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Taking
Up The Challenges And Being Proud
Of The Change You Bring
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Kiran
Mazumdar-Shaw, Chairperson And Managing
Director, Biocon
An
empowered nation is synonymous with
national pride. Pride to me is the
most powerful ethos that defines empowerment.
India's private sector, led by information
technology, telecommunications, biotech,
pharmaceuticals and many others is
empowering the country on a platform
of performance and excellence. A recent
BusinessWeek report comparing India
and China indicates that while China
has outperformed India in terms of
foreign investments, India outperforms
China by a factor of two when it comes
to return on investment in almost
every industry sector. The India factor
is now a force to be reckoned with
and something that is building national
pride through amplified job opportunities
that are reversing the brain drain.
Apart from industry, success in other
realms like sports, entertainment,
the visual and performing arts and
heritage are also great contributors
to pride and empowerment. Today's
youth are inspired by successful icons,
be it business, sports or the performing
arts. Sania Mirza's successful debut
on the world stage has empowered many
an aspiring tennis player to pursue
professional tennis. Indian cricket,
though at an all-time low, has brought
global visibility to India's leadership
position in the game. Today, Rahul
Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar are as
sought after as Bollywood stars. Likewise,
Narayana Murthy and Ratan Tata are
revered across all sections of society.
A recent visit to Malaysia left me
with a lasting impression of what
nation building and empowerment is
all about. Only a few decades ago,
Malaysia was a country that suffered
a deep inferiority complex from its
highly-advanced and progressive neighbour,
Singapore.
Courtesy:
www.financialexpress.com, August 30,
2005
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Delhi
Researcher Wins US Scholarship For
Research
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Despite
attractive job offers in the United
States, Rajesh Gokhale chose to return
to India to study the unique mechanisms
used by Mycobacterium tuberculosis,
which causes TB. His decision has
won him a hefty Howard Hughes Grant
award to continue his research at
the National Institute of Immunology.
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute
(HHMI) awarded $17.5 million to 42
outstanding scientists in 20 countries
to tackle the mysteries of the molecular
and genetic mechanisms underlying
infectious and parasitic disease.
Nearly 500 scientists from 62 countries
applied for the five-year awards.
"Through its international program,
HHMI is supporting scientists of the
highest quality in their home countries,"
said Institute President Thomas R.
Cech, a Nobel prize-winning chemist.
"We also bring these international
scholars together with each other
and with other scientists in the HHMI
community to create an international
network of scientific excellence."
What these scientists learn could
help identify potential new drug targets
and develop better vaccines. Gokhale's
research in Tuberculosis could help
explain the subtle ways that the pathogen
generates different reactions under
varying circumstances. HHMI selected
researchers from India, Argentina,
Australia, Brazil, Canada, China,
Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary,
Israel, Mali, Mexico, Portugal, Russia,
South Africa, Spain, Switzerland,
Thailand, and Uruguay. Each will receive
$350,000 to $500,000 U.S. dollars
over five years.
Courtesy:
Hindustan Times, August 30, 2005
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South
Africa to Recruit Teachers From India
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Faced
with a shortage of mathematics and
science teachers, South Africa is
planning to recruit skilled tutors
from India in these fields. Minister
of Education in the Western Cape province
of the country, Cameron Dugmore, made
the proposal in the wake of concerns
that highly-qualified mathematics
and science teachers had left the
profession over the past 11 years.
Most of the teachers had either taken
packages or had migrated to countries
such as New Zealand, Australia, Canada,
or the United Kingdom. Dugmore said
among his plans were to recruit teachers
from countries such as India where
there was an abundance of well-qualified
mathematics, science and technology
teachers. The proposal has been welcomed
by some educationists in Kwazulu-Natal,
where there's an acute shortage of
mathematics and science teachers especially
among the African population. A member
of the provincial parliament, Ram
Maharaj, said he was confident that
qualified teachers from India would
be a "welcome boost" to education
in the province. "India's teachers
have the added value of being proficient
in English and served other countries
with dedication and distinction,"
he said. "However, the import of teachers
from India or any other country should
not deprive or even disadvantage qualified
or aspirant South African teachers.
It would also be prudent to recall
suitably-qualified teachers who had
taken retrenchment packages," he said.
