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At The Oscars Four Years Ago - Now A Sex Worker
25 Feb 2009, 0601 hrs IST
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KOLKATA: When A R Rahman walked up to receive the golden Oscar statuette, her eyes misted over. Preeti Mukherjee knows exactly how it feels. Four
years ago, she was on the same stage at Los Angeles’ Kodak Theatre, where she, too, had hugged the statuette and cried tears of joy. She hasn’t missed a single awards ceremony since. On Monday, she woke up in the wee hours to catch the live telecast — before starting the day’s grind at Sonagachhi.
Preeti, who goes by the name Puja in Asia’s largest red light district, had got sucked into the sex trade just a year after her brush with the Oscars.
In 2005, Preeti was part of the Oscar-winning documentary Born Into Brothels, directed by Zana Briski. The child cast of nine had cheered so loud that it still rings in her ears. And she still remembers the warmth of the hug Zana gave her as the award was announced.
“It seems like a fairy tale now. I still see it in my dreams. I get goosebumps when I remember the heart-stopping moment when the award was announced. All of us kept screaming with joy. Zana aunty made sure we, too, went along to collect the statuette. My head was swimming, there were so many eyes on us, the deafening applause, so many cameras flashing...” Preeti recalls.
In 2002, when not yet into her teens, Briski and Ross Kauffman chose her in the cast of nine to teach them photography and get a close-up view of their world and that of their mothers. The film was completed in 2004 and went on to win about 20 international awards, capped by the Oscar.
When the film was nominated, the directors flew the kids to Los Angeles. Life was happy for some time and the directors tried their best to rehabilitate the kids. Preeti, who was in high school, and the rest got an offer to stay back in the US and study. Some did. She backed out.
“Aunty (Zana) gave a lot of money by cheque to my mother and asked her to release me, but she was unwilling. I am a girl and an only child and my mother wouldn’t let go. Call it family pressure if you will. It’s quite simple, really,” Preeti said, with a dismissive shrug and a short laugh. “So, you see me here.”
Abhijit, one of the kids in the film, now studies in New York University. Another girl goes to school there. Preeti is in touch with both of them. Two others are studying at Future Hope, run by a charitable trust. One has got married while another girl, who was with an internationally funded NGO, has disappeared.
Dressed in jeans and a trendy shirt, Preeti could pass for any other collegegoer, until the whiff of smoke and alcohol in her breath hits you. And you look at her eyes — beautiful, aggressive and defiant.
“At this age, I have a flat in Salt Lake, a laptop, costly phones and plenty of money. What do I lack?” she looks you square in the eye. “Zana aunty and I are in touch by email. She was upset that I, too, had joined the trade like my mother, something she wanted to save me from. But this trade has really paid off for me.” A sign of her ‘prosperity’ — she has hired rooms in Prem Kamal, one of the most expensive Sonagachhi buildings.
Mother Rakhi lives in the opposite building. Preeti pays for her living expenses. Rakhi says she wanted a “normal” life for Preeti. She still has a fading photo of Preeti with the Oscar statuette stuck on a wall. “That is all I have left of her..,” she says, tears in her eyes.
There is no clear answer as to how and why Preeti became a sex worker. Police records say she was rescued from a racket while a minor, sent to a juvenile home from where she was handed to her mother by the state child welfare committee.
Police say she’s now part of a major sex racket that involves extremely powerful people, who will never let her escape into a sunnier world. Behind the I-care-a-damn stare, you can see a fleeting longing in her eyes — a longing for freedom.
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Saturday, February 28, 2009
Muslim Parents Marry Hindu Girl
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Muslim parents marry adopted Hindu girl to Hindu groom
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GHAZIABAD: A childless 55-year-old Muslim furniture shop owner adopted a Hindu Brahmin’s daughter 18 years ago, brought her up as a Hindu, and Gudiya's Muslim parents married off their only 'child' with full Hindu rites. (TOI)
on Thursday night, married Gudiya off to a Brahmin business executive from South Delhi.
In what may sound as a fairy tale, Gudiya’s Muslim parents married off their only ‘child’ with full Hindu rites, in a ceremony as grand as they could afford.
And, as they bid a tearful farewell to Gudiya, now called Rakhi, who hung on to the couple as though she would never leave, the neighbors and invitees were amazed at the intensity of the bond between parents and child.
Gudiya left with her husband, a multi-national corporation executive, Ranjit Sharma, leaving her ‘father’, Shabir Khan, behind. “Who will we now celebrate Holi with? No Eid will be the same without her. She is more our child than a natural one would be,” he said.
It all started 18 years ago, when Shabir Khan used to live in Vinod Nagar in East Delhi. The couple had no child of their own. And, one Sharma, a neighbor and close friend, had 6 daughters. Sharma agreed that Khan could adopt one of his daughters, which Khan did.
Then, some years later, Khan moved to Rahul Vihar in Ghaziabad, where his shop in Pratap Vihar was doing well.
“I thought it was my daughter’s arrival that brought us luck. And, since she joined us, she has been a sort of reason for our existence. “Aaj mujhe lagta hai jaise mere dil ka ek tukra chala gaya (Today, I feel like a peace of my heart has departed from me.)
When Khan adopted Gudiya, he had a separate pooja ghar (prayer room) for her, where she could pray to the Hindu deities. The family celebrated Diwali with as much gusto as they did Eid.
Gudiya completed her 10+2 examination from a Central Board of Secondary Education affiliated school. “We are a little conservative, as is the groom’s family. And, they thought that, to be a housewife, she needed only to have passed school,” the father said.
Muslim parents marry adopted Hindu girl to Hindu groom
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GHAZIABAD: A childless 55-year-old Muslim furniture shop owner adopted a Hindu Brahmin’s daughter 18 years ago, brought her up as a Hindu, and Gudiya's Muslim parents married off their only 'child' with full Hindu rites. (TOI)
on Thursday night, married Gudiya off to a Brahmin business executive from South Delhi.
In what may sound as a fairy tale, Gudiya’s Muslim parents married off their only ‘child’ with full Hindu rites, in a ceremony as grand as they could afford.
And, as they bid a tearful farewell to Gudiya, now called Rakhi, who hung on to the couple as though she would never leave, the neighbors and invitees were amazed at the intensity of the bond between parents and child.
Gudiya left with her husband, a multi-national corporation executive, Ranjit Sharma, leaving her ‘father’, Shabir Khan, behind. “Who will we now celebrate Holi with? No Eid will be the same without her. She is more our child than a natural one would be,” he said.
It all started 18 years ago, when Shabir Khan used to live in Vinod Nagar in East Delhi. The couple had no child of their own. And, one Sharma, a neighbor and close friend, had 6 daughters. Sharma agreed that Khan could adopt one of his daughters, which Khan did.
Then, some years later, Khan moved to Rahul Vihar in Ghaziabad, where his shop in Pratap Vihar was doing well.
“I thought it was my daughter’s arrival that brought us luck. And, since she joined us, she has been a sort of reason for our existence. “Aaj mujhe lagta hai jaise mere dil ka ek tukra chala gaya (Today, I feel like a peace of my heart has departed from me.)
When Khan adopted Gudiya, he had a separate pooja ghar (prayer room) for her, where she could pray to the Hindu deities. The family celebrated Diwali with as much gusto as they did Eid.
Gudiya completed her 10+2 examination from a Central Board of Secondary Education affiliated school. “We are a little conservative, as is the groom’s family. And, they thought that, to be a housewife, she needed only to have passed school,” the father said.
Ajay Devgan's Bike Among 70 Picked
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Actor's bike among 70 picked for ducking duty
MUMBAI: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence has "detained'' about 70 superbikes from Mumbai and Pune, including the one being used by actor Ajay
Devgan, for alleged duty evasion. Superbikes are not manufactured in India; these bikes were not imported in one piece, but as parts over several years, and then assembled.
