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YouTube
India is Launched
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With
News Corp's MySpace having launched
in India, can Google-owned YouTube
be far behind? The popular video-sharing
Web site today launched its local
Indian version at www.youtube.co.in.
YouTube India is different in that
it features a localized home page
plus search functions, allowing users
create and share videos, discover
the most popular/relevant videos in
India, and generally connect with
other Indian and global users. Over
time, YouTube India is expected to
have an entirely 'local' flavor and
feature content and functionality
that is most desired by Indian users.
Speaking at the launch, Steve Chen,
chief technology officer and co-founder
of YouTube, said, "We are very excited
to bring a local version of YouTube
to India considering the passion of
users here for music and entertainment.
For a culture that is steeped both
in video and in storytelling, and
where everyone has a voice -- YouTube
India will not only offer Indian users
more relevant content but also provide
a platform to share India's unique
and diverse culture and lifestyle
with the largest online video community
in the world." Adding to it, Sakina
Arsiwala, international manager of
YouTube, said, "YouTube allows anyone
with a simple Web camera or even a
cell phone to create content, connect,
and converse with each other through
the medium of video. It provides a
powerful way for people to express
themselves. From a home video to a
magic show to classroom lectures or
working professionals connecting with
their families in another city, YouTube
is about communication and not just
entertainment." YouTube India sports
local features like promoted videos,
featured videos, home page promotions,
localized user interface and help
center, user support and community
features (video ratings, sharing,
and content flagging), and intends
making easier for the Indian YouTube
community to search and view videos
from India. In addition, content uploaded
by users in India would show up as
'top favourites' and 'recommended
content' on the local YouTube Web
site. YouTube India also aims at facilitating
exchange amongst the large Indian
NRI community. Meanwhile, YouTube
India has already inked partnerships
with the likes of UTV, NDTV, India
TV, Zoom TV, Rajshri Films, Eros Entertainment,
IIFA, the Ministry of Tourism, IIT
Delhi, and KrishCricket to name a
few, with the objective of bringing
exclusive Indian content to users
in newer ways.
Courtesy:
www.techtree.com, May 08, 2008
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Digital
wave: Army gears up for cyber warfare
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Guarding
the borders, battling militants and
training for blitzkrieg battles is
just not enough now. Facing mounting
attacks in the virtual world, the
Indian Army is now gearing up for
battles in the digitised battlefield
as well. The ongoing army commanders'
conference, chaired by General Deepak
Kapoor, has decided to boost the "cyber-security"
of its information networks right
down to the level of divisions, which
are basically field formations with
over 15,000 troops. Apart from creating
cyber-security organisations down
to the division-level to guard against
cyber warfare and data thefts, the
Army top brass has also underlined
the urgent need for "periodic cyber-security
audits" by the Army Cyber Security
Establishment (ACSE). "The most advanced
armies in the world like the US one
also face 3,000 to 4,000 attempts
a year to hack their networks. As
our Army boosts its infotech levels,
we also become more vulnerable to
such threats. Future conflicts will
be fought by 'networks'," said a senior
officer. Both China and Pakistan,
for instance, are bolstering their
cyber-warfare or information warfare
capabilities at a rapid clip. China,
in particular, has made cyber-warfare
one of its topmost military priorities,
with Chinese hackers breaking into
sensitive computer networks of the
US, UK, Germany and even India on
a regular basis. "By crippling or
destroying an adversary's economic,
communication and strategic networks
and infrastructure, cyber-warfare
can even prove more deadly than ballistic
missile strikes. It can, for instance,
be in the form of denial-of-service
cyber-attacks and paralysing computer
viruses," said another officer. The
Indian armed forces, of course, are
also trying to hone their information
warfare weapons as well as enhance
their C4ISR (command, control, communications,
computers, intelligence, surveillance
and reconnaissance) capabilities.
The tri-service integrated defence
staff, on its part, has also come
out with an information warfare doctrine.
But the progress is slow compared
to the infotech boom in the civilian
arena. Even as the armed forces take
some strides forward on the infotech
superhighway, the need to protect
their own systems from cyber-attacks
of hostile forces is increasingly
being felt.
