Friday, December 31, 2010
Top 3 countries in attracting tourists
Top 3 countries in attracting tourists:-
France, America, Spain
India is the ninth largest global economy
India is the ninth largest global economy. America, China, Japan, Germany, Republic of Korea, France, Italy, UK, India, Brazil are top ten countries as per UNIDO.
Andhra Pradesh to get Rs 1 lakh crore
Andhra Pradesh to get Rs 1 lakh crore as its share as per 13th Finance Commission recommendations. The state can get Rs 13,802 in grant-in-aid.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
farm suicides in Andhra Pradesh
In 2009 Andhra Pradesh recorded 2,414 farm suicides — 309 more than in 2008.
Friday, December 24, 2010
countdown for the launch of Geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle GSLV-FO6
The 30 hour countdown for the launch of Geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle GSLV-FO6 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Srihartikota began at 10.04 this morning. The launch is scheduled at 4.04 pm tomorrow. ISRO Spokesman Mr. Satish told that all the pre launch tests are proceeding satisfactorily. GSLV in its seventh flight will place India's advanced and heaviest communication satellite GSAT-5P in orbit. The fifth in the series G SAT 5 Prime will carry 24 C band and 12 extended C band transponders. It is an exclusive communication satellite aimed at further augmenting the communication services currently provided by the Indian National Satellite (INSAT) system. The launch of GSLV F06 was earlier scheduled for Monday last but was deferred after a leak was noticed during pre-countdown tests in one of the valves of the cryogenic engine.
This will be ISRO's first GSLV mission after the failure of the flight testing of the indigenous cryogenic stage in the GSLV-D3 mission in April this year. The 51 meter tall, 418 tonne GSLV, a three stage vehicle in its 7th flight is using the tested Russian cryogenic engine this time. The successful launch of the satellite will help augment television and modern communication facilities. It will also come as a big boost and will usher in a new era in telemedicine and tele-education besides boosting telephonic services. GSAT-5P is being planned as a replacement for INSAT-3E. The mission life of the spacecraft will be 12 years.
This will be ISRO's first GSLV mission after the failure of the flight testing of the indigenous cryogenic stage in the GSLV-D3 mission in April this year. The 51 meter tall, 418 tonne GSLV, a three stage vehicle in its 7th flight is using the tested Russian cryogenic engine this time. The successful launch of the satellite will help augment television and modern communication facilities. It will also come as a big boost and will usher in a new era in telemedicine and tele-education besides boosting telephonic services. GSAT-5P is being planned as a replacement for INSAT-3E. The mission life of the spacecraft will be 12 years.
More than 20,000 people to play Chess in Gujarat to create new world record
In Gujarat, as many as 20,000 people and 1,200 masters will play Chess at Ahmedabad GMDC ground Friday evening to create new world record.
Swarnim Gujarat Chess Mahotsav being organized by Sports Authority of Gujarat and Sports and Youth Departments of the State will break Mexico's Guinness world record of the largest number of people playing the game together at the same time., Mexico City's central square, had set the record when 13,446 players had assembled to play chess in 2006.
Former world champion Anatoly Karpov was the guest of honor in Mexico, while Ahmedabad will have current world champion Viswanathan Anand as Special Guest. Gujarat Chief Minister Mr. Narendra Modi will inaugurate the mega event.
20 thousand participants will play against the 1200 masters.
Swarnim Gujarat Chess Mahotsav being organized by Sports Authority of Gujarat and Sports and Youth Departments of the State will break Mexico's Guinness world record of the largest number of people playing the game together at the same time., Mexico City's central square, had set the record when 13,446 players had assembled to play chess in 2006.
Former world champion Anatoly Karpov was the guest of honor in Mexico, while Ahmedabad will have current world champion Viswanathan Anand as Special Guest. Gujarat Chief Minister Mr. Narendra Modi will inaugurate the mega event.
20 thousand participants will play against the 1200 masters.
There are 43.31 lakh handloom workers
Personal Digital Assistance (PDA) was used, for the first time, to interview 27.8 lakh handloom workers households in connection with this Census. The Minister also gave away the First series of Photo Identity Cards to handloom weavers, assembled from various States, viz., Tamil Nadu, Orissa, West Bengal, U.P., Haryana etc. during the function organized to release the Report.
Speaking on the occasion, Smt Lakshmi said, “Handloom Census is the second largest National Census next to Pzopulation Census. The Census report provides comprehensive information about handloom sector. It also provides opportunity to compare with Second Census Report.”
The Minister further added that issuance of Photo Identity Cards to handloom weavers will provide new data and information enabling the Government for targeted policy intervention and also Gender Budgeting for special component plan for women. She said that the weaverswould get, for the first time, an identity of themselves which will ensure that only genuine weavers get the benefits of the schemes implemented for them.
The major highlights of the Survey, as presented during the Release Function, are as under:-
Handloom households as per the third handloom census is 27.8 lakh – The majority (82%) are weaver households, nearly 14 per cent are allied worker households, 3 per cent are idle loom households and remaining are handloom household units having no adult handloom workers.
Handloom work is primarily a rural occupation – 87 per cent of the handloom households are located in rural areas and remaining 13 per cent in urban areas.
There are 43.31 lakh handloom workers – 36.33 lakh workers stay in rural areas and 6.98 lakh workers stay in urban areas. There are 38.46 lakh adult (aged 18 years and above) handloom workers.
Increase in full-time workers from 44 per cent of the adult handloom workforce as per second census to 64% as per the third census..
Increase in days of work per weaver household – the number of days worked by weaver households has increased from the second( 197 person days) to the third (234 person days) census.
Total of 23.77 lakh handlooms – Across household and non-household handloom units.
Most looms are frame looms – 58 per cent are frame looms, 26 per cent are pit looms, 13 per cent are loin looms, 1 per cent is pedal looms and 2 per cent are other kinds of looms.
Speaking on the occasion, Smt Lakshmi said, “Handloom Census is the second largest National Census next to Pzopulation Census. The Census report provides comprehensive information about handloom sector. It also provides opportunity to compare with Second Census Report.”
The Minister further added that issuance of Photo Identity Cards to handloom weavers will provide new data and information enabling the Government for targeted policy intervention and also Gender Budgeting for special component plan for women. She said that the weaverswould get, for the first time, an identity of themselves which will ensure that only genuine weavers get the benefits of the schemes implemented for them.
The major highlights of the Survey, as presented during the Release Function, are as under:-
Handloom households as per the third handloom census is 27.8 lakh – The majority (82%) are weaver households, nearly 14 per cent are allied worker households, 3 per cent are idle loom households and remaining are handloom household units having no adult handloom workers.
Handloom work is primarily a rural occupation – 87 per cent of the handloom households are located in rural areas and remaining 13 per cent in urban areas.
There are 43.31 lakh handloom workers – 36.33 lakh workers stay in rural areas and 6.98 lakh workers stay in urban areas. There are 38.46 lakh adult (aged 18 years and above) handloom workers.
Increase in full-time workers from 44 per cent of the adult handloom workforce as per second census to 64% as per the third census..
Increase in days of work per weaver household – the number of days worked by weaver households has increased from the second( 197 person days) to the third (234 person days) census.
Total of 23.77 lakh handlooms – Across household and non-household handloom units.
