals made transfers from domestic to international flights and vice versa an unpredictable nightmare for passengers and airlines. With the airport's development and the construction of an integrated domestic/international terminal this problem will be resolved by the middle of next year. However, their poor shape and the relatively small size of India's airlines compared with majors such as Emirates, Lufthansa or Singapore Airlines all with their already well-established hubs and route networks will make it difficult for any desi carrier to assert itself. The merger of Air India and Indian Airlines was conceptually the right way forward. It was aimed at giving the state carrier the size and route network to effectively compete with its domestic and international challengers. Unfortunately, the marriage between the two airlines was never properly consummated and hardly any of its envisaged synergies have materialized. So what should India's aviation industry do to extricate itself from this mess? To begin with, the airlines will have to start addressing the problems that they themselves have caused. This process has already started with Jet and Kingfisher deferring orders for new aircraft, mothballing new deliveries or, where possible, leasing or selling them to foreign carriers. In short, with the exception of some of the low cost operators, a significant amount of capacity has been taken out of the market. Jet has transferred much of its remaining capacity to its economy-only Jet Konnect product as well as to its low cost subsidiary JetLite. Kingfisher has followed the same strategy by shifting passengers onto its no frills Kingfisher Red product. On another front, a truce in the price wars has yet to be reached. Yet capacity reduction is still lagging behind demand. With all airlines chasing bums on seats, charging prices that will cover costs and hopefully leave a margin for profit remains difficult in such a hotly-contested market. We will surely see more consolidation or bankruptcies in the medium term. This is precisely an area where the government should step in. Before the elections, the Ministry of Civil Aviation contemplated allowing up to 49% foreign domestic investment in domestic airlines. This would include foreign airlines as potential investors something that is currently explicitly prohibited. It seems obvious that in an industry where average profit margins do not exceed 1.5%, the most likely investors would be other airlines seeking to strengthen their market position, increase their route network or realize economies of scale. Since the elections, however, nothing more has been heard of this proposal.Another deterrent: The cost of fuel, which in India is among the highest in the world. At current prices, fuel accounts for 45% to 50% of operating costs in India. While the central government has instructed the public-sector oil companies to provide generous credit terms to the airlines, it could do more by naming fuel a declared good which attracts a uniform 4% sales tax. At present, it is up to individual states to charge fuel taxes as they see fit. Some of them are charging well over 30% a figure that keeps on rising in absolute terms as fuel prices go up. Internationally, aviation fuel does not attract any levies in many major markets. For India, this means a distorted market, putting its carriers at a relative disadvantage especially on international routes and making technical or fuelling stops in India for international carriers non-viable. Furthermore, service tax and other levies have been a bone of contention between the airline industry and the government. A review and streamlining of the entire tax regime would surely be a sensible thing. Getting the fundamentals right is obviously a prerequisite for the establishment of a successful hub. To date, India has been fairly liberal in its approach to so-called bilateral agreements which regulate how many flights and/or to which points carriers from two contracting countries can serve. This is a good thing. An open bilateral regime stimulates competition and traffic growth as the examples of Singapore and Dubai have shown. It is also instrumental in bringing down the cost of travel and promoting economic growth.For the sake of its national economy, the current plight of the national carrier should not discourage India from keeping its aviation market open. Instead, liberalization should be used as a tool to make its industry more competitive and its national carrier a leaner, more focussed and especially a more customer-centric organization. Air India has taken a couple of encouraging steps. It has selected a European hub at Frankfurt, its first outside India. It is phasing out its unreliable fleet of old B777s and B747s. It has been selected as a member of the Star Alliance and is in the process of joining. That will give Air India a greater reach into the coveted U.S. market in addition to its flights from India. It is through its alliance membership that Air India could widen its appeal and route network from India to the rest of the world.Overall, India either has or is building the necessary ingredients for establishing a successful aviation hub, most likely in Delhi. But to fulfil that promise will require a broader partnership involving alliance partners, regulators, airport operators and local authorities to overcome the many hurdles that remain.