While the newly imported bikes attract 60% duty, old bikes attract 100% duty. The parts, on the other hand, are brought in at 24% duty.
Five swanky bikes, mainly of Honda make, are "detained'' the Marine Lines office of the DRI. One of them is a Suzuki Hayabusa. Some of these can attain a speed of 200 kmph. On Thursday, 22 premises, including some automobile showrooms, were searched. Some bikes were picked up from the homes of owners, like that of Devgan. Film-maker Sanjay Gupta's bike is also under the scanner. He, however, denied that it had been "detained''.
The DRI worked backwards on the information that customs data in Mumbai did not show any imports of bikes, but they were being used all over, specially in suburbs like Bandra and Andheri and even in south Mumbai. The RTO registrations of these bikes led the DRI to the documents of sale and import, including the bills of entry, which turned out to be forged.
The parts were imported from Singapore. The DRI is still checking whether they were imported as misdeclared cargo. The superbikes are sold for anything between Rs 7 lakh and Rs 15 lakh. The number of bikes "detained'' will go up substantially, as the agency is still on the job. Sources said neither Devgan nor the other owners might have known about the way the bikes were imported.
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Actor's bike among 70 picked for ducking duty
MUMBAI: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence has "detained'' about 70 superbikes from Mumbai and Pune, including the one being used by actor Ajay
Devgan, for alleged duty evasion. Superbikes are not manufactured in India; these bikes were not imported in one piece, but as parts over several years, and then assembled.
While the newly imported bikes attract 60% duty, old bikes attract 100% duty. The parts, on the other hand, are brought in at 24% duty.
Five swanky bikes, mainly of Honda make, are "detained'' the Marine Lines office of the DRI. One of them is a Suzuki Hayabusa. Some of these can attain a speed of 200 kmph. On Thursday, 22 premises, including some automobile showrooms, were searched. Some bikes were picked up from the homes of owners, like that of Devgan. Film-maker Sanjay Gupta's bike is also under the scanner. He, however, denied that it had been "detained''.
The DRI worked backwards on the information that customs data in Mumbai did not show any imports of bikes, but they were being used all over, specially in suburbs like Bandra and Andheri and even in south Mumbai. The RTO registrations of these bikes led the DRI to the documents of sale and import, including the bills of entry, which turned out to be forged.
The parts were imported from Singapore. The DRI is still checking whether they were imported as misdeclared cargo. The superbikes are sold for anything between Rs 7 lakh and Rs 15 lakh. The number of bikes "detained'' will go up substantially, as the agency is still on the job. Sources said neither Devgan nor the other owners might have known about the way the bikes were imported.
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BSNL Launches 3G Services in 11 Cities
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DELHI: Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL), said on Friday it had launched third-generation (3G) services in 11 cities and planned to expand Smartphones
services to other areas in the country.
BSNL said in a statement it had invested Rs 2,700 crore ($530 million) on rolling out 3G infrastructure and would cover all district headquarters and important commercial towns.
India will hold an auction of 3G spectrum later this year, but state-run firms have already been given one slot in each service area, and will have to match the highest bid from private operators.
Third-generation services give users a chance to enjoy fast Internet access, games and a host of multimedia content from maps to music on their cellphones.
BSNL provides telecoms services across the country except in the major cities of New Delhi and Mumbai, which are covered by another state-run firm, Mahanagar Telephone Nigam.
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DELHI: Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL), said on Friday it had launched third-generation (3G) services in 11 cities and planned to expand Smartphones
services to other areas in the country.
BSNL said in a statement it had invested Rs 2,700 crore ($530 million) on rolling out 3G infrastructure and would cover all district headquarters and important commercial towns.
India will hold an auction of 3G spectrum later this year, but state-run firms have already been given one slot in each service area, and will have to match the highest bid from private operators.
Third-generation services give users a chance to enjoy fast Internet access, games and a host of multimedia content from maps to music on their cellphones.
BSNL provides telecoms services across the country except in the major cities of New Delhi and Mumbai, which are covered by another state-run firm, Mahanagar Telephone Nigam.
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Elizabeth Taylor
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Born on 27th February 1932
Film star, born in London, UK. In 1939 she moved with her family to Los Angeles, where her charm took the eye of the Hollywood film world, and she made her screen debut in 1942 at the age of 10. As a child star she made a number of films, including National Velvet (1944).
She was first seen as an adult in Father of the Bride (1950). Her later films included Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), Butterfield 8 (1960, Oscar), and Cleopatra (1962), which provided the background to her well-publicized romance with Richard Burton. With Burton she made several more films, including Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966, Oscar). Later films include The Mirror Crack'd (1980) and Zeffirelli's Young Toscanini (1988).
There was a break in her acting career in the 1980s, while she received treatment for alcohol addiction, and in the 1990s her private life has continued to capture the headlines. In 1985 she founded the American Foundation for AIDS Research.
She has been married EIGHT TIMES: Nicky Hilton Jr (1950–1), actor Michael Wilding (1952–7), film producer Mike Todd (1957–8), Eddie Fisher (1959–64), Richard Burton (Twice : 1964–74, 1975–6), US senator John W Warner (1976–82), and Larry Fortensky (1991–6). In 1999 she received a BAFTA Fellowship award for her lifetime achievements in film, and in 2003 announced her retirement. She became a dame in 1999.
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Born on 27th February 1932
Film star, born in London, UK. In 1939 she moved with her family to Los Angeles, where her charm took the eye of the Hollywood film world, and she made her screen debut in 1942 at the age of 10. As a child star she made a number of films, including National Velvet (1944).
She was first seen as an adult in Father of the Bride (1950). Her later films included Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), Butterfield 8 (1960, Oscar), and Cleopatra (1962), which provided the background to her well-publicized romance with Richard Burton. With Burton she made several more films, including Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966, Oscar). Later films include The Mirror Crack'd (1980) and Zeffirelli's Young Toscanini (1988).
There was a break in her acting career in the 1980s, while she received treatment for alcohol addiction, and in the 1990s her private life has continued to capture the headlines. In 1985 she founded the American Foundation for AIDS Research.
She has been married EIGHT TIMES: Nicky Hilton Jr (1950–1), actor Michael Wilding (1952–7), film producer Mike Todd (1957–8), Eddie Fisher (1959–64), Richard Burton (Twice : 1964–74, 1975–6), US senator John W Warner (1976–82), and Larry Fortensky (1991–6). In 1999 she received a BAFTA Fellowship award for her lifetime achievements in film, and in 2003 announced her retirement. She became a dame in 1999.
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Thursday, February 26, 2009
India's Real Slumdog Billionaire
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Kalpana Saroj :
MUMBAI: You could call her India's real life slumdog billionaire. Kalpana Saroj, a Dalit woman who broke social shackles and left her ramshackle home in the poorest part of her village 26 years ago to begin life afresh, today heads a Rs 3,000 crore business enterprise.
On Monday, state Forests Minister Babbanrao Pachpute inaugurated the new plant of her company Kamani Tubes in Wada, around 75 km from Mumbai.
For the 48-year-old Saroj, it was a dream come true. Standing outside the factory premises with her husband Shubhkaran, pilot son Amar, 24, and daughter Seema, 22, she smiled radiantly -- and remembered her painful past.
"Born in a poor Dalit family, I was married off forcibly at the age of 12 to a man more than 10 years older to me," Saroj told IANS. "A year later, I came back to my parents' home. The following year, I tried to join the police force like my father, but I was rejected."
Her attempts to rebuild her broken life were thwarted by other residents of her village, Roparkheda in Maharashtra's Akola district. They accused her of "overstepping social norms and boundaries". She bore the insults for 10 years before leaving the rural slum in which her family stayed to come to Mumbai.
Saroj moved into Ghatkopar here, met a man and married him, but he died in 1989, leaving her to fend for their two minor children.