Courtesy:
www.financialexpress.com, August 29,
2005
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Age
Old: Japan Looks to India For Wired
Solutions
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Japan
is growing old and is preparing to
fight the problems of an ageing population
coupled with declining birthrate,
through "anytime, anywhere, anything,
anyone" computing. About 20per cent
of the population is already 60 years
old and this is expected to grow to
25per cent. So who do you think it
is turning to for help? Indian IT
engineers. "We want to make Japan
a ubiquitous network society by '10.
This can happen through the use of
information communication technology
(ICT) and we need Indian engineers
to implement Japan's U-policy," says
Taro Aso, Japan's minister for internal
affairs & communications. He was addressing
the Press with minister for communications
& IT, Dayanidhi Maran after India
and Japan issued a joint statement
to partner each other in the ICT sector.
"Since the ubiquitous society would
connect everything and everyone to
networks, a collaborative partnership
between Japan and India, a software
giant, will help realise the dream
of creating an environment where elderly
and disabled can live secure, safe
lives while staying connected," he
said.
Courtesy:
The Economic Times, August 28, 2005
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Indian
Cop Eyes 14th Guinness Record
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His
appetite for records never seems to
end. Police constable Velmurugan of
Tamil Nadu is all set to make an attempt
at creating his 14th Guinness record.
The constable, attached to the neighbouring
Tirupur station, plans to jump from
a height of 36 feet into a tank filled
with 18 cubic metres of water on September
3 at the VOC Park Grounds in the city,
sources close to the constable said
on Thursday. The 35-year old Velumurugan
is attempting to break the record
of one Cubert of United States, who
jumped from a height of 28 feet into
a tank filled with 30 cubic metres
of water in 1999, sources close to
the constable, said. Standing on one
leg for 81 hours, swimming 157 kms
in Periyar river, rotating one hand
in one direction for 12000 times,
jumping into four-foot deep tank from
an height of 81 feet, non-stop lifting
of an object weighing six kgs 27,000
times, jumping down on six inch sand
from a height of 32 feet, diving in
the sea from a height of 126 feet,
covering 3,600 kms of entire Tamil
Nadu by running 1,107 hours continuously,
and covering 100 kms in 24 hours carrying
15 kgs of weight, are among the entries
secured by Velmurugan in the Guinness
Book of World Records.
Courtesy:
The Times of India, August 25, 2005
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ASI
Digs Out 3000-yr-old Mummified Body
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A
mummified body, wearing copper bracelets,
some pottery and other artefacts dating
back to the Indus Valley civilisation
3,000 years ago, have been found at
a village in Baghpat district where
the Archaeological Survey of India
is conducting an excavation. The body,
caked in mud and dirt collected over
the centuries, was found at Sinoli
village in Baghpat district and "could
belong to the Sindhu period (or the
Indus Valley era) about 3,000 years
ago", archaeologist Dharamveer Sharma
said on Thursday. It was wearing copper
bracelets, and was most likely reduced
to a skeleton, but that could only
be determined after careful examination.
Sharma, who is supervising the ASI
dig, said the excavation was at the
initial stages and they had so far
come upon intricate pots and other
items of pottery dating to the period.
He said the "shape and inscriptions"
on the artefacts indicated that they
could belong to the Sindhu period,
though tests (like radio-carbon dating)
had yet to be conducted. The find
was expected to be of immense historical
and academic significance, he added.
The first items of pottery were found
by one Dharampal while he was tilling
his field in Sanoli village about
a year ago after which the ASI decided
to excavate the area.
Courtesy:
The Times of India, August 25, 2005
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Asia's
Largest Vegetable Market Near Jaipur
Soon
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Asia's
largest ever fruit and vegetable mandi
(yard) is coming up at Muhana village,
around 25 km from here. The mandi,
which is to occupy 150 hectare, is
likely to cost Rs 100 crore. Infrastructure
development has already started around
the mandi. The Rajasthan government
has also allocated a budget of Rs
55 crore for the development of the
mega-yard, slated to become operational
by 2006. "The mandi will have facilities
like bank branches, post offices,
insurance agents and a hospital,"
Kesar Singh, the mandi's secretary,
said. As planned, the complex will
house 2,000 shops, establishments
and cold storages. Mr Singh said the
mandi will have commodious and eco-friendly
waste disposal facilities. "This mandi
will surely change our lifestyle.