Quote

jagdu

@jagdu

Dazzler

Posted: 16 years ago

#328

England badminton officials and players blamed what they said were inadequate security measures for their decision to pull out of this week's world championships in India. Badminton England chief executive Adrian Christy told a media conference on Monday that the team was not given appropriate levels of security for the tournament in Hyderabad.

A security official stands guard inside an indoor badminton stadium ahead of the world badminton championships in the Indian city of Hyderabad August 9, 2009. Security concerns over sports events in South Asia have been heightened since the attack on the Sri Lanka cricket team in Lahore, Pakistan, that killed six policemen and a driver in March. Seven cricketers, an assistant coach and a match official were injured, and England's Commonwealth Games champion Nathan Robertson said he and his teammates were disturbed by the threat of a similar attack. It wasn't a safe place for staff or players, Mr. Robertson said at the media conference at Milton Keynes, England. We were on back roads with no armed guards or anything just a bus driver. It doesn't matter to me where it is in the world, we weren't safe in that situation. It wasn't a difficult decision in my mind. England flew home from Hyderabad on Sunday, a day before the tournament started, because of a terrorist threat from a Pakistan-based Islamic militant group. Indian police have denied there was a threat but team manager Andy Wood said that security was so lax that members of the public could easily walk into the players' hotel unchallenged. I don't think we have overreacted," Mr. Christy said. "e were very clear of our expectation of security before the event. We went to Hyderabad with every intention of being met with appropriate levels of security. We were not particularly impressed with the level of security we were met with on arrival and subsequent days. It was absolutely the right thing to do.Mr. Christy also expressed his unhappiness with comments from Badminton Scotland Chief Executive Anne Smillie that England had overreacted. England performance director Ian Ross said other teams were concerned with security and got in touch with their embassies for advice on whether to stay. This is unfortunate and an overreaction, India home secretary G.K. Pillai said late Sunday. The security arrangements in Hyderabad are good and the government of India is committed to ensure the complete security of all competitors and the championship. In March, two of England's top badminton players withdrew from the India Open in Hyderabad citing security concerns. sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe has said he will talk over the issue with Indian government officials and that the country intends to support India in its hosting of the Commonwealth Games next year.We very much look forward to the Commonwealth Games, Mr. Christy said. I'm sure they will be a great success.

India to open new uranium mines, boost nuclear power

India is embarking on opening new uranium mines and boosting nuclear power generation capacity as fuel supplies are expected to get a major push from domestic and international sources, a top scientist said. Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission Anil Kakodkar said here that the first consignment of 120 tonnes of uranium pellets had already landed in India, and the government was engaged in a dialogue with international vendorcountries to get more such supplies.Ka kodkar said the uranium had been delivered under a kind of a long-term contract (with Russia). They (Russia) will keep delivering and we will use it in the reactors, which we are putting under safeguards, he said.

Dubious Oz institutes ruin young Indians' lives: Krishna

External Affairs Minister S M Krishna has said some dubious educational institutions in Australia were ruining the lives of young Indians and asked Canberra to come out with new regulations to cover private colleges to undo the damage. He also said physical attacks on Indian students in Australia and the poor quality of courses and services offered in many vocational colleges were of concern to India.I think t hey vocational colleges are not only bringing a bad name to Australia but they are destroying the future of the younger generation of Indian students, Krishna, who is here on a visit, told.

4 year old dies in Chennai; toll reaches 6

The H1N1 death toll rose to six on Monday after a 35-year-old ayurvedic doctor and a four-year-old boy died in Pune and Chennai respectively. Babasahib Mane is the third person to lose his life due to the H1N1 virus in Pune.