Undeterred, she began managing her husband's small steel almirah manufacturing unit, launched a construction company and with the realty sector booming, made profits. She ploughed this money into small steel and sugar units.
Her biggest challenge came in March 2006 when her firm, Kalpana Saroj and Associates, took over the ailing Kamani Tubes and turned it around to a profitable enterprise.
A brand leader in non-ferrous tubes, the company was started by Mumbai's well-known industrialist Ramji Kamani, a close associate of the country's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, who visited the Kurla factory twice.
However, a family discord affected the firm adversely. By 1975, it was on a downslide and was declared "sick" after the owners abandoned it.
Later, a court allowed the workers' union to run the company.
The experiment failed. By 1997, the company had run into debts of over Rs.1.6 billion (Rs.160 crore).
Almost a decade later, in March 2006, as per a court directive, Kalpana Saroj and Associates were given charge of the company, its 560 employees and the total debt burden.
Saroj took up the challenge.
According to Kamani Tubes Managing Director M.K. Gore, in an effort to boost employees' morale, she cleared in one go Rs 85 crore in salary arrears totted up over 17 years.
"I was born, grew up and lived in poverty for the first two decades of my life. I know what a worker undergoes when salaries are not paid on time - the bills, the creditors, the fees and other expenses. So it was very important for me to gain my workers' confidence," Saroj said.
Gradually, production resumed and touched 3,000 tonnes of non-ferrous tubes and pipes.
Owing to disputes over the ownership of the 1.8 acre property in Kurla, Saroj withdrew from a long court battle and began scouting for another location outside Mumbai.
"With an investment of around Rs.3 billion, we decided to shift the plant to Wada. We are the first in the country to install two giant-sized Pilger machines of Germany, costing Rs.1 billion," Gore said.
Her next targets are taking up the Kamani production to 10,000 tonnes, diversifying to manufacturing 100 different alloys, and catering to defence and communications requirements.
"Since my son is not interested in managing my business, I may even launch a private airline for him," she laughed.
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Kalpana Saroj :
MUMBAI: You could call her India's real life slumdog billionaire. Kalpana Saroj, a Dalit woman who broke social shackles and left her ramshackle home in the poorest part of her village 26 years ago to begin life afresh, today heads a Rs 3,000 crore business enterprise.
On Monday, state Forests Minister Babbanrao Pachpute inaugurated the new plant of her company Kamani Tubes in Wada, around 75 km from Mumbai.
For the 48-year-old Saroj, it was a dream come true. Standing outside the factory premises with her husband Shubhkaran, pilot son Amar, 24, and daughter Seema, 22, she smiled radiantly -- and remembered her painful past.
"Born in a poor Dalit family, I was married off forcibly at the age of 12 to a man more than 10 years older to me," Saroj told IANS. "A year later, I came back to my parents' home. The following year, I tried to join the police force like my father, but I was rejected."
Her attempts to rebuild her broken life were thwarted by other residents of her village, Roparkheda in Maharashtra's Akola district. They accused her of "overstepping social norms and boundaries". She bore the insults for 10 years before leaving the rural slum in which her family stayed to come to Mumbai.
Saroj moved into Ghatkopar here, met a man and married him, but he died in 1989, leaving her to fend for their two minor children.
Undeterred, she began managing her husband's small steel almirah manufacturing unit, launched a construction company and with the realty sector booming, made profits. She ploughed this money into small steel and sugar units.
Her biggest challenge came in March 2006 when her firm, Kalpana Saroj and Associates, took over the ailing Kamani Tubes and turned it around to a profitable enterprise.
A brand leader in non-ferrous tubes, the company was started by Mumbai's well-known industrialist Ramji Kamani, a close associate of the country's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, who visited the Kurla factory twice.
However, a family discord affected the firm adversely. By 1975, it was on a downslide and was declared "sick" after the owners abandoned it.
Later, a court allowed the workers' union to run the company.
The experiment failed. By 1997, the company had run into debts of over Rs.1.6 billion (Rs.160 crore).
Almost a decade later, in March 2006, as per a court directive, Kalpana Saroj and Associates were given charge of the company, its 560 employees and the total debt burden.
Saroj took up the challenge.
According to Kamani Tubes Managing Director M.K. Gore, in an effort to boost employees' morale, she cleared in one go Rs 85 crore in salary arrears totted up over 17 years.
"I was born, grew up and lived in poverty for the first two decades of my life. I know what a worker undergoes when salaries are not paid on time - the bills, the creditors, the fees and other expenses. So it was very important for me to gain my workers' confidence," Saroj said.
Gradually, production resumed and touched 3,000 tonnes of non-ferrous tubes and pipes.
Owing to disputes over the ownership of the 1.8 acre property in Kurla, Saroj withdrew from a long court battle and began scouting for another location outside Mumbai.
"With an investment of around Rs.3 billion, we decided to shift the plant to Wada. We are the first in the country to install two giant-sized Pilger machines of Germany, costing Rs.1 billion," Gore said.
Her next targets are taking up the Kamani production to 10,000 tonnes, diversifying to manufacturing 100 different alloys, and catering to defence and communications requirements.
"Since my son is not interested in managing my business, I may even launch a private airline for him," she laughed.
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Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Aamir Cannot Play A Young Boy
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Mumbai: Actor-turned filmmaker Sanjay Kapoor, who is busy with his film It's My Life, says he roped in Hurman Baweja for the lead role instead of Aamir Khan because the senior actor would not have fitted the character of a young boy.
"You should be looking at what is your story trying to tell. For It's My Life', the role required a young boy. Now obviously Aamir Khan wouldn't have fitted in there. Similarly for the role of a father, I needed someone whose mere presence bears a commanding authority. Of course there was no other choice but Nana Patekar," Sanjay told IANS.
It's My Life is a remake of Siddharth and Genelia D'Souza starrer superhit Telugu film Bommarillu.
Considering Hurman has seen back-to-back failures in Victory and Love Story 2050, does Sanjay have a sense of regret for his choice of leading actor in the film?
"Not at all!. There are two reasons for that. First, you have to be confident about your guy. When I signed him on, Love Story 2050 had not yet been released but I still believed in him. Second, always remember that your product is more important than a star. A good product can work without a known name but a bad product with the biggest of superstars won't work."
Why didn't he think about any actress other than Genelia for female lead?
"Why should I have looked elsewhere when Genelia was just so perfect in the original film Bommarillu. The moment I saw her in the film, I didn't look elsewhere and decided there and then that she would be my leading lady in It's My Life too", Sanjay said.
Speaking about the diminishing boundary between main lead, parallel lead and the next lead in Hindi cinema Sanjay said actors like Aamir and Shah Rukh Khan helped in removing that.
"Look at Aamir Khan in Rang De Basanti. How many actors would have dared to be one of the leads in the film that had so many other prominent characters. Still, he took up the challenge in spite of the director going ahead with almost equal footage to everyone."
He goes on to narrate other examples, "It's not just Rang De Basantibecause even in Dil Chahta Hai he shared frames with other actors. He is now doing the same in Three Idiots as well.
"I must also acknowledge the other actors who are no more insecure about their part in a mega starrer. Saif Ali Khan did what he had never before in Dil Chahta Hai. Now Sharman Joshi isn't worried when he is asked to be a part of Three Idiots."
Sanjay also feels that times have changed for the good.
"Now it's not the footage which matters; it's the importance of the role and an impact it is going to create that holds center stage. It's fun to make movies in the current times," he says.
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Mumbai: Actor-turned filmmaker Sanjay Kapoor, who is busy with his film It's My Life, says he roped in Hurman Baweja for the lead role instead of Aamir Khan because the senior actor would not have fitted the character of a young boy.
"You should be looking at what is your story trying to tell. For It's My Life', the role required a young boy. Now obviously Aamir Khan wouldn't have fitted in there. Similarly for the role of a father, I needed someone whose mere presence bears a commanding authority. Of course there was no other choice but Nana Patekar," Sanjay told IANS.