It will help us sell our produce as
well as throw open a gamut of other
opportunities," said Ramlal Gujar,
a local farmer. "It's a dual benefit
for us since it assures different
employment avenues for our children,"
said Chand Ram, another farmer. At
the same time, local household buyers
like SK Sharma bemoan the increased
distance to the mandi and complain
that daily trips will have to be curtailed
in favour of weekend visits.
Courtesy:
www.financialexpress.com, August 24,
2005
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5000-yr-Old
Oman-India Boat To Take To Sea
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The
skilled craftsmen of the coastal Omani
town of Sur have built a unique boat,
a replica of the 5,000-year-old raft
'Majan' which used to ply between
Oman and India during the early days
of their trade relationship. There
are plans to ply the boat, built with
materials like cane and lightwood
collected from Africa and Iraq, from
the shore of Oman to India in October.
The trip would take 20 days, the Times
of Oman said. The boat is designed
in such a way that it does not require
an engine but works on the traditional
sailing method using the force of
wind. Ashok Kumar Attri, Indian ambassador
to the Sultanate, yesterday visited
the site where the boat is being built.
Courtesy:
www.financialexpress.com, August 24,
2005
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US
Discovers Cow Dung Can Be Fuel!
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With
oil prices soaring and calls for increasing
renewable supply of energy sources
in the United States, some Americans
have discovered what Indian villagers
have long known -- dried cow dung
made into "pies" can be used as fuel
apart from its use as manure. Cow
manure was getting more attention
as an alternative fuel source, particularly
in Texas, America's biggest producer
of cow patties. For years, researchers
studied manure as a fertilizer. But
at a time when state and federal energy
bills called for increasing renewable
energy sources, the focus shifted
more on developing dung as an alternative
to coal or natural gas, according
to media reports. The Panda Group
of Dallas plans to fuel a $120 million
ethanol plant set to open next year
in Hereford with cow manure and other
waste. The company said it will realize
an energy savings equivalent to 1,000
barrels of oil per day turning manure
and cotton gin waste into clean-burning
fuel to power the plant. Biomass is
renewable organic matter, such as
manure and crops like corn, grain
sorghum and soybeans, all of which
can be processed into ethanol.
Courtesy:
www.financialexpress.com, August 24,
2005
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Germany
To Buy Carbon Credits From Tirupati
Kitchen
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It's
not just devotees who are queuing
up at Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam
(TTD). Also approaching the temple
is Germany, though for a completely
different purpose. In its efforts
to reduce green house gas (GHG) emission,
the German Government is in the process
of buying carbon credits from the
solar kitchen of TTD. It has identified
the TTD kitchen as one of the projects
from which it would buy certified
carbon reductions (CERs). "The agreement
would be signed within two months,"
said Ms Pamposh Bhat, Head, Clean
Development Mechanism (CDM) - India,
GTZ (German Technical Corporation).
GTZ has been commissioned by the German
Government to identify CDM project
in large solar-powered community kitchens
in India to offset the carbon dioxide
emissions in that country. Eleven
such projects that include community
kitchen concepts backed by solar cooking
at places such as temples, ashrams,
hospitals, technical institutes and
colleges are being considered from
which CERs could be bought. "We are
also identifying community solar cooking
projects that serve between 500 to
15,000 people per day," she said.
The solar kitchen has been installed
at TTD by Gadhia Solar Energy Systems,
a Gujaratbased company, promoted by
Dr (Mrs) Shirin Ghadhia and Mr Deepak
Ghadia. When contacted, Dr Shirin
Gadhia told Business Line that the
solar steam kitchen installed in Tirupati
Devasthanam can cook 15,000 meals
at a time and can serve 30,000 meals
per day (at two cooked meals per days).
"The funds from selling carbon credits
would accrue to the Tirupati Temple
over a period of about 12 years,"
she said. The rates per CER (each
CER stands for one tonne equivalent
of carbon dioxide reduced and can
be traded globally) hasn't been decided
as of now, but it is going to be "quite
good" since the projects is Gold Standard,
according to Ms Bhat. Gold Standard
projects are those which, apart from
reducing carbon dioxide emissions
also result in community development,
poverty alleviation and employment
generation, among others. They are
sought by buyers seeking "high quality
certificates" and translate into less
risk for investors.
Courtesy:
The Hindu Business Line: August 24,
2005
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Here
Everyone Has An Email ID
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In
a little-known Punjab village, 72-year-old
Mehnga Singh, who just returned from
his field, casually places his spade
in the corner of the local community
polytechnic and removes his shoes.