'L&T says no decision to sell Satyam stake yet'

Indian engineering and construction firm Larsen & Toubro has not taken a decision to sell its stake in outsourcer Mahindra Satyam told. No decision at the board or management level has been taken to sell our stake in Mahindra Satyam. It is some kind of an enabling situation we wanted to create, Larsen's chief financial officer, Y M Deosthalee, told.

Boeing to replicate US business structure in India

The Boeing Company is replicating its US business model in India and scaling up operations, eyeing a major chunk of the $31-billion military and industrial aerospace market. The US-based aircraft manufacturing giant will expand its manufacturing presence, launch subsidiaries and strengthen research and development (R&D) programmes in the country.

PM calls for co-ordination with states to check swine flu

The death toll has risen to four after a 43-year-old NRI succumbed to the disease in Ahmedabad on Sunday With the number of swine flu deaths going up and criticism of the government's handling of the disease mounting, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today stepped in, asking the health ministry to coordinate with the states to contain further spread of the disease.

Retailers pool resources to beat slowdown blues

Cut-throat competition in India's organised retail industry seems to have given way to harmony, with top players such as the Future Group, Aditya Birla Retail, Spencer's and Reliance Retail coming together to cut operational costs and improve margin The retailers have formed a rainbow coalition that will align their sourcing operations and share private labels, logistics, warehouses and hiring details on a transactional payment basis. The move mirrors a similar step taken by manufacturing firms in the late 90s to share markets and cut costs.

Coke buys back Kinley rights from franchisee bottlers

Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages, the bottling subsidiary of Coca-Cola India, has acquired the bottling and distribution rights for its Kinley packaged water brand from franchisee bottlers in three states, ending a long-drawn dispute. In order to gain synergy with the rest of the portfolio, Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages (HCCBPL) has integrated the operations of some exclusive Kinley water franchise bottling partners in select territories in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra with itself.

CAG seeks oil ministry help to access RIL books

Unable to access RIL's books for two years for auditing the government's gas contract with the Mukesh Ambani-led firm, the country's apex audit institution CAG has sought the petroleum ministry's help in the matter. The Comptroller and Auditor General has written to the ministry as it has not been able to access the accounts of RIL to conduct the audit of the government's production-sharing contract with the company for Krishna-Godavari basin gas. The ministry, in turn, has favoured a meeting very soon between the CAG and the contractor (RIL), the official added.

Human trials for stem cell research on cards

In what is seen as a boost to the stem cell research in the country, India would soon get to host human clinical trials for therapies using umbilical blood cord (UBC) stem cell. Chennai-based Apollo Hospital, America's largest stem cell company StemCyte and Dr Wise Young, a leading expert on spinal cord injury, are in talks for conducting clinical trials in India using stem cell derived from UBC. The companies may ink an agreement by the end of this year.

33% Indians likely to get H1N1: Azad

Admitting that the no government measure could prevent the spread of the H1N1 influenza in India, Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said that around one-third of the Indian population was likely to get infected with the virus over the next two years, in accordance with WHO predictions. But most people would suffer only mild symptoms of the disease, he added. It's a global pandemic. If countries across the world around 168 till now are suffering from a H1N1 outbreak, so will India. We are, however, lucky that it didn't start from here,' Azad told.

Low costs a draw for foreign drug makers

In spite of concerns over intellectual property rights and data protection, overseas drug makers now see India as an attractive destination for research and contract manufacturing .This is mainly because of low costs, high technical capabilities and a skilled work force, industry lobby group Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (Oppi) and consultancy firm Ernst and Young has found.

essar in race for UK's second largest refinery: Report

London/New Delhi: India's Essar group is in the race to acquire Britain's second-largest oil refinery Shell's Stanlow complex. Shell hopes to pocket up to 1.5 billion pounds from the sale, the Sunday Times said.