It's My Life is a remake of Siddharth and Genelia D'Souza starrer superhit Telugu film Bommarillu.
Considering Hurman has seen back-to-back failures in Victory and Love Story 2050, does Sanjay have a sense of regret for his choice of leading actor in the film?
"Not at all!. There are two reasons for that. First, you have to be confident about your guy. When I signed him on, Love Story 2050 had not yet been released but I still believed in him. Second, always remember that your product is more important than a star. A good product can work without a known name but a bad product with the biggest of superstars won't work."
Why didn't he think about any actress other than Genelia for female lead?
"Why should I have looked elsewhere when Genelia was just so perfect in the original film Bommarillu. The moment I saw her in the film, I didn't look elsewhere and decided there and then that she would be my leading lady in It's My Life too", Sanjay said.
Speaking about the diminishing boundary between main lead, parallel lead and the next lead in Hindi cinema Sanjay said actors like Aamir and Shah Rukh Khan helped in removing that.
"Look at Aamir Khan in Rang De Basanti. How many actors would have dared to be one of the leads in the film that had so many other prominent characters. Still, he took up the challenge in spite of the director going ahead with almost equal footage to everyone."
He goes on to narrate other examples, "It's not just Rang De Basantibecause even in Dil Chahta Hai he shared frames with other actors. He is now doing the same in Three Idiots as well.
"I must also acknowledge the other actors who are no more insecure about their part in a mega starrer. Saif Ali Khan did what he had never before in Dil Chahta Hai. Now Sharman Joshi isn't worried when he is asked to be a part of Three Idiots."
Sanjay also feels that times have changed for the good.
"Now it's not the footage which matters; it's the importance of the role and an impact it is going to create that holds center stage. It's fun to make movies in the current times," he says.
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Mother Sells Newborn to Pay Hospital Bill
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HYDERABAD: In a heart-rending incident, a young poverty-stricken single mother in Andhra Pradesh sold her newborn son to a childless couple for Rs
6,000 rupees so that she could pay her medical bill in a government hospital.
"My financial position is really bad," a distraught looking Rajitha (20) who could not afford the Rs 2,000 hospital fee said from her bed at the government area hospital in Kothagudem in Khammam district today.
She delivered the baby by Caesarean section last week and the infant changed hands within 24 hours.
Police said they would take action against the hospital which also faces an inquiry whether its doctors took any money as bribe from the woman.
"Buying and selling a baby is an offence, so we will be booking cases," Kothagudem revenue division officer P Rajaram said.
According to reports, a rickshaw driver friend gave the single mother Rs 6,000 for the baby, which he planned to bring up with his wife. The couple have no children.
The incident occurred in the parliamentary constituency of Union minister of state for women and child development Renuka Chowdhury.
"At least, she is safe and at least the child is not dead and not killed. I think they are the most important things that we need to look at," Chowdhury said.
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HYDERABAD: In a heart-rending incident, a young poverty-stricken single mother in Andhra Pradesh sold her newborn son to a childless couple for Rs
6,000 rupees so that she could pay her medical bill in a government hospital.
"My financial position is really bad," a distraught looking Rajitha (20) who could not afford the Rs 2,000 hospital fee said from her bed at the government area hospital in Kothagudem in Khammam district today.
She delivered the baby by Caesarean section last week and the infant changed hands within 24 hours.
Police said they would take action against the hospital which also faces an inquiry whether its doctors took any money as bribe from the woman.
"Buying and selling a baby is an offence, so we will be booking cases," Kothagudem revenue division officer P Rajaram said.
According to reports, a rickshaw driver friend gave the single mother Rs 6,000 for the baby, which he planned to bring up with his wife. The couple have no children.
The incident occurred in the parliamentary constituency of Union minister of state for women and child development Renuka Chowdhury.
"At least, she is safe and at least the child is not dead and not killed. I think they are the most important things that we need to look at," Chowdhury said.
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Tuesday, February 24, 2009
ISIN Code
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International Securities Identification Number (ISIN)- is a unique 12 digit alpha-numeric code assigned to securities like equity shares, preferential shares, debentures, bonds, government securities, warrants, certificate of deposits, commercial papers, deep discount bonds, mutual funds etc. You may find ISIN code for any of the securities by visiting Followings Links :
~ https://nsdl.co.in/
~ http://www.religareonline.com/fundamental.asp?PageType=PROFILE&SearchString=REL&Location=
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International Securities Identification Number (ISIN)- is a unique 12 digit alpha-numeric code assigned to securities like equity shares, preferential shares, debentures, bonds, government securities, warrants, certificate of deposits, commercial papers, deep discount bonds, mutual funds etc. You may find ISIN code for any of the securities by visiting Followings Links :
~ https://nsdl.co.in/
~ http://www.religareonline.com/fundamental.asp?PageType=PROFILE&SearchString=REL&Location=
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Positive Thinking…...
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Every human being is unique and different. Our thought process and personality evolves based on hereditary factors, our own experiences, circumstances and a host of other factors.
While we can be in different parts of the world, belong to different religions, genders, age groups, social strata etc., yet we all have the Power to Think.
•It is possible for all of us to look at the brighter side of things, i.e. to see the ‘Glass Half Full rather than Half Empty’
Let us understand a very simple fact that Positive Thinking leads to Positive Action, an Optimistic State of Mind and a Sense of Well Being.
While some of us are either born optimists or turn out to be so, others tend to be pessimists, nay Sayers, doomsday anticipators, chief critics of every person and event, satirical and Negative Thinkers. We are not happy in this state, but are not able to change it.
What needs to be done ? Some fundamental action points are as under:
1.ACCEPTANCE AND UNDERSTANDING OURSELVES
•Let us dispassionately examine ourselves to understand our own mental make-up, aspirations, strengths, weaknesses etc.
•Why do we think negatively, if at all ?
•Do we feel that others have a better deal than us or are more fortunate ?
•Are they more blessed or handsome ?
•Are they rich or children of rich parents? And so on.
•What are our unfulfilled needs?
This list can be really long but finally we must ask, ARE THEY GENERALLY HAPPY, FULL OF LIFE AND UPBEAT?
Also in comparison in which state do we usually find ourselves.
POSITIVE PEOPLE do not necessarily have any of the above things more than us, but they have a POSITIVE ATTITUDE and see THINGS DIFFERENTLY, i.e. opportunity (brightness) in every situation.
•So if we are Positive Thinkers and generally optimistic, we have to maintain this trait by not allowing negative thoughts into our brain’s sacred memory space. Resentments clog our hard disk.
•If we however find us to be generally pessimistic and critical, we need to acknowledge this without any worry and to start the journey towards training ourselves to Think Positively.
2. PRAYER AND FAITH HAVE IMMENSE POWER
Let us not go into the debate of believers and non-believers, also of rituals and dogmas.
•Let us pray to a HIGHER POWER OR GOD, as we understand him/her.
•This relationship is very personal and individual-essentially meant for a one-to-one sharing.
•There is never any problem between human beings and GOD, as we understand him/her, only the middlemen create the same.
•God is benevolent and always charitable.
•In the most trying circumstances Prayer uplifts us and it seems that the LORD is holding our hand.
•HAVE FAITH. The big decisions of life like the choice of ones life partner, career choices, and job changes though endlessly analyzed and reasoned out are ultimately a LEAP OF FAITH.We have faith in mother’s milk and her kindness, which cannot be belied, but should never be questioned. Whenever we are in distress, her voice and touch sooths and heals. Why? Faith.