Most looms are frame looms – 58 per cent are frame looms, 26 per cent are pit looms, 13 per cent are loin looms, 1 per cent is pedal looms and 2 per cent are other kinds of looms.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
infrastructure development funds
"So far as the infrastructure development funds are concerned, myself and Deputy Chairman Planning Commission have detailed out our requirement would be about $600 billion. It is a substantial amount. There is a shortfall, but we are quite confident that in the remaining one-and-half-year of the 11th plan, we will be able to spend the money," said Pranab Mukherjee, at an important conclave on public-private partnership
Life and universe
The search for God particle
The year 2010 also saw the humankind’s search for the ‘The God particle’ which we now call ‘Higgs boson’. The term was coined by the physicist Leon Lederman in his 1993 popular science book with the same title. The Higgs boson is a particle believed to bestow mass on all other particles. First hypothesised in 1964, the Higgs boson, if discovered, would be a vital missing piece of the model that physicists use to describe elementary particles and their interactions: ‘The Standard Model’.
The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, the giant laboratory just at the outskirts of Geneva, which was activated on 10 September 2008, is expected to provide experimental evidence that will confirm or reject the particle’s existence when it becomes fully operational. If the results are verified, the experiment will provide possible solution to one of the great outstanding problems in physics of the 20th century: the origin of all mass.
Earth like planets
In the year 2010, scientists discovered a ‘super-Earth’ codenamed GJ 1214b some 40 light years away and of the size 2.6 times bigger than Earth. The planet hugs its parent star at a distance of only two million kilometres -- 70 times closer than the Earth is to the Sun.
The planet travels across the disc of its parent star once every 38 hours as it orbits and the astronomers believe that conditions on its surface are hot.
Another newly discovered extra-solar planet, CoRoT-7b, is the closest physical match of the Earth with a mass of about five Earths and a radius of about 1.7 Earths. It is 500 light years distant and is very similar to our Sun.
The planet was discovered circling a star some 480 light years from Earth. It is, however, a threatening place and unlikely to harbour life as it is so close to its star that temperatures might be above 4,000 degrees F (2,200 C) on the surface lit by its star and as low as minus 350 F (minus 210 C) on its dark side.
Another form of life found on earth
Researchers have made a discovery that can further boost the search for other life on Earth and beyond. It is the finding of bacteria that can thrive on arsenic in place of phosphorus. The “extremophile” bacteria were found in a briny lake in eastern California in the US. Not only do the bacteria survive on arsenic, it also grows by incorporating the element into its DNA and cell membranes.
The discovery was made by Felisa Wolfe-Simon, a former postdoctoral scientist in Anbar’s research group at Arizona State University’s School of Earth and Space Exploration.
The year 2010 also saw the humankind’s search for the ‘The God particle’ which we now call ‘Higgs boson’. The term was coined by the physicist Leon Lederman in his 1993 popular science book with the same title. The Higgs boson is a particle believed to bestow mass on all other particles. First hypothesised in 1964, the Higgs boson, if discovered, would be a vital missing piece of the model that physicists use to describe elementary particles and their interactions: ‘The Standard Model’.
The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, the giant laboratory just at the outskirts of Geneva, which was activated on 10 September 2008, is expected to provide experimental evidence that will confirm or reject the particle’s existence when it becomes fully operational. If the results are verified, the experiment will provide possible solution to one of the great outstanding problems in physics of the 20th century: the origin of all mass.
Earth like planets
In the year 2010, scientists discovered a ‘super-Earth’ codenamed GJ 1214b some 40 light years away and of the size 2.6 times bigger than Earth. The planet hugs its parent star at a distance of only two million kilometres -- 70 times closer than the Earth is to the Sun.
The planet travels across the disc of its parent star once every 38 hours as it orbits and the astronomers believe that conditions on its surface are hot.
Another newly discovered extra-solar planet, CoRoT-7b, is the closest physical match of the Earth with a mass of about five Earths and a radius of about 1.7 Earths. It is 500 light years distant and is very similar to our Sun.
The planet was discovered circling a star some 480 light years from Earth. It is, however, a threatening place and unlikely to harbour life as it is so close to its star that temperatures might be above 4,000 degrees F (2,200 C) on the surface lit by its star and as low as minus 350 F (minus 210 C) on its dark side.
Another form of life found on earth
Researchers have made a discovery that can further boost the search for other life on Earth and beyond. It is the finding of bacteria that can thrive on arsenic in place of phosphorus. The “extremophile” bacteria were found in a briny lake in eastern California in the US. Not only do the bacteria survive on arsenic, it also grows by incorporating the element into its DNA and cell membranes.
The discovery was made by Felisa Wolfe-Simon, a former postdoctoral scientist in Anbar’s research group at Arizona State University’s School of Earth and Space Exploration.
2010 Tech breakthroughs
Apple iPad crowned `Gadget of the Year`
Apple kicked off the craze in January when it unveiled its iPad. By the time the iPad went on sale in April, the device had racked up so much buzz that it became aptly clear that Apple had produced another smashing gadget. Designed to take on Apple`s innovative iPad, Samsung and Google launched their version of a tablet computer in September.
Thinnest laptop-Apple`s `MacBook Air`
In October, Apple unveiled `MacBook Air `, the thinnest, lightest laptop ever which combines features from the iPhone and iPad with traditional series of MacBook. The laptop that comes in two sizes, one with a screen that is 13.3 inches diagonally and another with a 11.6-inch screen.
Acer `Iconia` the dual-screen laptop
In November, Acer unveiled `Iconia`, a laptop-cum-tablet computer with two touch screens. The new dual-screen laptop has two 14 inch touch-screen displays protected by ultra-tough Gorilla glass, including one in place of a traditional keyboard.
World`s first tilting television `Monolithic`
Electronic giant Sony unveiled world`s first TV with tilting screen called “Monolithic”. This new generation TVs from Sony are available in state-of-the art 3D models and can either be set up vertically or slotted to a six-degree backwards lean.
China makes world’s fastest supercomputer
China -the fast emerging economic superpower- superseded rival America and created world’s fastest supercomputer in the year 2010. China’s supercomputer “Tianhe-1A” is capable of sustaining computation at 2.57 petaflop/s, which equals to a mind-numbing 2.57 quadrillion of calculations per second.
Apple kicked off the craze in January when it unveiled its iPad. By the time the iPad went on sale in April, the device had racked up so much buzz that it became aptly clear that Apple had produced another smashing gadget. Designed to take on Apple`s innovative iPad, Samsung and Google launched their version of a tablet computer in September.
Thinnest laptop-Apple`s `MacBook Air`
In October, Apple unveiled `MacBook Air `, the thinnest, lightest laptop ever which combines features from the iPhone and iPad with traditional series of MacBook. The laptop that comes in two sizes, one with a screen that is 13.3 inches diagonally and another with a 11.6-inch screen.
Acer `Iconia` the dual-screen laptop
In November, Acer unveiled `Iconia`, a laptop-cum-tablet computer with two touch screens. The new dual-screen laptop has two 14 inch touch-screen displays protected by ultra-tough Gorilla glass, including one in place of a traditional keyboard.
World`s first tilting television `Monolithic`
Electronic giant Sony unveiled world`s first TV with tilting screen called “Monolithic”. This new generation TVs from Sony are available in state-of-the art 3D models and can either be set up vertically or slotted to a six-degree backwards lean.
China makes world’s fastest supercomputer
China -the fast emerging economic superpower- superseded rival America and created world’s fastest supercomputer in the year 2010. China’s supercomputer “Tianhe-1A” is capable of sustaining computation at 2.57 petaflop/s, which equals to a mind-numbing 2.57 quadrillion of calculations per second.