Edited by jagdu - 16 years ago

Quote

jagdu

@jagdu

Dazzler

Posted: 16 years ago

#329

A consortium of DLF Ltd. and Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Ltd. will invest 9 billion rupees ($188 million) to build a metro rail project connecting New Delhi with Gurgaon in neighboring Haryana state. The two companies have formed a special company to build and operate the metro system for 99 years, said DLF, India's biggest property developer by sales. This will be the first metro rail project in the country that will be run by a pvt. co. Several states across India are either constructing or considering building metro rail projects as rising vehicular population chokes roads, increasing demand for fast and efficient public transportation systems. Today, Gurgaon is a burgeoning city and needs an efficient transportation system, said A.S. Minocha, chairman of DLF Commercial Developers Ltd. The metro link will ensure easy connectivity between Gurgaon and Delhi and other neighboring areas, he said. A DLF executive, who didn't wish to be named, said separately that the joint venture plans to raise as much as 7 billion rupees for the project. The time frame and ways to raise the funds will be decided at a later date. Sanjiv Rai, chief executive of ITNL Enso Rail Systems, a unit of IL&FS and DLF's partner in the project, said:We want to achieve financial closure by six months. DLF will hold 26% of the joint venture and IL&FS, an infrastructure development and finance company, will own the rest. As part of the agreement with the Haryana government, the project which extends over 6.1 kilometers is scheduled to be completed within 30 months.Rajiv Singh, DLF's vice chairman, told reporters that the metro project may be extended to more than 20 kilometers with an investment of between 20 billion rupees and 30 billion rupees.

Quote

jagdu

@jagdu

Dazzler

Posted: 16 years ago

#330

The India Meteorological Department has a spotty record in predicting the all-important monsoon rains. It is up to H.R. Hatwar, a slight, gray-haired man who sits behind a large desk with maps and charts scattered around his computer, to try to improve the forecasts that India's 600 million farmers rely on to plan their crops. No prediction is 100% accurate anywhere in the world, he says, promising the 130-year-old institution is doing all it can to improve its overall forecast.

See how the India Meteorological Department's forecasts compare to actual monsoon rainfalls. This year, the department predicted normal rainfall; it later adjusted expectations to below normal, and on Monday, more than halfway into a June-September monsoon season that has been so dry that five states have declared drought, India's official weather forecaster said it expected monsoon-season rainfall to be deficient. Peter Webster, a professor at the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, says if India drops its focus on the monsoon's arrival date and the average national rainfall and puts its efforts into 20-day forecasts that show regional rainfall, it would give farmers the time they need to decide what crops to sow, and when. In India, it's up to the state or central governments to declare a drought, because it entails contingency planning and relief aid. Mr. Webster says India's national drought declaration in 2002 could have been prevented had the department provided timely 20-day forecasts. If they had planted in the active period their plants would have survived, he says. Mr. Hatwar says he is developing 20-day forecasts and hopes to begin issuing them in a year or two. Such extended-range forecasts require advanced computing power that the department is only beginning to put in place, he says. For now, it relies on insufficient data and outdated equipment that requires measurements be taken manually. It's hard to overstate the importance of the monsoon to India and the national obsession about exactly when it will make landfall always in the southern state of Kerala, almost always in early June. Agriculture makes up nearly 18% of national gross domestic product. Most farmers, without the benefit of irrigation, have just the annual June-to-September rains to water their fields.

A weak rainfall can hurt crop output, drinking-water supply, power generation and consumer demand and add another obstacle to government efforts to improve the rural economy as a key to sustained GDP growth. Citigroup economist Rohini Malkani estimates that an insufficient monsoon could shave close to two percentage points off annual growth. Almost 80% of the country is under the threat of drought, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said this week.