After washing his hands, he heads
for a computer to check e-mail from
his son in Dubai. His grandson is
in the neighbouring swimming pool
and his wife in an all-women gym.
This is Palahi, the village that gives
Punjab's other 12,500-plus villages
a complex. Three kilometres off National
Highway 1 near Phagwara, this 3,000-strong
population village has a twinning
IT arrangement with Cambridge University
and has ensured that every resident
has an e-mail address. Gurdip Singh's
month-old baby, the village's youngest
resident, is the only one who does
not have an e-mail address yet. "Actually,
we still have to name him," says Gurdip.
"That's not a very good excuse," chides
Gurmit Singh, engineer-turned-principal
of the polytechnic. Access to e-mail
is free and the polytechnic, which
has been key to its progress, ensures
that even computer-illiterates have
access to IT. E-mail printouts are
sent to the recipients' homes every
evening and the internet traffic is
significant since almost every family
has kin abroad. Although this is the
only village where Cambridge University
runs a computer diploma course, IT
is only a part of what makes Palahi
so different. You can feel the community
power as soon as you enter the village,
and also the NRI money and its deft
management. "There are many NRI villages
in Punjab, but the money sent from
abroad is not managed properly and
often ends up in marble splashed all
over gurdwaras. Very little of it
ends up adding value to the community's
lifestyle," rues Gurmit Singh. Palahi's
NRI sons are something else. "We are
international beggars," says Baba
Jagat Singh Palahi, who enthusiastically
boards a flight every now and then
to go and collect money for the village
ventures-a Rs 40-lakh 2,000-eating
capacity auditorium with acoustics
features, a Rs 10-lakh park and a
Rs 30-lakh swimming pool. Philan -
thropist Jagat Singh Palahi and Gurmit
Singh understand that success comes
with integration. When the polytechnic's
new library got only male participation,
an all-women gym was given space within
the same premises and a creche was
set up next to it. Soon entire families
were trudging the street and it didn't
take long for the library to draw
in women readers. Soon after the village
got a polytechnic, the institute became
a hub for voluntary activity and leadership.
Courtesy:
The Times of India, August 23, 2005
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GAIL
To Clean Air For Beijing Olympics
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GAIL
(India) Limited is set to play a crucial
role in converting the mass transportation
system of Beijing to CNG before the
Beijing Olympics.The company is eyeing
stake in two Chinese firms implementing
a project to supply CNG to Beijing
by 2008. China has decided to introduce
CNG in Beijing and convert entire
transport vehicles to gas by 2008.
Currently, 20,000 buses and 80,000
taxis run on liquid fuels in Beijing.
GAIL hopes to bring down vehicular
pollution levels significantly through
this project as it did in Delhi and
Mumbai. "GAIL is pursuing equity participation
in Beijing Gas Co and Beijing Jianggang
Gas for implementation of CNG projects
in Beijing City," a release from the
company said here. Beijing Jianggang
Gas is a joint venture formed by China
Gas Holdings Ltd and Beijing Gas Company
for supply of natural gas in the six
suburb districts of Beijing. The company
holds 10 per cent stake in China Gas
Holdings, which has a 40 per cent
stake in Beijing Jianggag Gas Co.
"During the recent visit of a high
level GAIL team led by chairman and
managing director Proshanto Banerjee
discussions were held with China Gas
Holdings Ltd for GAIL's participation
in CNG projects in Beijing municipality
area as well as in the six suburb
districts of Beijing," the release
said.
Courtesy:
The pioneer, August 23, 2005
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Country's
Literacy Rate Rises To 64.84 pc
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The
literacy rate in the country went
up to 64.84 per cent in 2001 from
52.21 in 1991 as a result of various
schemes and programmes being implemented
by the government, the Rajya Sabha
was informed on Monday. In a written
reply to the Upper House, Minister
of State for Human Resource Development,
M A A Fatmi said during the period
1991 and 2001, the number of literate
males increased from 64.13 per cent
to 75.26 per cent. Women literates
went up from 39.29 per cent to 53.67
per cent. The scheduled caste literates
went up from 37.41 per cent to 54.69
per cent and that of the scheduled
tribes from 29.6 to 47.1 per cent.