Ask any roadside vendor who barely makes two ends meet as how is he that day and the answer would invariably be –Thank God, I am fine or Thanks for your Blessings (in us also he sees God’s handiwork)
MOST OF ALL LET US HAVE FAITH IN OURSELVES AND OUR FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS (DIFFICULT? NO. HAVE FAITH AND SEE HOW EASY IT WILL BECOME)
3.INSPIRATIONS ARE POWERFUL - LET THEM WORK
- Life of Mahatma Gandhi is a complete journey of inspirations. The great scientist Einstein remarked that in the coming centuries people will refuse to believe that the Mahatma was merely a man of flesh and blood who walked this earth!
- Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison and still does not hold any rancor in his heart. He is a cheerful 90 years (young) today.
- Abraham Lincoln lost every election from the municipal one upwards but kept contesting at the next higher level till becoming President of the United States. Now that is self-belief.
- President Obama’s message of hope ‘YES WE CAN’ has become a buzzword of inspiration for all. The thinkers are already saying that ‘Obama is an IDEA whose time has come’.
CONCLUSION
We have started building a simple roadmap towards POSIVITISM. Share your views …. Use the comments section….
.
Every human being is unique and different. Our thought process and personality evolves based on hereditary factors, our own experiences, circumstances and a host of other factors.
While we can be in different parts of the world, belong to different religions, genders, age groups, social strata etc., yet we all have the Power to Think.
•It is possible for all of us to look at the brighter side of things, i.e. to see the ‘Glass Half Full rather than Half Empty’
Let us understand a very simple fact that Positive Thinking leads to Positive Action, an Optimistic State of Mind and a Sense of Well Being.
While some of us are either born optimists or turn out to be so, others tend to be pessimists, nay Sayers, doomsday anticipators, chief critics of every person and event, satirical and Negative Thinkers. We are not happy in this state, but are not able to change it.
What needs to be done ? Some fundamental action points are as under:
1.ACCEPTANCE AND UNDERSTANDING OURSELVES
•Let us dispassionately examine ourselves to understand our own mental make-up, aspirations, strengths, weaknesses etc.
•Why do we think negatively, if at all ?
•Do we feel that others have a better deal than us or are more fortunate ?
•Are they more blessed or handsome ?
•Are they rich or children of rich parents? And so on.
•What are our unfulfilled needs?
This list can be really long but finally we must ask, ARE THEY GENERALLY HAPPY, FULL OF LIFE AND UPBEAT?
Also in comparison in which state do we usually find ourselves.
POSITIVE PEOPLE do not necessarily have any of the above things more than us, but they have a POSITIVE ATTITUDE and see THINGS DIFFERENTLY, i.e. opportunity (brightness) in every situation.
•So if we are Positive Thinkers and generally optimistic, we have to maintain this trait by not allowing negative thoughts into our brain’s sacred memory space. Resentments clog our hard disk.
•If we however find us to be generally pessimistic and critical, we need to acknowledge this without any worry and to start the journey towards training ourselves to Think Positively.
2. PRAYER AND FAITH HAVE IMMENSE POWER
Let us not go into the debate of believers and non-believers, also of rituals and dogmas.
•Let us pray to a HIGHER POWER OR GOD, as we understand him/her.
•This relationship is very personal and individual-essentially meant for a one-to-one sharing.
•There is never any problem between human beings and GOD, as we understand him/her, only the middlemen create the same.
•God is benevolent and always charitable.
•In the most trying circumstances Prayer uplifts us and it seems that the LORD is holding our hand.
•HAVE FAITH. The big decisions of life like the choice of ones life partner, career choices, and job changes though endlessly analyzed and reasoned out are ultimately a LEAP OF FAITH.We have faith in mother’s milk and her kindness, which cannot be belied, but should never be questioned. Whenever we are in distress, her voice and touch sooths and heals. Why? Faith.
Ask any roadside vendor who barely makes two ends meet as how is he that day and the answer would invariably be –Thank God, I am fine or Thanks for your Blessings (in us also he sees God’s handiwork)
MOST OF ALL LET US HAVE FAITH IN OURSELVES AND OUR FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS (DIFFICULT? NO. HAVE FAITH AND SEE HOW EASY IT WILL BECOME)
3.INSPIRATIONS ARE POWERFUL - LET THEM WORK
- Life of Mahatma Gandhi is a complete journey of inspirations. The great scientist Einstein remarked that in the coming centuries people will refuse to believe that the Mahatma was merely a man of flesh and blood who walked this earth!
- Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison and still does not hold any rancor in his heart. He is a cheerful 90 years (young) today.
- Abraham Lincoln lost every election from the municipal one upwards but kept contesting at the next higher level till becoming President of the United States. Now that is self-belief.
- President Obama’s message of hope ‘YES WE CAN’ has become a buzzword of inspiration for all. The thinkers are already saying that ‘Obama is an IDEA whose time has come’.
CONCLUSION
We have started building a simple roadmap towards POSIVITISM. Share your views …. Use the comments section….
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Monday, February 23, 2009
BSE / NSE Trading - Holidays for 2009
BSE Holidays
1.
Moharram
8th January, 2009
Thursday
2.
Republic Day
26th January, 2009
Monday
3.
Mahashivratri
23rd February, 2009
Monday
4.
Id-E-Milad
10th March, 2009
Tuesday
5.
Holi
11th March, 2009
Wednesday
6.
Ram Navmi
3rd April, 2009
Friday
7.
Mahavir Jayanti
7th April, 2009
Tuesday
8.
Good Friday
10th April, 2009
Friday
9.
Dr. Ambedkar Jayanti
14th April, 2009
Tuesday
10
Maharashtra Day
1st May, 2009
Friday
11
Ramzan Id
21st September, 2009
Monday
12
Dasera
28th September, 2009
Monday
13
Gandhi Jayanti
2nd October, 2009
Friday
14
Diwali ( Bhaubeez)
19th October, 2009
Monday
15
Gurunanak Jayanti
2nd November, 2009
Monday
16
Christmas
25th December, 2009
Friday
17
Moharram
28th December, 2009
Monday
.
1.
Moharram
8th January, 2009
Thursday
2.
Republic Day
26th January, 2009
Monday
3.
Mahashivratri
23rd February, 2009
Monday
4.
Id-E-Milad
10th March, 2009
Tuesday
5.
Holi
11th March, 2009
Wednesday
6.
Ram Navmi
3rd April, 2009
Friday
7.
Mahavir Jayanti
7th April, 2009
Tuesday
8.
Good Friday
10th April, 2009
Friday
9.
Dr. Ambedkar Jayanti
14th April, 2009
Tuesday
10
Maharashtra Day
1st May, 2009
Friday
11
Ramzan Id
21st September, 2009
Monday
12
Dasera
28th September, 2009
Monday
13
Gandhi Jayanti
2nd October, 2009
Friday
14
Diwali ( Bhaubeez)
19th October, 2009
Monday
15
Gurunanak Jayanti
2nd November, 2009
Monday
16
Christmas
25th December, 2009
Friday
17
Moharram
28th December, 2009
Monday
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‘Smile Pinky’ brings home Oscar
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81ST ACADEMY AWARDS for ‘Best Documentary’
Los Angeles, Feb 23: The made in India documentary ‘Smile Pinky’ won an Oscar in the ‘Best Short Documentary’ category at the 81st Academy Awards declared in Los Angeles on February 22.
‘Smile Pinky’ is the story of a child with a lip deformity. The film had been nominated along with four other documentaries at the famed Academy Awards.
Residents of Dabai village in Uttar Pradesh’s Ahura district have been praying for the success of the documentary ‘Smile Pinky’ at the Oscars, since it is based on the life of a girl belonging to their village.
The film by Megan Mylan depicts the saga of six-year-old Pinky who becomes a social outcast because of a cleft lip. In the 39-minute documentary, the girl from this obscure village of Uttar Pradesh, undergoes corrective surgery and gets a normal childhood.
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INDIA : Residents of Rampur Dahaba in Mirzapur interiors, been praying for the success of the documentary 'Smile Pinky' at the Oscars, since it is based on the life of a girl with a lip deformity in their village.