Nitish Kumar: New mascot of development
Riding the wave of development, Nitish Kumar-led JD(U)-BJP coalition stormed back to Patna’s power centre with an overwhelming majority. Remember, Bihar was at crossroads when Nitish took over the reins of the improvised state five years back? He promised a naya Bihar and the state has surely changed for the better. Coupled with a drastic improvement in law and order situation -- kidnapping is no more an industry in Bihar and jails are not comfort zone for criminals -- massive investments in creating infrastructure has ensured an upward swing in the state’s economy, making it the fastest growing one in India.
The mechanical engineer in Nitish Kumar also did dabble in social engineering. By forming new a social group called ‘Maha Dalits’, he tried to bring into the fold all those classes and subclasses which had been hitherto left behind during the first wave of social change. Nitish Kumar has awakened the Bihari sub-nationalism and the Bihari asimta by providing good and clean governance.
But with this consecutive victory of his coalition has come the rising burden of expectations of people. Only time will tell, whether Nitish Kumar can meet those aspirations.
The mechanical engineer in Nitish Kumar also did dabble in social engineering. By forming new a social group called ‘Maha Dalits’, he tried to bring into the fold all those classes and subclasses which had been hitherto left behind during the first wave of social change. Nitish Kumar has awakened the Bihari sub-nationalism and the Bihari asimta by providing good and clean governance.
But with this consecutive victory of his coalition has come the rising burden of expectations of people. Only time will tell, whether Nitish Kumar can meet those aspirations.
A triumph of humans and nature
The year 2010 turned out to be a green year for Odisha, newly named so. The state saw the cancellation of two proposed mega projects -- $1.7 billion bauxite mining project in Niyamgiri and $3.5 billion university project on the Puri-Konark marine drive. Both the projects belong to the London listed Vedanta group, were nixed on grounds of serious violation of law.
Environment ministry canceled the Niyamgiri project following the NC Saxena Committee terming it illegal. The Committee in its report stated that Vedanta had flagrantly violated environmental and forest laws in active collusion with the state officials. The proposed project could hit the rights of two of the most endangered primitive tribal groups -- Dongria Kondh and Kutia Kondh.
In a second setback to Vedanta, Orissa High Court quashed the process of acquisition of 6,000 acre of agricultural land -- which includes 1,300 acre of arable land belonging to the Jagannath Temple -- for the Vedanta university project. The court made it clear that state government’s notifications made to award the land for the university project “illegal” and “bad in the eye of law”. The proposed project could hit at least 50,000 people across 22 villages of Puri district who depend primarily on agriculture. The project would have an extreme impact on eco-system.
The fate of Rs 54,000 crore POSCO project -- which happens to be the largest Foreign Direct Investment of the country -- hangs in balance on similar grounds. The majority view in Environment Ministry proposed for the cancellation of the project. At present the Supreme Court is looking into the case.
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik and his BJD are battling the allegations of selling the state’s riches to private firms at the cost of livelihood of the people. The Opposition knives are out with ugly scenes occurring in the state Assembly recently. A Congress lawmaker climbed onto the Speaker’s podium and lied down on it during an agitation in the well of the House.
Environment ministry canceled the Niyamgiri project following the NC Saxena Committee terming it illegal. The Committee in its report stated that Vedanta had flagrantly violated environmental and forest laws in active collusion with the state officials. The proposed project could hit the rights of two of the most endangered primitive tribal groups -- Dongria Kondh and Kutia Kondh.
In a second setback to Vedanta, Orissa High Court quashed the process of acquisition of 6,000 acre of agricultural land -- which includes 1,300 acre of arable land belonging to the Jagannath Temple -- for the Vedanta university project. The court made it clear that state government’s notifications made to award the land for the university project “illegal” and “bad in the eye of law”. The proposed project could hit at least 50,000 people across 22 villages of Puri district who depend primarily on agriculture. The project would have an extreme impact on eco-system.
The fate of Rs 54,000 crore POSCO project -- which happens to be the largest Foreign Direct Investment of the country -- hangs in balance on similar grounds. The majority view in Environment Ministry proposed for the cancellation of the project. At present the Supreme Court is looking into the case.
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik and his BJD are battling the allegations of selling the state’s riches to private firms at the cost of livelihood of the people. The Opposition knives are out with ugly scenes occurring in the state Assembly recently. A Congress lawmaker climbed onto the Speaker’s podium and lied down on it during an agitation in the well of the House.
Ayodhya Verdict
Sixty years after it first went to court, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court pronounced judgment in the Ayodhya title suit on September 30, saying Hindus and Muslims are joint title holders.
The three-judge bench - comprising Justice SU Khan, Justice Sudhir Agarwal and Justice DV Sharma - ruled in a majority judgment 2:1, that there be a three-way division of the disputed land - one-third for the Sunni Waqf Board, one-third for the Nirmohi Akhara and one-third to the party for `Ram Lalla`.
All the parties in the case have decided to move the Supreme Court of India against the verdict.
The three-judge bench - comprising Justice SU Khan, Justice Sudhir Agarwal and Justice DV Sharma - ruled in a majority judgment 2:1, that there be a three-way division of the disputed land - one-third for the Sunni Waqf Board, one-third for the Nirmohi Akhara and one-third to the party for `Ram Lalla`.
All the parties in the case have decided to move the Supreme Court of India against the verdict.
Obama In India
Dubbed as the biggest diplomatic event of the year, the Obama visit to India (November 6-9) had all the hype & hoopla which typically surrounds a US presidential visit.
And, the Obamas didn’t disappoint their hosts. On concrete terms, Obama made some big-ticket announcements: US’ support for New Delhi`s bid for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council and removal of Indian companies from the US sanctions` list. Besides, making the usual noises about the need for Pakistan to bring perpetrators of 26/11 attacks to justice.
But his benevolence came at a price as he also ensured billions of dollars of worth of business for US companies from India – to create jobs back home; 50,000 in the last count.
Michelle, on the other hand, charmed India with her softer side. From her impromptu dances to spending time with underprivileged children to her shopping spree, she surely played her part to perfection.
And, the Obamas didn’t disappoint their hosts. On concrete terms, Obama made some big-ticket announcements: US’ support for New Delhi`s bid for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council and removal of Indian companies from the US sanctions` list. Besides, making the usual noises about the need for Pakistan to bring perpetrators of 26/11 attacks to justice.
But his benevolence came at a price as he also ensured billions of dollars of worth of business for US companies from India – to create jobs back home; 50,000 in the last count.
Michelle, on the other hand, charmed India with her softer side. From her impromptu dances to spending time with underprivileged children to her shopping spree, she surely played her part to perfection.
INDIA 2010 A step ahead
Women Reservation: Women`s Reservation Bill or the The Constitution (108th Amendment) Bill, is a pending bill which proposes to provide `thirty three percent of all seats in the Lower house of Parliament of India the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies shall be reserved for women. The Upper House Rajya Sabha passed it on 9 Mar 2010.
Right to Education: The historic Right of children to Free and Compulsory Education Act came into force from April 1, 2010. Every child in the age group of 6-14 years will now be provided 8 years of elementary education.
Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage: In a significant step towards India being ready to carry out nuclear trade, both houses of Parliament, In August 2010, passed the Nuclear Liability Bill which aims to provide a civil liability for nuclear damage and prompt compensation to the victims of a nuclear incident through a nofault liability to the operator, appointment of Claims Commissioner, establishment of Nuclear Damage Claims Commission.
Right to Education: The historic Right of children to Free and Compulsory Education Act came into force from April 1, 2010. Every child in the age group of 6-14 years will now be provided 8 years of elementary education.
Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage: In a significant step towards India being ready to carry out nuclear trade, both houses of Parliament, In August 2010, passed the Nuclear Liability Bill which aims to provide a civil liability for nuclear damage and prompt compensation to the victims of a nuclear incident through a nofault liability to the operator, appointment of Claims Commissioner, establishment of Nuclear Damage Claims Commission.