India's Ministry of Earth Sciences recently approved $620 million to be spent over five years to modernize weather technology. Mr. Hatwar says his department plans to set up 1,000 automatic weather stations there are now 125. He says it will also have another 2,000 stations to measure precipitation. The new devices, which relay data by satellite, will let him make better predictions, he says. Mr. Webster of Georgia Tech says the department will have to change its statistical model, too, complaining it has used the same one more than 50 years. The basic problem of the India Meteorological Department is that they are mired in the past, he says. Mr. Hatwar defends his model, noting that it has accurately gauged the country's average rainfall for most years. In the early days, it gathered measurements of rainfall and temperature by telegram, the same way it sent flood and drought warnings. Now information is relayed via satellite. A mathematician by training, Mr. Hatwar, 59 years old, stumbled into meteorology by accident. In 1972, he gave a paper on fluid mechanics at the prestigious Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore. His impressed mentor suggested he enroll in the institute's doctoral program, after which he joined the Meteorology Department in 1977. Back then, he used charts made by hand from data received from Russian satellites. Today, Mr. Hatwar studies computer-generated charts and satellite images."A lot of progress has been made, he says.

Aamir Khan's wife Kiran Rao has suffered a miscarriage, the Bollywood superstar disclosed Tuesday.

Aamir Khan

I have bad news folks. Kiran and I lost our baby. Despite our best efforts we were unable to avert a miscarriage. The last two months have been a struggle for us and that is one of the reasons I was absent from the blog in more ways than one. I need time to heal. I will be away for a while, Aamir posted on his blog The news of Kiran's pregnancy surfaced when she was admitted to Breach Candy Hospital in South Mumbai for fever in June. According to reports, she was three months pregnant at the time.

Kiran's directorial debut "Dhobi Ghaat", which has Aamir in the lead role, is getting ready for release.

We can handle drought, says government

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today said there was no need to press the panic button, though there would be 20 per cent decline in sowing of summer crops due to scarce rainfall. A total of 161 districts have been declared drought-prone. He stuck to the Reserve Bank of India's growth projection of 6 per cent and above for the current financial year. This country has the experience of handling the situation and I will advise not to press the panic button, Mukherjee said at the annual conference of chief commissioners and directors-general of income tax.

India to rope in China for climate change initiative

While it fights the pressure of the Western countries over the issue of climate change, India now wants to rope in China in its efforts. Minister of State (independent charge) for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh today said the two countries would set up a joint mechanism to study the Himalayan glaciers. Ramesh is set to visit China towards the end of this month to finalise this mechanism, along with related bilateral issues on environment protection.

Tata Capital to launch private equity fund

Tata Capital, the financial services arm of the Tata group, is likely to come out with a private equity fund shortly. This was announced by Tata Capital Managing Director, Praveen P Kadle. Kadle declined to say what could be the size of the private equity fund, but according to early indications, the fund-size will initially be of USD 350-400 million. Tata capital has an Rs 850 billionalliance with the Japanese Mizuho Financial Group.

Rising food prices worry SC

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the government to intervene effectively to contain spiralling food prices.A terrible situation has arisen due to the failure of monsoon. The prices of common man's food like dal are going up. The work should be done in the spirit of patriotic duty, a bench comprising Justice Markandeya Katju and A K Ganguly observed.

Pandemic flu spreading with Asian monsoon season: WHO

H1N1 pandemic flu is spreading in India, Thailand and Vietnam with the onset of Asia's monsoon season, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said.

China admits its involvement in shipping fake drugs

China has admitted that its pharmaceutical companies were involved in shipping fake drugs labelled 'Made In India' to Nigeria. The Chinese authorities have accepted this position that its firms were involved in the case.

Swine flu cases cross 1000 mark, death toll 12

Five more persons-two in Pune and one each in Vadodara, Mumbai and Kerala- died of swine flu taking the countrywide toll to 12 in nine days and the virus spread to new areas in Jammu and Meghalaya and cast its shadow on the World Badminton championship in Hyderabad. In worrying signs, swine flu cases crossed the 1,000 mark as the Centre and the states intensified their battle against the infection. Private hospitals in Mumbai stepped in to offer treatment to ease the burden on the government hospitals.

Edited by jagdu - 16 years ago