"Pinky has gone to America. The documentary has got a nomination for the Oscars. We are praying to God that this film wins an award
and brings glory to our country and our village," said Pradeep Kumar, a villager.
'Smile Pinky' is the story of a child with a lip deformity. It is one of the four films nominated for best short documentary at the famed Academy Awards to be declared at Los Angels.
Megan Mylan's film depicts the saga of six-year-old Pinky who becomes a social outcast because of a cleft lip.
In the 39-minute documentary, the girl from this obscure village of Uttar Pradesh, undergoes corrective surgery and gets a normal childhood.
"Earlier, she had a lip deformity and all her schoolmates used to tease her. After she got operated and got rid of her lip deformity, she started going to school again. Now, none teases her any more," said Nirmala Devi, Pinky's mother.
Plastic surgeon Dr. Subodh Kumar Singh, who treated Pinky at no cost, said that the film's Academy Award nomination would help create awareness about the condition of children in rural areas. (ANI)
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81ST ACADEMY AWARDS for ‘Best Documentary’
Los Angeles, Feb 23: The made in India documentary ‘Smile Pinky’ won an Oscar in the ‘Best Short Documentary’ category at the 81st Academy Awards declared in Los Angeles on February 22.
‘Smile Pinky’ is the story of a child with a lip deformity. The film had been nominated along with four other documentaries at the famed Academy Awards.
Residents of Dabai village in Uttar Pradesh’s Ahura district have been praying for the success of the documentary ‘Smile Pinky’ at the Oscars, since it is based on the life of a girl belonging to their village.The film by Megan Mylan depicts the saga of six-year-old Pinky who becomes a social outcast because of a cleft lip. In the 39-minute documentary, the girl from this obscure village of Uttar Pradesh, undergoes corrective surgery and gets a normal childhood.
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INDIA : Residents of Rampur Dahaba in Mirzapur interiors, been praying for the success of the documentary 'Smile Pinky' at the Oscars, since it is based on the life of a girl with a lip deformity in their village.
"Pinky has gone to America. The documentary has got a nomination for the Oscars. We are praying to God that this film wins an award
and brings glory to our country and our village," said Pradeep Kumar, a villager.'Smile Pinky' is the story of a child with a lip deformity. It is one of the four films nominated for best short documentary at the famed Academy Awards to be declared at Los Angels.
Megan Mylan's film depicts the saga of six-year-old Pinky who becomes a social outcast because of a cleft lip.
In the 39-minute documentary, the girl from this obscure village of Uttar Pradesh, undergoes corrective surgery and gets a normal childhood.
"Earlier, she had a lip deformity and all her schoolmates used to tease her. After she got operated and got rid of her lip deformity, she started going to school again. Now, none teases her any more," said Nirmala Devi, Pinky's mother.
Plastic surgeon Dr. Subodh Kumar Singh, who treated Pinky at no cost, said that the film's Academy Award nomination would help create awareness about the condition of children in rural areas. (ANI)
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Sunday, February 22, 2009
Saudi Arabia Beheads 2 Convicted Policemen for Rape
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RIYADH, Saudi Arabia: Saudi authorities have beheaded two traffic policemen convicted of beating a man and sexually assaulting his niece.
An Interior Ministry statement says the two men were executed on Friday in the capital Riyadh.
They were convicted of assaulting a non-Saudi resident of the kingdom and raping the man's niece.
The nationalities of the residents were not disclosed. Saudi Arabia follows a strict interpretation of Islam under which people convicted of murder, drug trafficking, rape and armed robbery can be executed, usually with a sword.
Their deaths bring to 11 the number of beheadings in the kingdom this year, according to an Associated Press count. In 2008, 102 people were beheaded.
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http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Middle-East/Saudi-executes-two-cops-for-raping-expat/articleshow/4167729.cms
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Saudi Arabia has executed two policemen after they were convicted of raping an expatriate woman, the state news agency SPA reported late on Friday. The two Saudi policemen were executed on Friday in the capital Riyadh, SPA said quoting the interior ministry. The two officers, Shaalan bin Nasser al-Qahtani and Fahd bin Hassan al-Sebeyi, were found guilty of raping the unidentified woman after they stopped a car carrying her and her uncle at a security checkpoint.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia: Saudi authorities have beheaded two traffic policemen convicted of beating a man and sexually assaulting his niece.
An Interior Ministry statement says the two men were executed on Friday in the capital Riyadh.
They were convicted of assaulting a non-Saudi resident of the kingdom and raping the man's niece.
The nationalities of the residents were not disclosed. Saudi Arabia follows a strict interpretation of Islam under which people convicted of murder, drug trafficking, rape and armed robbery can be executed, usually with a sword.
Their deaths bring to 11 the number of beheadings in the kingdom this year, according to an Associated Press count. In 2008, 102 people were beheaded.
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http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Middle-East/Saudi-executes-two-cops-for-raping-expat/articleshow/4167729.cms
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Saudi Arabia has executed two policemen after they were convicted of raping an expatriate woman, the state news agency SPA reported late on Friday. The two Saudi policemen were executed on Friday in the capital Riyadh, SPA said quoting the interior ministry. The two officers, Shaalan bin Nasser al-Qahtani and Fahd bin Hassan al-Sebeyi, were found guilty of raping the unidentified woman after they stopped a car carrying her and her uncle at a security checkpoint.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Indians Are Highest Earners in US
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WASHINGTON: India-born American residents, numbering over 1.5 million, are the best educated among all the foreign born communities in the US and
are also the highest earners in the country, latest census has revealed.
The median household income for US residents born in India is USD 91,195 against a USD 50,740 average for the total population, the data said.
Besides, the overall median household income for foreign-born and native US residents is USD 46,881 and USD 51,249 respectively.
Among all foreign-born residents, a massive 74 per cent of Indians have bachelor's or higher degree, as compared to a 27 per cent average for all foreign-born residents, the US Census Bureau has said drawing on data from the 2007 American Community Survey. The data reveals that only 28 per cent of natives in America have bachelor's degrees.
Overall, about 85 per cent of the total US population -- 68 per cent of the foreign-born and 88 per cent of the native-born -- are high school graduates.
Egypt and Nigeria have rates above 60 percent while about 80 per cent of the US residents born in China are high school graduates.
Numerically, ethnic Indians with 1.5 million population rank fourth after Mexicans (11.7 million), Chinese (1.9 million) and the Philippines (1.7 million).
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WASHINGTON: India-born American residents, numbering over 1.5 million, are the best educated among all the foreign born communities in the US and
are also the highest earners in the country, latest census has revealed.
The median household income for US residents born in India is USD 91,195 against a USD 50,740 average for the total population, the data said.
Besides, the overall median household income for foreign-born and native US residents is USD 46,881 and USD 51,249 respectively.
Among all foreign-born residents, a massive 74 per cent of Indians have bachelor's or higher degree, as compared to a 27 per cent average for all foreign-born residents, the US Census Bureau has said drawing on data from the 2007 American Community Survey. The data reveals that only 28 per cent of natives in America have bachelor's degrees.
Overall, about 85 per cent of the total US population -- 68 per cent of the foreign-born and 88 per cent of the native-born -- are high school graduates.
Egypt and Nigeria have rates above 60 percent while about 80 per cent of the US residents born in China are high school graduates.
Numerically, ethnic Indians with 1.5 million population rank fourth after Mexicans (11.7 million), Chinese (1.9 million) and the Philippines (1.7 million).
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CAN YOU READ FOLLOWING /
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fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid, too. Olny 55 plepoe tuo fo 100 anc.
i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! if you can raed tihs forwrad it.
If you can read this, your brain is 50% faster than those who can't
COPY AND FORWARD TO YOUR FRIENDS ....
.
fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid, too. Olny 55 plepoe tuo fo 100 anc.
i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! if you can raed tihs forwrad it.