2010 Judicial highlights
“Rotten” in Allahabad HC: "Something is rotten in the State of Denmark, said Shakespeare in Hamlet, and it can similarly be said that something is rotten in the Allahabad High Court," said a bench of Supreme Court of India on the state of state of affairs in the High Court. The HC moved the apex court against the remarks but the SC bench stood by its comments.
Justice Sen Impeachment: Justice Soumitra Sen of the Calcutta High Court faces possible impeachment by Parliament following indictment by a judicial committee for “misappropriating funds”. He has denied the charges and has filed his reply in December to the Rajya Sabha.
Jessica Lall murder: Eleven years after Jessica Lall was shot dead at a crowded socialite party in Delhi; the Supreme Court on April 19, 2010 upheld the life sentence awarded to prime accused Manu Sharma, son of influential politician Venod Sharma.
Ruchika case: Accused of molesting 14-year-old Ruchika Girhotra in 1990, former Haryana top cop SPSingh Rathore, after being held guilty on December 22, 2009 - after 19 years, 40 adjournments, and more than 400 hearings - was on May 25 sentenced to one and a half years of rigorous imprisonment. However, on November 11, the Supreme Court granted bail him bail.
Rizwanur case: The Kolkata High Court, in May, declared the mysterious death of Rizwanur Rehman as one of murder, ordered the CBI to re-investigate it.
Priyadarshini Mattoo case: The Supreme Court of India on October 6 commuted the death sentence to life imprisonment given to Santosh Kumar Singh. Mattoo was found raped and murdered at her house in New Delhi on January 23, 1996.
Neera Yadav: Going by the trend of the fall of the mighty, controversial former UP chief secretary Neera Yadav and Flex Industries owner Ashok Chaturvedi were on December 7 convicted and sentenced to a four-year jail term by a special CBI court in a land scam case when she was NOIDA`s chief executive officer in 1992-94. However, within a week, both secured bails, and are out of prison.
Justice Sen Impeachment: Justice Soumitra Sen of the Calcutta High Court faces possible impeachment by Parliament following indictment by a judicial committee for “misappropriating funds”. He has denied the charges and has filed his reply in December to the Rajya Sabha.
Jessica Lall murder: Eleven years after Jessica Lall was shot dead at a crowded socialite party in Delhi; the Supreme Court on April 19, 2010 upheld the life sentence awarded to prime accused Manu Sharma, son of influential politician Venod Sharma.
Ruchika case: Accused of molesting 14-year-old Ruchika Girhotra in 1990, former Haryana top cop SPSingh Rathore, after being held guilty on December 22, 2009 - after 19 years, 40 adjournments, and more than 400 hearings - was on May 25 sentenced to one and a half years of rigorous imprisonment. However, on November 11, the Supreme Court granted bail him bail.
Rizwanur case: The Kolkata High Court, in May, declared the mysterious death of Rizwanur Rehman as one of murder, ordered the CBI to re-investigate it.
Priyadarshini Mattoo case: The Supreme Court of India on October 6 commuted the death sentence to life imprisonment given to Santosh Kumar Singh. Mattoo was found raped and murdered at her house in New Delhi on January 23, 1996.
Neera Yadav: Going by the trend of the fall of the mighty, controversial former UP chief secretary Neera Yadav and Flex Industries owner Ashok Chaturvedi were on December 7 convicted and sentenced to a four-year jail term by a special CBI court in a land scam case when she was NOIDA`s chief executive officer in 1992-94. However, within a week, both secured bails, and are out of prison.
India's growth story
The Asian giant continued its forward march in the year 2010. With a strong GDP growth rate of 8.8% (Q1), 8.9% in Q2, the country showed its mettle to the world. However, the cause of concern was the high inflation rate (highest of 11% in April, and 8 % in Nov). The acknowledgement came from none other than US. In a report, the US said India will become the 3rd most powerful nation by 2025.
Exports registered good growth this year. Exports during August, 2010 were valued at USD 16644 million (Rs. 77509 crore) while Imports were valued at USD 29679 million. Cumulative value of exports for the period April-August 2010 was USD 85273 million (Rs 392811 crore) while that of import was USD 141894 million (Rs. 653828 crore).
Though high inflation continues to bother Indian policy makers, Indian economy performed well this year. Rising out strongly from the global recession, the economy is set to achieve nearly 9 per cent growth rate in the current fiscal 2010-11. After China, India’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth is highest among the rest.
Cumulatively, value of Index of Industrial Production (IIP) was at 10.3 per cent in the first seven months of the current fiscal (April to October, 2010) although it witnessed decline in August and September. However, it bounced back to double digit growth rate by jumping 10.8 per cent in October this year.
The economy has shown recovery with India’s GDP registering 8.9 per cent growth in the first half of the current fiscal. Hence, the government has now projected growth rate to be higher than 8.5 per cent. India’s growing importance was recognised when the IMF hiked India’s quota and the permanent members of United Nations Security Council inked deals upwards of USD 50bn.
Exports registered good growth this year. Exports during August, 2010 were valued at USD 16644 million (Rs. 77509 crore) while Imports were valued at USD 29679 million. Cumulative value of exports for the period April-August 2010 was USD 85273 million (Rs 392811 crore) while that of import was USD 141894 million (Rs. 653828 crore).
Though high inflation continues to bother Indian policy makers, Indian economy performed well this year. Rising out strongly from the global recession, the economy is set to achieve nearly 9 per cent growth rate in the current fiscal 2010-11. After China, India’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth is highest among the rest.
Cumulatively, value of Index of Industrial Production (IIP) was at 10.3 per cent in the first seven months of the current fiscal (April to October, 2010) although it witnessed decline in August and September. However, it bounced back to double digit growth rate by jumping 10.8 per cent in October this year.
The economy has shown recovery with India’s GDP registering 8.9 per cent growth in the first half of the current fiscal. Hence, the government has now projected growth rate to be higher than 8.5 per cent. India’s growing importance was recognised when the IMF hiked India’s quota and the permanent members of United Nations Security Council inked deals upwards of USD 50bn.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
The 10 Worst Predictions for 2010 - By Joshua E. Keating | Foreign Policy
The 10 Worst Predictions for 2010 - By Joshua E. Keating | Foreign Policy: "'More people are going to be put to work this summer.'
-Vice President Joe Biden, White House briefing, June 17, 2010
The 'recovery summer,' as the White House termed it, seemed like a good bet for the administration after more than 300,000 new jobs were added between March and May"
-Vice President Joe Biden, White House briefing, June 17, 2010
The 'recovery summer,' as the White House termed it, seemed like a good bet for the administration after more than 300,000 new jobs were added between March and May"
When did Sachin cry for not making century?
I cried so much when I was out, I could not see, Sachin Tendulkar said after which innings and why?
Ans:- After he scored 88 against New Zealand. If he had scored a hundred, he would have been the youngest century-maker in Test cricket
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
40 lakh tenant farmers in Andhra Pradesh
AP Kisan Sabha estimates there are 40 lakh tenant farmers across Andhra Pradesh
Monday, December 20, 2010
Unique Identification Authority of India
UNO declared year 2011 as International Year of Chemistry
Unique Identification Authority of India:-
- UIDAI has been created as n attached office under the Planning Commission
- Its role is to develop and implement the necessary institutional, technical and legal infrastructure to issue unique identity numbers to Indian residents.