In the urban areas the increase has
been from 73.08 per cent in 1991 to
79.9 percent in 2001. While in rural
areas the figure mounted from 44.69
per cent to 58.7 per cent. The minister
said the above position has been determined
by the Registrar General and Census
Commissioner of India and is based
on the data collected from the public
through the decennial census, a reliable
database used nationally. As per census,
a person seven and above, who can
read and write in any language is
treated as literate.
Courtesy:
The Deccan Herald, August 23, 2005
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Now,
It Is The Turn Of Marriage Tourism
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After
beach, backwater, eco and health tourism,
it is now the turn of marriage tourism
in `God's Own Country.' The industry
is all set to cash in on the "innovative
product" with Non-Resident Indians
and foreigners choosing the beach
resorts and idyllic tourist spots
in the State to get married according
to local traditions. The marriage
between Uttara Shahani, an NRI lawyer
from Gujarat, and Arjun Viswananthan,
an NRI banker from Palakkad, in traditional
Kerala style at an Ayurvedic beach
resort at Poovar, South of Kovalam,
on Sunday was an example of how the
State and the industry could benefit
from the package. The NRIs, both from
London, entered into wedlock in traditional
Kerala style at 10.25 a.m. in the
specially erected pandal at the sprawling
Ayurvedic beach resort. About 150
friends and relatives of Uttara and
Arjun had flown down from Switzerland,
Germany, the United Kingdom, France,
the U.S. and various parts of the
country to witness the "dream wedding."
Film director Adoor Gopalakrishnan,
theatre personality Kavalam Narayana
Panicker and a host of VIPs were among
those who arrived to bless Arjun and
Uttara, who is the daughter of film
personality Kumar Sahani.
Courtesy:
The Hindu, August 22, 2005
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Pak
Invites Ash To Kick Start Polio Drive
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Notwithstanding
its ban on Indian films, Pakistan
Government plans to cash in on the
popularity of Bollywood actress Aishwarya
Rai by inviting her to kick start
the next round of polio immunisation
campaign in the country. "This year
we intend to build up excitement in
the next round of polio campaign scheduled
for the last week of September by
involving two polio ambassadors of
the region namely Indian film actress
Aishwarya Rai and Pakistan's pop star
Jawad Ahmed," Federal Health Minister
Mohammad Nasir Khan said. He said
preparations are on to hold two functions,
one each in Pakistan and India, involving
both stars to send a positive message,
highlighting the need for saving children
by completely wiping out the virus
from the region. "If successfully
translated into reality, the event
would boost confidence-building efforts
between the two countries," he said
asserting health has no colour, creed
or religion and has a pivotal role
to play in bringing the two countries
closer, local daily Dawn reported.
The decision to invite the former
Miss World, who is extremely popular
among Pakistanis, comes after a recent
decision by the Pakistan Government
to continue the ban on screening of
Indian films and not to permit even
the joint productions being planned
by Pakistan and Indian film producers
despite strong appeals from the local
industry.
Courtesy:
The Pioneer, August 21, 2005
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C.N.R.
Rao Hailed As Role Model For Young
Scientists
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President
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam on Saturday felicitated
Chintamani Nagesh Ramachandra Rao
(C.N.R. Rao), Chairman of the Scientific
Advisory Committee to the Prime Minister.
The Linus Pauling Research Professor
at Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced
Scientific Research and Honorary Professor
at the Indian Institute of Science,
Prof. Rao was honoured for being awarded
the Dan David Prize for Science in
the Future Dimension (material science)
from Israel, the first India Science
Award from the Government of India,
the Chevalier de la Legion d`Honneur
from the President of France and the
Chemical Pioneer Award from the American
Institute of Chemists. Lauding the
achievements of Prof. Rao in the fields
of solid-state chemistry and material
sciences, the President said that
this will result in a social revolution
in the country. Prof. Rao, he said,
is a symbol of sustained excellence
for over four decades in this field
and a great role model for young scientists
in the country. "India is hoping that
C.N.R. Rao gets the world's greatest
recognition," Dr. Kalam said. Prof.
Rao, born in Basavanagudi in the city,
was also awarded the Karnataka Ratna
Award by the State Government some
time ago. Chief Minister N. Dharam
Singh, who participated in the function,
recalled that his Government wanted
to felicitate him, but was unable
to do so. Mr. Singh said that the
contribution of Prof. Rao will be
beneficial to mankind.