Courtesy:
www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com, May
02, 2008
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To
bust stress, CRPF jawans to undergo
yoga therapy
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Alarmed
by the increasing job stress levels
and environment-related diseases within
its ranks, the Central Reserve Police
Force (CRPF) is resorting to traditional
meditation techniques to tone up the
health of its personnel who are mostly
deployed in high-stress insurgency
and Maoist-affected areas across the
country. The CRPF, world's biggest
paramilitary force, is planning to
train 800 of its personnel in yoga
under Baba Ramdev as master trainers,
who in turn will train the entire
force in order to bust stress through
spiritual path. As part of the stress
management efforts, the CRPF personnel
are also being detailed to undergo
"Stress Education and Effective Decisions"
Programme (SEED), organised by Rajyoga
Education and Research Foundation,
Mount Abu. About two dozen CRPF personnel
have so far attended the course at
the foundation's Gurgaon and Mount
Abu centres. Besides, Art of Living
Course has also been introduced in
the Central Para-Military Forces (CPMFs).
Initially, 200 companies of the CPMFs
deployed in Jammu & Kashmir and North-Eastern
sector were imparted training in the
course. As many as 170 companies of
the CRPF have been earmarked to undergo
the course out of which 146 companies
have been imparted training. According
to the feedback of the course, there
was a positive impact on the forces'
personnel and the remaining companies
will undergo training in the course
shortly. Likewise, the IL&FS Education
and Technology Service has conducted
a course called 'Pragati Ke Path Par'
at two locations of CRPF and 954 personnel
of CRPF were trained at Gandhi Nagar
and New Delhi. A course on Sanjivini
is also being conducted at the group
centres of CRPF to develop the personality
of its personnel and their wives.
The CRPF book on operational profile
of 2007 says about 14 per cent of
the force is afflicted by either of
a range of diseases, including diabetes,
heart disease, hypertension, psychiatric
problems, tuberculosis, malaria and
hepatitis due stress or environment-related
factors. While suicides within the
para-military force have increased
from 19 in 2005 to 44 in 2007, fratricidal
killings have also doubled from five
in 2005 to 10 in 2006 and 2007. Reasons
for the increasing level stress and
related diseases include staying away
from families, insufficient family
accommodation, high mobility, threat
to life, inadequate compensation for
extra hardships and risks, prolonged
duty hours, poor living conditions
and insufficient logistics. The 2.67
lakh-strong CRPF has 200 operational
battalions out which personnel suffering
from low backache, heart diseases
and hypertension more than doubled
from 6,241 in 2005 to 13,207 in 2007,
413 cases in 2005 to 891 instances
in 2007 and 3031 in 2005 to 6,184
cases respectively. Cases of diabetes
increased from 2,424 in 2005 to 2,602
in 2007 and the number of those suffering
from psychiatric ailments surged from
573 in 2005 to 716 last year. Likewise,
cases of tuberculosis have also more
than doubled from 248 in 2005 to 507
in 2007. While instances of malaria
have increased from 1,875 cases in
2005 to 3,012 in 2007, the number
of hepatitis patients within the CRPF
ranks increased significantly from
796 in 2005 to 2,453 in 2006 but spiralled
down to 611 in 2007, according to
the CRPF book on operational profile
for 2007.
Courtesy:
www.dailypioneer.com, May 02, 2008
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Eminent
Gandhian Nirmala Despande passes away
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Nirmala Despande, Member of Rajya
Sabha, passed away this morning. She
was 79. The noted Gandhian and social
activist was not keeping well for
the past three days, and she died
in her sleep, sources said. Better
known as 'Didi', she was conferred
the Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana
Award in August 2006. Deshpande has
also been conferred with the Padma
Vibhushan Award, the second highest
civilian honour, in January 2006,
for her social initiative including
development of Gandhi Global Peace
Centre at Gandhi Ashram Kingsway Camp
in Delhi. In 2005, she was nominated
for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Courtesy:
www.headlinesindia.com, May 01, 2008
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