If you can read this, your brain is 50% faster than those who can't
COPY AND FORWARD TO YOUR FRIENDS ....
.
Woman Delivers Baby on Bus
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KANPUR: In a bizarre incident, a woman delivered a baby on a radways bus on Friday. She had been on her way to hospital when the labour pains
started.
As per sources, Seema (28), wife of Dharmendra Pal and a resident of Kannauj, was coming to a city-based nursing home in Arya Nagar for delivery. However, before she could reach the hospital, Seema started having labour pains and delivered a baby boy on the bus. She was then rushed to a nearby private nursing home in Chapera Puliya.
The hospital authorities informed that both the mother and the baby were fine.
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KANPUR: In a bizarre incident, a woman delivered a baby on a radways bus on Friday. She had been on her way to hospital when the labour pains
started.
As per sources, Seema (28), wife of Dharmendra Pal and a resident of Kannauj, was coming to a city-based nursing home in Arya Nagar for delivery. However, before she could reach the hospital, Seema started having labour pains and delivered a baby boy on the bus. She was then rushed to a nearby private nursing home in Chapera Puliya.
The hospital authorities informed that both the mother and the baby were fine.
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13 - Year Old Father to Take DNA Test
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Baby-faced "father" Alfie Patten today pledged to take a DNA test after two other boys claimed they had also slept with baby Maisie's teenage mother.
Chantelle Steadman, 15, said 13-year-old Alfie is the father of her one-week-old baby daughter.
The news that such a young boy had fathered a baby prompted a fierce political debate over the high rate of teenage pregnancies in the UK and the sexualisation of children.
But yesterday Richard Goodsell, 16, and Tyler Barker, 14, told the News of the World they had slept with Chantelle at about the time she became pregnant and claimed she also had several other sexual partners.
Alfie today said he would take a DNA test as soon as possible to establish whether he is Maisie's father.
His spokesman Max Clifford said: "They are planning to do a DNA test.
"Alfie believed he was the father but due to reports in the News of the World at the weekend, he wants to make sure by having a DNA test as soon as possible."
Alfie, who lives with his mother Nicola in Hailsham, East Sussex, was just 12 when baby Maisie was conceived but said after her birth that he would stand by and support Chantelle with the baby.
Maisie is believed to be living with Chantelle and the teenager's parents Penny and Steve at their home in Eastbourne.
East Sussex County Council said Chantelle, Alfie and Maisie had received "a package of support".
In a statement released by the council today, Matt Dunkley, the council's director of children's services, said: "We would not normally publicly discuss individual case information and it must be remembered there are three vulnerable young people involved in this case, all of whom are entitled to protection and to have these matters dealt with confidentially.
"However, given the exceptional circumstances of this case, we do understand the need for reassurance.
"It is completely wrong to suggest social workers are doing nothing to support the families and young people involved in this case.
"In cases like this it is normal practice to assess the needs of the parents and the unborn child before the birth and to revisit those assessments once the child has been born to look at what further support might be needed.
"In this case a package of support was agreed before the birth including enhanced involvement from health visitors and family outreach workers."
Mr Dunkley added that social workers and health visitors were due to visit both families again to carry out further detailed assessments of the three children.
"These will further examine issues such as the parenting of Maisie and the support from the wider family, the education of these young parents, and other issues, including the impact of the huge amount of public interest there has been in this situation on both families," he said.
"For each of the young people concerned we will provide the necessary support identified and will continue to monitor the situation closely."
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Baby-faced "father" Alfie Patten today pledged to take a DNA test after two other boys claimed they had also slept with baby Maisie's teenage mother.
Chantelle Steadman, 15, said 13-year-old Alfie is the father of her one-week-old baby daughter.
The news that such a young boy had fathered a baby prompted a fierce political debate over the high rate of teenage pregnancies in the UK and the sexualisation of children.
But yesterday Richard Goodsell, 16, and Tyler Barker, 14, told the News of the World they had slept with Chantelle at about the time she became pregnant and claimed she also had several other sexual partners.
Alfie today said he would take a DNA test as soon as possible to establish whether he is Maisie's father.
His spokesman Max Clifford said: "They are planning to do a DNA test.
"Alfie believed he was the father but due to reports in the News of the World at the weekend, he wants to make sure by having a DNA test as soon as possible."
Alfie, who lives with his mother Nicola in Hailsham, East Sussex, was just 12 when baby Maisie was conceived but said after her birth that he would stand by and support Chantelle with the baby.
Maisie is believed to be living with Chantelle and the teenager's parents Penny and Steve at their home in Eastbourne.
East Sussex County Council said Chantelle, Alfie and Maisie had received "a package of support".
In a statement released by the council today, Matt Dunkley, the council's director of children's services, said: "We would not normally publicly discuss individual case information and it must be remembered there are three vulnerable young people involved in this case, all of whom are entitled to protection and to have these matters dealt with confidentially.
"However, given the exceptional circumstances of this case, we do understand the need for reassurance.
"It is completely wrong to suggest social workers are doing nothing to support the families and young people involved in this case.
"In cases like this it is normal practice to assess the needs of the parents and the unborn child before the birth and to revisit those assessments once the child has been born to look at what further support might be needed.
"In this case a package of support was agreed before the birth including enhanced involvement from health visitors and family outreach workers."
Mr Dunkley added that social workers and health visitors were due to visit both families again to carry out further detailed assessments of the three children.
"These will further examine issues such as the parenting of Maisie and the support from the wider family, the education of these young parents, and other issues, including the impact of the huge amount of public interest there has been in this situation on both families," he said.
"For each of the young people concerned we will provide the necessary support identified and will continue to monitor the situation closely."
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From This Year, IIM-C Fees Will Be Rs 9 Lakh
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KOLKATA: Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta (IIM-C) decided on Friday to hike its fee to Rs 9 lakh for the 2009-11 batch.
This is more than double the fees paid by the batch passing out this year.
Under the revised fee structure, students will have to pay Rs 4 lakh in the first year and Rs 5 lakh in the second year. Current students, who will be promoted to second year in 2009, will need to pay Rs 4 lakh.
In spite of the hike, IIM-C fees are still lower than those of IIM-Ahmedabad (Rs 11 lakh) and IIM-Bangalore (Rs 9.5 lakh).
“In two years, the institute has to spend Rs 8 lakh per student. Now, with the fee raised to Rs 9 lakh, we hope to cover the cost,” said IIM-C chief administrative officer Dinesh Verma.
“The reason behind this fee hike is an increase in expenditure and skyrocketing prices,” said IIM-C director Shekhar Chaudhuri.
“Since our fee was lower than IIM-A and IIM-B, questions were being raised about whether we offer any less facility than the other IIMs. That is not true. Last year, IIM-A and IIM-B went ahead and increased their fees without even consulting us. We had already announced that we were also going to increase fees this time,” said a faculty member of IIM-C.
The fee hike coincides with a rise in the number of seats for the 2009-11 session, from 304 to 407, to accommodate the quota structure. The institute’s board of governors has requested the ministry of human resources development for additional faculty posts.
“We have 88 sanctioned faculty seats but we have to increase it to 120 to ensure that the teacher-student ratio is maintained at 1:10,” Verma said.
The fee for international students has not changed. “Foreign students will continue to pay US $20,000 a year or US $40,000 for the two-year course,” said Verma.
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KOLKATA: Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta (IIM-C) decided on Friday to hike its fee to Rs 9 lakh for the 2009-11 batch.
This is more than double the fees paid by the batch passing out this year.
Under the revised fee structure, students will have to pay Rs 4 lakh in the first year and Rs 5 lakh in the second year. Current students, who will be promoted to second year in 2009, will need to pay Rs 4 lakh.
In spite of the hike, IIM-C fees are still lower than those of IIM-Ahmedabad (Rs 11 lakh) and IIM-Bangalore (Rs 9.5 lakh).