- On June 25, 2009 the Cabinet also created and approved the position of the Chairperson of the UIDAI, and appointed Nandan Nilekani as the first chairperson in the rank and status of a cabinet minister. Ram Sewak Sharma has been appointed the Director General
- UIDAI renamed as Aadhaar as part of efforts to reach out to the common man.
gk:-
Unique Identification Authority of India:-
- UIDAI has been created as n attached office under the Planning Commission
- Its role is to develop and implement the necessary institutional, technical and legal infrastructure to issue unique identity numbers to Indian residents.
- On June 25, 2009 the Cabinet also created and approved the position of the Chairperson of the UIDAI, and appointed Nandan Nilekani as the first chairperson in the rank and status of a cabinet minister. Ram Sewak Sharma has been appointed the Director General
- UIDAI renamed as Aadhaar as part of efforts to reach out to the common man.
gk:-
* Nandaka Rajyam (1881) is first social drama in Telugu.
* Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) occupies first place in the list of top 500 Indian companies as per the first ever Fortune list of Indian entities by Fortune magazine.
* Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices advises minimum support prices (MSP) for major agricultural products to the Government of India.
* Korba coalfields is located in Chhattisgarh
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Friday, December 17, 2010
The 10 Most Shocking CEO Departures Of 2010
The 10 Most Shocking CEO Departures Of 2010: "Some were more blindsided than others. Jeff Zucker was caught in the middle of an acquisition, while Tony Hayward's demotion was in the cards as soon as the rig blew up -- although he ruined a salvageable position with thoughtless comments and yacht race appearances. "
The Indian telecom sector
India started off with just 54.63 million telephones in 2003 and a very poor teledensity of barely5.11 percent now has the world's second largest telecommunications network. In 1999 the government had set itself a modest target of achieving 4 per cent rural teledensity by 2010. At a present figure of about 26.4 percent, we have far surpassed the target.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Vietnam joins world's top 10 seafood exporters
Economy: "Viet Nam's seafood products were shipped to over 160 countries worldwide this year, helping the country become one of the world's top 10 seafood exporters, said Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Vu Van Tam."
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Somdev enters history books with first singles gold at Asiad - Hindustan Times
Somdev enters history books with first singles gold at Asiad - Hindustan Times: "Somdev Devvarman today created history by becoming the first Indian to win a gold medal in the men's singles tennis event of the Asian Games after outplaying top seed and world number 44 Denis Istomin 6-1 6-2 in the lop-sided summit clash here."
Monday, November 22, 2010
The Hindu :Somdev-Sanam scoop gold
The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Somdev-Sanam scoop gold: "Somdev Devvarman became the first Indian to reach the men’s singles final in the history of the Asian Games before winning the men’s doubles gold with Sanam Singh but Sania Mirza and Vishnu Vardhan had to be content with a silver in the tennis competitions, here on Monday."
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
The Battle of the Masts was fought between Byzantines and Egyptians
In 655 AD, 500 Byzantine ships fought 200 Egyptian vessels. The two navies came so close their masts touched, allowing hand-to-hand combat between crews. This style of fighting favored the Egyptian Arabs, who slaughtered their numerically superior opponents
Alaska was purchased from...
Alaska was purchased from Russia by Secretary of State William Seward in 1867.
The first submachine gun was invented in Italy
Bethel Abiel Revelli, a machine-gun designer, developed the Villar Perosain 1915. It fired pistol cartridges using the blow-back method; the breechblock prevented cartridges from moving rearward until the bullet left the barrel. The weapon was not very successful,
worst earthquake in history
The Shaanxi Earthquake in 1556 is believed to have killed 830,000 people. Aftershocks continued for months. It is also known as the Jiajing Great Earthquake, named for the ruling emperor of the time, Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty.
Who said : "Men make history and not the other way around"
Harry S. Truman said, "Men make history and not the other way around. In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still. Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better.? The quote appeared in the February 22, 1959 issue of This Week magazine.
Who published the newspaper North Star, which advocated for social change?
Frederick Douglass. The North Star was an anti-slavery newspaper he published in Rochester, New York. It called the abolitionist movement to political action.
Asiad: Ashish Kumar creates history
Asiad: Ashish Kumar creates history
India’s Ashish Kumar created history on Tuesday after he became the first ever Indian to win a medal in the gymnastics event at the Asian Games.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
Mahatma Gandhi's first and only visit to All India Radio studio
Newsonair : Sports News, Cricket News, Delhi News, Common Wealth Games 2010, News 2010. Business News, Political News, State News, International News, Exclusive News & more...
National Public Service Broadcasting Day is being celebrated today. The day is celebrated on 12th of November every year in the counrty to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi's first and only visit to All India Radio studio for addressing the refugees from Pakistan stationed at refugee camp in Kurukshetra.
A function was organised in the premises of Broadcasting House in the national capital and Gandhiji's address was played to mark the occassion.
The National Public Broadcasting Day was also celebrated by the Broadcast Engineering Society.
National Public Service Broadcasting Day is being celebrated today. The day is celebrated on 12th of November every year in the counrty to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi's first and only visit to All India Radio studio for addressing the refugees from Pakistan stationed at refugee camp in Kurukshetra.
A function was organised in the premises of Broadcasting House in the national capital and Gandhiji's address was played to mark the occassion.
The National Public Broadcasting Day was also celebrated by the Broadcast Engineering Society.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Interesting Facts about India
India never invaded any country in her last 100000 years of history.- When many cultures were only nomadic forest dwellers over 5000 years ago, Indians established Harappan culture in Sindhu Valley (Indus Valley Civilization)
- The name 'India' is derived from the River Indus, the valleys around which were the home of the early settlers. The Aryan worshippers referred to the river Indus as the Sindhu.
- The Persian invaders converted it into Hindu. The name 'Hindustan' combines Sindhu and Hindu and thus refers to the land of the Hindus.
- Chess was invented in India.
- Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus are studies, which originated in India.
- The 'Place Value System' and the 'Decimal System' were developed in India in 100 B.C.
- The World's First Granite Temple is the Brihadeswara Temple at Tanjavur, Tamil Nadu. The shikhara of the temple is made from a single 80-tonne piece of granite. This magnificent temple was built in just five years, (between 1004 AD and 1009 AD) during the reign of Rajaraja Chola.
- India is the largest democracy in the world, the 6th largest Country in the world, and one of the most ancient civilizations.
- The game of Snakes & Ladders was created by the 13th century poet saint Gyandev. It was originally called 'Mokshapat'. The ladders in the game represented virtues and the snakes indicated vices. The game was played with cowrie shells and dices. In time, the game underwent several modifications, but its meaning remained the same, i.e. good deeds take people to heaven and evil to a cycle of re-births.
- The world's highest cricket ground is in Chail, Himachal Pradesh. Built in 1893 after leveling a hilltop, this cricket pitch is 2444 meters above sea level.
- India has the largest number of Post Offices in the world.
- The largest employer in India is the Indian Railways, employing over a million people.
- The world's first university was established in Takshila in 700 BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.
- Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to mankind. The Father of Medicine, Charaka, consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago.
- India was one of the richest countries till the time of British rule in the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus, attracted by India's wealth, had come looking for a sea route to India when he discovered America by mistake.
- The Art of Navigation & Navigating was born in the river Sindh over 6000 years ago. The very word Navigation is derived from the Sanskrit word 'NAVGATIH'. The word navy is also derived from the Sanskrit word 'Nou'.
- Bhaskaracharya rightly calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the Sun hundreds of years before the astronomer Smart. According to his calculation, the time taken by the Earth to orbit the Sun was 365.258756484 days.
- The value of "pi" was first calculated by the Indian Mathematician Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is known as the Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the 6th century, long before the European mathematicians.
- Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus also originated in India.Quadratic Equations were used by Sridharacharya in the 11th century. The largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Hindus used numbers as big as 10*53 (i.e. 10 to the power of 53) with specific names as early as 5000 B.C.during the Vedic period.Even today, the largest used number is Terra: 10*12(10 to the power of 12).
- Until 1896, India was the only source of diamonds in the world
(Source: Gemological Institute of America). - The Baily Bridge is the highest bridge in the world. It is located in the Ladakh valley between the Dras and Suru rivers in the Himalayan mountains. It was built by the Indian Army in August 1982.
- Sushruta is regarded as the Father of Surgery. Over2600 years ago Sushrata & his team conducted complicated surgeries like cataract, artificial limbs, cesareans, fractures, urinary stones, plastic surgery and brain surgeries.
- Usage of anaesthesia was well known in ancient Indian medicine. Detailed knowledge of anatomy, embryology, digestion, metabolism,physiology, etiology, genetics and immunity is also found in many ancient Indian texts.
- India exports software to 90 countries.
- The four religions born in India - Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, are followed by 25% of the world's population.
- Jainism and Buddhism were founded in India in 600 B.C. and 500 B.C. respectively.
- Islam is India's and the world's second largest religion.
- There are 300,000 active mosques in India, more than in any other country, including the Muslim world.
- The oldest European church and synagogue in India are in the city of Cochin. They were built in 1503 and 1568 respectively.
- Jews and Christians have lived continuously in India since 200 B.C. and 52 A.D. respectively
- The largest religious building in the world is Angkor Wat, a Hindu Temple in Cambodia built at the end of the 11th century.
- The Vishnu Temple in the city of Tirupathi built in the 10th century, is the world's largest religious pilgrimage destination. Larger than either Rome or Mecca, an average of 30,000 visitors donate $6 million (US) to the temple everyday.
- Sikhism originated in the Holy city of Amritsar in Punjab. Famous for housing the Golden Temple, the city was founded in 1577.
- Varanasi, also known as Benaras, was called "the Ancient City" when Lord Buddha visited it in 500 B.C., and is the oldest, continuously inhabited city in the world today.
- India provides safety for more than 300,000 refugees originally from Sri Lanka, Tibet, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, who escaped to flee religious and political persecution.
- His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, runs his government in exile from Dharmashala in northern India.
- Martial Arts were first created in India, and later spread to Asia by Buddhist missionaries.
- Yoga has its origins in India and has existed for over 5,000 years.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Michel Houellebecq
Michel Houellebecq wins the Prix Goncourt for his novel La Carte et le territoire.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
The Nixon You Never Knew - Photo Gallery - LIFE
The Nixon You Never Knew - Photo Gallery - LIFE
Few American presidents have ever sparked the sort of visceral reaction in American citizens -- and, indeed, around the world -- as the 37th man to hold the office, Richard Milhous Nixon. His supporters, especially early in his career, loved him. His detractors -- well, not to put too fine a point on it, they absolutely despised him. But love him or hate him, Nixon was a remarkably complex, contradictory man, often confounding allies and enemies alike with pronouncements and policy decisions that seemed, at first, to follow a logic known only to the notoriously private man from tiny Yorba Linda, California. Pictured: Four-year-old Richard Nixon (1913 - 1994) poses in a sailor suit in 1917. Nixon was born to a strict Quaker household scarred by tragedy. Two of his brothers died before he was 21, and when he was 9, the family ranch failed, forcing the Nixons to move to nearby Whittier, Calif.
Few American presidents have ever sparked the sort of visceral reaction in American citizens -- and, indeed, around the world -- as the 37th man to hold the office, Richard Milhous Nixon. His supporters, especially early in his career, loved him. His detractors -- well, not to put too fine a point on it, they absolutely despised him. But love him or hate him, Nixon was a remarkably complex, contradictory man, often confounding allies and enemies alike with pronouncements and policy decisions that seemed, at first, to follow a logic known only to the notoriously private man from tiny Yorba Linda, California. Pictured: Four-year-old Richard Nixon (1913 - 1994) poses in a sailor suit in 1917. Nixon was born to a strict Quaker household scarred by tragedy. Two of his brothers died before he was 21, and when he was 9, the family ranch failed, forcing the Nixons to move to nearby Whittier, Calif.
Marone
Marone is one of the major communes in the state of Lombardy in Italy, which comes under the province of Brescia. The Marone commune is located in between of Naviglio and Mella at the foot of the Alps. The Marone city is considered as the largest administrative capital in Italy and it is the center of third largest industrial area in the country. The major employers in the city of Marone are financial sector and tourism.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Stone age humans took 2 mn years to develop brain power
Stone age humans took 2 mn years to develop brain power: "Stone age humans took nearly two million years to develop the brain power to make sophisticated tools like hand-held stone axes, a new study has claimed.
Researchers at the Imperial College London have found that the early humans needed so long to produce advanced implements because the ability to handle complex thought was a slow evolution."
Researchers at the Imperial College London have found that the early humans needed so long to produce advanced implements because the ability to handle complex thought was a slow evolution."
Nepali boy could be youngest Everest conqueror | Deccan Chronicle | 2010-11-08
Nepali boy could be youngest Everest conqueror | Deccan Chronicle | 2010-11-08: "A Nepalese boy aged nine is on the way to becoming the youngest person to climb the world's highest mountain, Everest.
Tseten Sherpa, who scaled a 6,000-metre peak last week, could beat the record set by American Jordan Romero, who was 13 when he managed the feat in May."
Tseten Sherpa, who scaled a 6,000-metre peak last week, could beat the record set by American Jordan Romero, who was 13 when he managed the feat in May."
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Friday, November 5, 2010
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Nove 3, 1838
Nove 3, 1838 – The Times of India, the world's largest circulated English language daily broadsheet newspaper is founded as The Bombay Times and Journal of Commerce.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Monday, November 1, 2010
Friday, October 29, 2010
To Mars - and beyond - Yahoo!7
To Mars - and beyond - Yahoo!7
Humans could one day colonise planets such as Mars under a NASA plan to send astronauts into space knowing that they would not return.
Even with conventional technology humans could be on Mars' moons by 2030.
But NASA has a far grander plan - the Hundred Years Starship program.
Birth of the internet
The internet was originally conceived for the U.S. military as a means of allowing a community of computers to share information over distance. It's generally accepted that its later development was spurred on as much for research purposes as for military applications.
The body in charge of setting up the network was the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA). In 1967, ARPA enlisted the help of the Stanford Research Institute in Menlo Park, Calif., to design the system. Within a year, Stanford researchers had designed a framework, which ARPA contracted out for implementation.
The first two nodes were installed at UCLA and Stanford Research Institute in August of 1969, but it wasn't until two months later that the machines made first contact.
On October 29, 1969, at 10:30 p.m., UCLA engineering professor Leonard Kleinrock and student Charley Kline attempted to send a message from one Honeywell computer to a similar unit 600 kilometres away at Stanford Research Institute in Palo Alto. The connection speed was 50 kb/s.
The first message was supposed to be the word "login," but the system crashed as they typed in the letter "g." The first message, then, was "lo." Although it was a bumpy – if not prophetic – beginning, the researchers were able to complete the message one hour later.
And so the ARPANET (the term internet was not coined until 1982) was born.
source: cbc
The body in charge of setting up the network was the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA). In 1967, ARPA enlisted the help of the Stanford Research Institute in Menlo Park, Calif., to design the system. Within a year, Stanford researchers had designed a framework, which ARPA contracted out for implementation.