Courtesy:
The Hindu, August 21, 2005
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IIM-A
Scales Great Wall of China
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First,
they conquered the land of Pharaohs.
Now, they have scaled the Great Wall
of China. After the Indian Institute
of Management-Ahmedabad's (IIM-A)
Cairo venture, where it provided management
development programmes for executives,
the institute has just finished an
"in-company programme" for an MNC
in Beijing. And, IIM-A feels this
is not only fuelling the institute's
internationalisation drive, the move
is also opening up doors to a growing
overseas market in sponsored in-company
programmes. After Beijing, IIM-A is
eyeing this market in West Asia, South
East Asia and even Europe. "We had
some of our professors carrying out
an in-company programme for an MNC
in Beijing early this month. This
is just the beginning with a huge
market lying untapped in other countries,"
said an IIM-A don. Sources in IIM-A
reveal that providing in-company training
is a growing market. "We have been
carrying out four to five such programmes
a year in foreign countries for the
last two years. This is set to double
over the next two years," sources
said.
Courtesy:
The Economic Times, August 20, 2005
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Indians
To Teach UK Pupils @ Net
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Close
on the heels of their successful handling
of Business Process Outsourcing and
call centres, Indian firms will now
provide private tuition facilities
to British school children in mathematics
and science over the internet. Two
Delhi-based firms - Edu-comp Datamatics
and Career Launcher - will begin offering
British pupils aged eight to 27 one-to-one
lessons with a private tutor from
early next year, the media here reported
today. The companies, which already
provide tuition facilities to hundreds
of American children on the internet,
will initially specialise in maths,
although help in science subjects
will follow. "The UK is a very big
market and we will target it next
year," Shantanu Prakash, chief executive
of Edu-comp Datamatics, one of the
firms involved, told The Sunday Times.
"Our area is maths and we have found
that universally across the world
we have seen that maths is a huge
problem. The UK doesn't have many
maths teachers. On the other hand
in India we have intellectual talent
and capital available for tutoring,"
he said.
Courtesy:
The Times of India, August 15, 2005
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Indian-Americans
Fly Kite Imported From Bareilly
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Non-resident
Indians (NRIs) from Uttar Pradesh
orgnised a unique kite festival in
a New Jersey park Sunday, an event
worth remembering not only for the
participants for years to come, but
also for curious American onlookers.The
kites numbering about 150 were specially
flown in by the organizers - Uttar
Pradesh Association of the Mid Atlantic
Area - from Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh
and so did manjha or special thread
rolled into spools."It reminded all
of us, our days back home. It was
a great event as even non-members
joined us," Atul Rastogi, president
of the association, told HindustanTimes.com.The
successful event took months of preparation
by the organizers who after deciding
to organize the festival went on a
frantic search for the venue. "We
were rejected by at least 20 different
park authorities, before we were allowed
by the Holmdel Park in New Jersey,"
said Rastogi.Denial to the association's
request by these townships was based
on the argument that flying a kite
in such a large number would disturb
the wildlife and also create hurdles
for the birds in the area, he said.A
diamond merchant, Rastogi said the
association decided to organize the
kite festival with the objective of
having fun at the picnic but also
to popularise Bareilly kites. Last
year, this township in Uttar Pradesh
exported more than 40,000 kites. "Promoting
kite, became our motto this time,"
he said.The Bareilly kites numbering
about 150 of various shapes and sizes
were specially made by kite makers
in this U.P. township. In stead of
the kites made of traditional paper,
the kites were made of all weather
proof material. "It was made of special
type of plastic," he said.While the
cost of the kite was Rs. 30 each,
its special packaging and transportation
came out to be much expensive: more
than Rs. 100 per kite, he said, adding
that special courier companies had
to be hired for the purpose."Despite
all the precaution, we ended in damaging
about a couple of kites," he said.
But the experience of flying kites
in their childhood, helped members
to fix them."It has been a great experience
for all of us.
Courtesy:
Hindustan Times, August 11, 2005
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Mosque
Run By Hindu Trust
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Fanatics
who squabble over the rightful site
for temples and mosques should take
a leaf out of the book of the Marble
Palace Trust. Tucked away in the southern
corner of the palace, which houses
an art gallery, a zoo and a Jagannath
temple, is one of the oldest mosques
in Kolkata, which is run by a Hindu
trust. In the past 215 years, the
trust has maintained the mosque, popularly
called Bangali Babur Masjid, with
equal care and zeal as it runs the
Jagannath temple. It is perhaps the
only mosque in the country that is
owned and run by a Hindu trust. In
the late eighteenth century, Raja
Rajendra Mullick built the Marble
Palace and set up the trust for its
manintenance. He constructed the temple
of the family deity, Jagannath Diu,
and the mosque opposite each other
because he wanted the estate to be
the melting point for all communities.