The first two nodes were installed at UCLA and Stanford Research Institute in August of 1969, but it wasn't until two months later that the machines made first contact.
On October 29, 1969, at 10:30 p.m., UCLA engineering professor Leonard Kleinrock and student Charley Kline attempted to send a message from one Honeywell computer to a similar unit 600 kilometres away at Stanford Research Institute in Palo Alto. The connection speed was 50 kb/s.
The first message was supposed to be the word "login," but the system crashed as they typed in the letter "g." The first message, then, was "lo." Although it was a bumpy – if not prophetic – beginning, the researchers were able to complete the message one hour later.
And so the ARPANET (the term internet was not coined until 1982) was born.
source: cbc
Thursday, October 28, 2010
China's fastest supercomputer sets new speed record
China's fastest supercomputer sets new speed record - Hindustan Times
China's super computer Tianhe-1 has overtaken us's jaguar system to gain top spot as the world's fastest computer. Housed at the national centre for supercomputing in northern port city of Tianjin, Tianhe-1, meaning milky way, has a sustained computing speed of 2,507 trillion calculations, or 2.507 petaflops, per second, chinese news agency xinhua reported on Thursday.
China's super computer Tianhe-1 has overtaken us's jaguar system to gain top spot as the world's fastest computer. Housed at the national centre for supercomputing in northern port city of Tianjin, Tianhe-1, meaning milky way, has a sustained computing speed of 2,507 trillion calculations, or 2.507 petaflops, per second, chinese news agency xinhua reported on Thursday.
New Lok Sabha will have most women MPs ever
New Lok Sabha will have most women MPs ever - 59
Add this to the many stories being told about Verdict 2009. The number of women MPs elected to the new Lok Sabha is the highest since Independence: 59 out of 543.
Add this to the many stories being told about Verdict 2009. The number of women MPs elected to the new Lok Sabha is the highest since Independence: 59 out of 543.
Early modern human fossil found in China
Early modern human fossil found in China: "Researchers have discovered well-dated human fossils in southern China that markedly change anthropologists' perceptions of the emergence of modern humans in the eastern Old World.
The discovery of early modern human fossil remains in the Zhirendong (Zhiren Cave) in south China that are at least 100,000 years old provides the earliest evidence for the emergence of modern humans in eastern Asia, at least 60,000 years older than the previously known modern humans in the region."
The discovery of early modern human fossil remains in the Zhirendong (Zhiren Cave) in south China that are at least 100,000 years old provides the earliest evidence for the emergence of modern humans in eastern Asia, at least 60,000 years older than the previously known modern humans in the region."
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
The World's Most Expensive Domain Names - Nicholas Jackson - Technology - The Atlantic
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click here to view the post.
‘India`s politics needs impetus’
‘India`s politics needs impetus’: "Author and historian Ramachandra Guha said that India has been lucky to have a long, high-quality political tradition but more needs to be done to restore and rehabilitate it the current context.
Giving the fourth Penguin India lecture on ‘The Indian Political Tradition - And Those Who Made It’ based on his new book `Makers of Modern India`, Guha said that the tradition of political activism in the country has been continuous and has touched every important aspect of human tradition.
He said India is the world`s most 'unnatural nation and least likely democracy'. 'The political miracle owes itself to a remarkable set of men and women who, I call, Indian political tradition,' he said.
He said that Raja Rammohan Roy was a 'precocious pioneer, scholar and political reformer' who battled Hindu orthodoxy and understood the challenge posed to an ossified society by the Western thought.
He said that university education after 1857 proved crucibles of modernity and helped shape the thought of a generation of Indians."
Giving the fourth Penguin India lecture on ‘The Indian Political Tradition - And Those Who Made It’ based on his new book `Makers of Modern India`, Guha said that the tradition of political activism in the country has been continuous and has touched every important aspect of human tradition.
He said India is the world`s most 'unnatural nation and least likely democracy'. 'The political miracle owes itself to a remarkable set of men and women who, I call, Indian political tradition,' he said.
He said that Raja Rammohan Roy was a 'precocious pioneer, scholar and political reformer' who battled Hindu orthodoxy and understood the challenge posed to an ossified society by the Western thought.
He said that university education after 1857 proved crucibles of modernity and helped shape the thought of a generation of Indians."
Sunday, October 24, 2010
BBC News - Making things hard to read 'can boost learning'
BBC News - Making things hard to read 'can boost learning': "Difficult-to-read fonts make for better learning, according to scientists.
The finding is about to be published in the international journal Cognition.
Researchers at Princeton University employed volunteers to learn made-up information about different types of aliens - and found that those reading harder fonts recalled more when tested 15 minutes later.
They argue that schools could boost results by simply changing the font used in their basic teaching materials.
Hard to digest
The 28 volunteers in the Princeton study were given 90 seconds to try to memorise a list of seven features for three different species of alien.
The idea was to re-create the kind of learning in a biology class. Aliens were chosen to be sure that none of the volunteers' prior knowledge interfered with the results.
One group was given the lists in 16-point Arial pure black font, which is generally regarded to be easy and clear to read."
The finding is about to be published in the international journal Cognition.
Researchers at Princeton University employed volunteers to learn made-up information about different types of aliens - and found that those reading harder fonts recalled more when tested 15 minutes later.
They argue that schools could boost results by simply changing the font used in their basic teaching materials.
Hard to digest
The 28 volunteers in the Princeton study were given 90 seconds to try to memorise a list of seven features for three different species of alien.
The idea was to re-create the kind of learning in a biology class. Aliens were chosen to be sure that none of the volunteers' prior knowledge interfered with the results.
One group was given the lists in 16-point Arial pure black font, which is generally regarded to be easy and clear to read."
Why the leopard got its spots?
Why the leopard got its spots?: "Scientists have claimed that Rudyard Kipling was right when he came up with an answer to – why leopards have rosette shaped markings but tigers have stripes.
He suggested that it was because the leopard moved to an environment 'full of trees and bushes and stripy, speckly, patchy-blatchy shadows.”"
He suggested that it was because the leopard moved to an environment 'full of trees and bushes and stripy, speckly, patchy-blatchy shadows.”"
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Quiz: How well do you know your taxes? - Rediff Getahead
Quiz: How well do you know your taxes? - Rediff Getahead: "Investmentyogi.com
Think that you are a tax expert? Take this simple tax quiz and find out.
If you get less than 4 right answers then consider your tax quotient as average.
If you get between 5 to 7 right answers then consider your tax quotient as good.
If you get between 8 to 10 right answers then consider your tax quotient as excellent.
1. When is the Direct Tax Code being implemented?
a) April 1, 2011
b) April 1, 2012
c) It is already implemented"
Think that you are a tax expert? Take this simple tax quiz and find out.
If you get less than 4 right answers then consider your tax quotient as average.
If you get between 5 to 7 right answers then consider your tax quotient as good.
If you get between 8 to 10 right answers then consider your tax quotient as excellent.
1. When is the Direct Tax Code being implemented?
a) April 1, 2011
b) April 1, 2012
c) It is already implemented"
Theatre of joy
THE Games ultimately belonged to the athletes. The shame that the officials of the Organising Committee (OC) incurred for their callous treatment of the workforce, the volunteers and the athletes, the most important actors in this sporting drama, diminished to some extent amidst the celebrations that the medals tally triggered among Indian fans.
The spirit of the Commonwealth Games was highlighted when Jamaican athlete Trecia Smith was named winner of the David Dixon Award at the closing ceremony of the 10-day sporting event on October 14. The award is given in recognition of sporting excellence, combined with fair play and team spirit. Having finished her event, Trecia, a physiotherapist, lost no time in joining the Jamaican medical team to help her teammates prepare for their respective events.
Saina Nehwal, a fitting brand ambassador for the sport of badminton, created magic on the courts to land a gold medal that brought India unmatched glory in the history of the Commonwealth Games. It was a gold that meant so much for Saina, badminton and India. Her sensational comeback, saving a match point, against a tough opponent from Malaysia earned India its 38th gold medal, one more than England's. Australia remained the great sporting force that it is by claiming 177 medals – 74 gold, 55 silver and 48 bronze. Having begun with just one bronze in 1934 in the second edition of the Commonwealth Games, India has come a long way indeed, finally crossing the 100-medal mark in Delhi. England won 59 silver medals against India's 27, but the Games reflected gloriously on the progress that the home nation has made.
Theatre of joy
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Saturday, October 16, 2010
610m internet users in the BRICI countries
The Boston Consulting Group calculates that there are already about 610m internet users in the BRICI countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and Indonesia)
Friday, October 15, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
The National Institute of Design (NID) is located in...
The National Institute of Design (NID) is located in Ahmedabad.
____ was known as the "Manchester of India"
Ahmedabad is situated on the Sabarmati River. Ahmedabad was known as the "Manchester of India"
Who was the president of India in 1975
Who was the president of India when a state of emergency on grounds of internal threats to the nation’s security in June 1975 – Fakruddin Ali Ahmed
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
The Indian Rupee symbol was designed by...
The Indian Rupee symbol was designed by Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay postgraduate D Udaya Kumar.
EIFFEL TOWER
Ans: It served as the entrance arch to the 1889 World's Fair in Paris
Monday, October 11, 2010
The first Indian to sit as Law Lord of the Privy Council?
The first Indian to sit as Law Lord of the Privy Council in 1909- Sayyid Amir Ali
Which is India's first private sector firm in the Fortune 500 ?
Who earned the sobriquet "The Prince of Polyester"?
Where Buddha is said to have taught the Kalchakra for the first time?
Buddha is said to have taught the Kalchakra at Amaravati for the first time.
Amaravati situated near which city on the banks of Krishna river?
Amaravati means "the abode of the gods". Situated on the banks of Krishna River near Guntur city.
who named Allahabad (City of God)?
Allahabad was founded in 1583 by the Mughal emperor, Akbar, who named it Allahabad (City of God)
2010 Prize in Economic Sciences awarded to Peter A. Diamond, Dale T. Mortensen & Christopher A. Pissarides
2010 Prize in Economic Sciences awarded to Peter A. Diamond, Dale T. Mortensen & Christopher A. Pissarides#nobelprize #economics
Trio Shares Nobel Economics Prize
First female to receive Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences
Elinor Ostrom is the first female Laureate in Economic Sciences, awarded in 2009.
#nobelprize in economics youngest and oldest
Youngest Laureate in Economic Sciences, Kenneth J. Arrow, age 51, oldest, Leonid Hurwicz, age 90.nobelprize economics
Nobel Prize in Economices
Sveriges Riksbank introduced the Nobel Prize in Economic Services in Memory of Alfred Nobel. The prize has been awarded 41 times to 64 Laureates between 1969 and 2009.
Rlinor Ostrom, Oliver E. Williamson won for 2009
Paul Krugman won for 2008
Amartya Sen won for 1998
Rlinor Ostrom, Oliver E. Williamson won for 2009
Paul Krugman won for 2008
Amartya Sen won for 1998
Amitabh Bachchan - did you know?
- Amitabh suffers from a rare muscular disorder known as myasthenia gravis
- Big B is ambidextrous -- he can write with both hands
- He was rejected when he auditioned for a newsreader's job at All India Radio
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Saturday, October 9, 2010
World Top Ten Countries with Longest Coastline
Country Total Coastline Length (Miles)
1. Canada 151,485
2. Indonesia 33,999
3. Russia 23,396
4. Phillippines 22,559
5. Japan 18,486
6. Australia 16,007
7. Norway 13,624
8. USA 12,380
9. New Zealand 9,404
10 China 9,010
1. Canada 151,485
2. Indonesia 33,999
3. Russia 23,396
4. Phillippines 22,559
5. Japan 18,486
6. Australia 16,007
7. Norway 13,624
8. USA 12,380
9. New Zealand 9,404
10 China 9,010
BBC News - Quiz of the week's news
He's 26 years old, worth $ 6.7 billion and has just had a movie made about him - Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg
BBC News - Quiz of the week's news
Friday, October 8, 2010
Adi Granth was compiled by the fifth Sikh Guru, Arjun Dev
The first version of the book Adi Granth was compiled by the fifth Sikh Guru, Arjun Dev, in Amritsar in AD 1604.
Aditi is referred to as the mother of many gods
Aditi is referred to as the mother of many gods, including Vishnu in his dwarf incarnation and, in a later reappearance, Krishna
Who was the founder chairperson of the Centre for Science and Environment
Anil Agarwal was the founder chairperson of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).
The Nobel Peace Prize 2010 was awarded to Liu Xiaobo
China's best-known dissident today won the prestigious Nobel peace prize from the prison cell where he is serving 11 years for incitement to subvert state power.
The Norwegian Nobel committee praised Liu Xiaobo for his "long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China. The ... committee has long believed that there is a close connection between human rights and peace."
As the news was announced, transmission of both BBC news and CNN television channels was interrupted in China.
more at guardian
Mumbai Quiz -- National Geographic's Ultimate City Guides
The city's name from Bombay to Mumbai officially changed in 1995
One million people live in Dharavi slum
In 1534, the Sultan Bahadur Shah of Gujarat ceded what is now called to the Portuguese, wo had mounted a 21 ship invasion
Nobel laureate Norman Borlaug dies at 95
Norman Borlaug
Nobel laureate Norman Borlaug dies at 95 (cnn)
# Story Highlights
# Borlaug died at the age of 95 from complications caused by cancer
# In 1970, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his contribution to science
# Helped develop disease-resistant wheat, worked to ease world food shortages
# Borlaug: "There has been great progress.. but famine appears all too often"
# Story Highlights
# Borlaug died at the age of 95 from complications caused by cancer
# In 1970, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his contribution to science
# Helped develop disease-resistant wheat, worked to ease world food shortages
# Borlaug: "There has been great progress.. but famine appears all too often"
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Down to Earth , a magazine addressing environmental and science issues
In 1992, Anil Agarwal launched Down to Earth , a magazine addressing environmental and science issues and promoting the causes of sustainable development
The first person to refer to Agra by its modern name was Ptolemy
Who formed a new political party, the BJP, in 1980?
LK Advani and Atal Behari Vajpayee formed a new political party, the BJP, in 1980
Who founded the Jana Sangh?
Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee founded the Jana Sangh (forerunner of the BJP) in 1951
Who is known as the "Lion of Kashmir"?
Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah is known as the "Lion of Kashmir". He was the first chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir.
Adam's Brdge also called Rama's bridge
Adam's Brdge also called Rama's bridge , located between the islands of Mannar, near north-western Sri Lanka, and Rameshwaram, off the southeastern coast of India
Dr. Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam
In 1998, Kalam was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award. He was earlier awarded the Padma Vibhushan (1990) and Padma Bhushan (1981). - Dr. Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam
Pointing out that future soldiers would be knowledge workers, Kalam said, "the future battlefield would require a synergised team work with joint services operation and use of land, aerospace and ocean as important war theatres.
Pointing out that future soldiers would be knowledge workers, Kalam said, "the future battlefield would require a synergised team work with joint services operation and use of land, aerospace and ocean as important war theatres.
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