August is a special month for the
trust as it has lined up two big events
for both the religions communities
- Janmashtami for Hindus and Kunda
for Muslims. Both the festivals fall
on the same day, August 26. So, while
the temple is being given a face-lift,
the mosque has been white-washed,
electrical connections repaired and
arrangements made for distribution
of halwa, puri and kheer to anyone
who walks into the mosque on the Chand
ka Bais tareekh, the day Kunda is
observed.
Courtesy:
The Times of India, August 09, 2005
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1st
Internet Rerouting Server Up In Chennai
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India's
first re-route server for Internet
has become operational, Union telecommunications
and IT minister Dayanidhi Maran said
here on Sunday. The server, which
is set up in Chennai and began working
from Friday evening, will re-route
Internet traffic in case of disaster
and at times of "overloading", Mr
Maran said. Two more servers, being
set up at Noida, on Delhi's outskirts,
and at Mumbai, will be operational
by August 25, the minister said. The
servers will reduce access time from
500 milli-seconds to five and resolve
Internet disputes in traffic by automatically
re-routing. "This is a major achievement
for India's communication technology,"
Mr Maran said at the inauguration
of an IT park at a college near Coimbatore.
Courtesy:
The Asian Age, August 09, 2005
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American
NRIs Offer Help In River Linking Project
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Non-resident
Indians (NRIs) in the United States
of America have offered their contribution
- both financial and technical expertise
- in the ambitious river-linking project,
which aims at providing lasting solution
to India's water woes. Houston-based
Socalingam 'Sam' Kannappan, who has
been organizing the NRIs on this issue
after the project was announced by
the previous Vajpayee Government in
2002, told The HindustanTimes.com
in an exclusive interview: "We are
all ready to assist the Indian Government
in achieving the project expeditiously."
Informing the keenness of the NRIs
to help India solve its water woes,
both flooding and water scarcity,
Kannappan in a letter to the Parliamentary
Standing Committee on Water Resources
Chairman, R Sambasiva Rao, said the
NRIs would help in buying interest
free bond if raised by Government
of India for the purpose.
Courtesy:
Hindustan Times, August 06, 2005
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India
Now World's Food Basket
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The
phirangs have been making merry while
eating & drinking our stuff. But they
didn't know that, till now. In what
is one of the best kept secrets in
the corporate world, Indian food companies
have been supplying products to companies
overseas to be sold under the foreign
labels. While confectionery maker
Candico supplies its products to London-based
Euro Gardia, Rasna supplies its powdered
soft drinks to US-based food brand
American Garden, French retail chain
Carrefour and Dubai-based Co-ops.
Ahmedabad-based Leamak Healthcare
is said to be supplying lozenges to
some global marketers. It is still
a small field with few players, but
with sub-contract manufacturing getting
many more excited, food outsourcing
is set to become a big business. Says
Candico executive director Karan Gupta,
"We supply 1,000 tonnes of confectionery
products in different flavours each
year to Euro Gardia and it has been
a very fruitful partnership." Rasna
managing director Piruz Khambatta,
who is also the chairman of the CII
council on food processing, refused
to discuss the companies it supplies
to but said that its a great opportunity
for Indian food companies. "Indian
companies have a huge advantage on
costs and, therefore, such outsourcing
contracts for foreign companies have
great value. Besides, with quality
of Indian food companies being top
class now, there would be more such
outsourcing tie ups in future if intentions
are anything to go by.''
Courtesy:
The Economic Times, August 05, 2005
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Chinese
Chef Experiments With Indian Food
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Yan
Jun, the Oriental chef of Uppal Orchid,
was in the capital to promote the
herbal Chinese cuisine in the country.
Jun feels that Indians are used to
having "spicy food, cooked in a lot
of ghee." On his second visit to India,
the chef was more than impressed by
the hospitality of the Indians, especially
Delhiites. "Delhiites are very helpful
and courteous and they try to be as
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