“In two years, the institute has to spend Rs 8 lakh per student. Now, with the fee raised to Rs 9 lakh, we hope to cover the cost,” said IIM-C chief administrative officer Dinesh Verma.
“The reason behind this fee hike is an increase in expenditure and skyrocketing prices,” said IIM-C director Shekhar Chaudhuri.
“Since our fee was lower than IIM-A and IIM-B, questions were being raised about whether we offer any less facility than the other IIMs. That is not true. Last year, IIM-A and IIM-B went ahead and increased their fees without even consulting us. We had already announced that we were also going to increase fees this time,” said a faculty member of IIM-C.
The fee hike coincides with a rise in the number of seats for the 2009-11 session, from 304 to 407, to accommodate the quota structure. The institute’s board of governors has requested the ministry of human resources development for additional faculty posts.
“We have 88 sanctioned faculty seats but we have to increase it to 120 to ensure that the teacher-student ratio is maintained at 1:10,” Verma said.
The fee for international students has not changed. “Foreign students will continue to pay US $20,000 a year or US $40,000 for the two-year course,” said Verma.
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Mystery About Origin of Life Solved
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Canadian scientists claim to have solved a major mystery about the origins of life on earth. The claims come at a time when the world is
celebrating the bicentennial anniversary of the Father of Evolution, Charles Darwin. Two Montreal University scientists have proposed a new theory to show how a universal molecular machine, called ribosome, self-assembled or self-organized itself to become a critical step in generating all life on earth.
``While the ribosome is a complex structure, it features a clear hierarchy that emerged based on basic chemical principles,'' said biochemistry professor Sergey Steinberg, who made the discovery with student Konstantin Bokov, in a university statement. He said his theory explains what people imagine as ``unseen forces at work when such complex structures emerge in nature.''
The Canadian scientist said the ribosome is an enormous molecule responsible for translating the messages (carried in the genetic code of all organisms) into proteins that carry out all functions, including replicating the genome itself. Compared to biological molecules, he said, ribosomes are immense and very complex.
``Though visible only through lenses of the most powerful microscopes, comparing most other biological molecules to this behemoth (ribosome) is like comparing a tricycle to a jumbo jet,'' said Steinberg. He said he spent years pondering how a complex ribosome could have assembled itself from smaller building blocks that existed on the early earth.
His work, he said, led to the discovery that the ribosome must have assembled itself from basic building blocks ``in a very specific order; otherwise it would have fallen apart.'' “Though chemists have observed examples of self-organizing behavior in simple molecules, there has been no such explanation about the complex self-assembly of ribosomes to this date,” he said.
``Thanks to the research of Sergey Steinberg and Konstantin Bokov, scientists now have a glimpse of one key event that emerged spontaneously out of the primordial chemical soup of the early earth,'' the university statement quoted Stephen Michnick, who is Canada Research Chair in Integrative Genomics, as saying.
```Perhaps in the near future we may look forward to more discoveries that will take us beyond the world of Darwin into an understanding of the basic chemical principles that drove the emergence of life on our planet and perhaps beyond.''
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Canadian scientists claim to have solved a major mystery about the origins of life on earth. The claims come at a time when the world is
celebrating the bicentennial anniversary of the Father of Evolution, Charles Darwin. Two Montreal University scientists have proposed a new theory to show how a universal molecular machine, called ribosome, self-assembled or self-organized itself to become a critical step in generating all life on earth.
``While the ribosome is a complex structure, it features a clear hierarchy that emerged based on basic chemical principles,'' said biochemistry professor Sergey Steinberg, who made the discovery with student Konstantin Bokov, in a university statement. He said his theory explains what people imagine as ``unseen forces at work when such complex structures emerge in nature.''
The Canadian scientist said the ribosome is an enormous molecule responsible for translating the messages (carried in the genetic code of all organisms) into proteins that carry out all functions, including replicating the genome itself. Compared to biological molecules, he said, ribosomes are immense and very complex.
``Though visible only through lenses of the most powerful microscopes, comparing most other biological molecules to this behemoth (ribosome) is like comparing a tricycle to a jumbo jet,'' said Steinberg. He said he spent years pondering how a complex ribosome could have assembled itself from smaller building blocks that existed on the early earth.
His work, he said, led to the discovery that the ribosome must have assembled itself from basic building blocks ``in a very specific order; otherwise it would have fallen apart.'' “Though chemists have observed examples of self-organizing behavior in simple molecules, there has been no such explanation about the complex self-assembly of ribosomes to this date,” he said.
``Thanks to the research of Sergey Steinberg and Konstantin Bokov, scientists now have a glimpse of one key event that emerged spontaneously out of the primordial chemical soup of the early earth,'' the university statement quoted Stephen Michnick, who is Canada Research Chair in Integrative Genomics, as saying.
```Perhaps in the near future we may look forward to more discoveries that will take us beyond the world of Darwin into an understanding of the basic chemical principles that drove the emergence of life on our planet and perhaps beyond.''
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Jeddah Housewife Wins IGNOU Gold
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JEDDAH: Juveria Hashmi, a Jeddah housewife with two children, has made history by winning a gold medal for her masters in English literature at the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU).
“IGNOU Saudi Arabia is proud that it has struck gold in its masters program in English literature for the third time,” Dr. Shahnaz Patel, director of ATEICO-IGNOU Saudi Arabia announced yesterday.
“Thus IGNOU Saudi Arabia becomes the first international center to win consecutively three gold medals in M.A. English literature,” she added.
Aside from Juveria, three other students from IGNOU’s overseas centers have won gold medals — from Oman, Mauritius and Nepal.
Juveria, a former student of International Indian School-Jeddah and daughter of Arab News staffer Muhammad Mujahid Syed, will receive her medal from professor R. Natarajan, former chairman of All-India Council for Technical Education and director of Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai, at IGNOU’s 20th convocation at the IGNOU headquarters in New Delhi on Feb. 28.
Juveria, who hails from Lucknow, is pursuing her studies here. She has been a meritorious student throughout her academic career.
“It is remarkable for a student who never initially studied English,” Patel said.
“I developed interest in English literature and have deep interest in it,” said Juveria who secured 69.5 percent in masters program in English literature.
In 2000, Juveria was a topper in Urdu in her class 10 exam and in 2002 she secured highest marks in history in class 12 exam. The New Delhi-based Central Board of Secondary Education conducted both exams and she won medals in both.
When she finished schooling, she got herself registered in Delhi University and completed her B.A. honors in English through its correspondence course.
“Now I want to continue my education further with a research work in English novels,” Juveria said.
“Juveria’s achievement has become possible due to her own hard work, dedication and determination, as well as the support she received from the faculty, the management team of ATEICO Communication headed by General Manager Riaz Mulla, which represents IGNOU in Saudi Arabia, and, above all, the Indian diplomatic mission’s offices in Riyadh and Jeddah,” Shahnaz said.
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JEDDAH: Juveria Hashmi, a Jeddah housewife with two children, has made history by winning a gold medal for her masters in English literature at the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU).
“IGNOU Saudi Arabia is proud that it has struck gold in its masters program in English literature for the third time,” Dr. Shahnaz Patel, director of ATEICO-IGNOU Saudi Arabia announced yesterday.
“Thus IGNOU Saudi Arabia becomes the first international center to win consecutively three gold medals in M.A. English literature,” she added.
Aside from Juveria, three other students from IGNOU’s overseas centers have won gold medals — from Oman, Mauritius and Nepal.
Juveria, a former student of International Indian School-Jeddah and daughter of Arab News staffer Muhammad Mujahid Syed, will receive her medal from professor R. Natarajan, former chairman of All-India Council for Technical Education and director of Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai, at IGNOU’s 20th convocation at the IGNOU headquarters in New Delhi on Feb. 28.
Juveria, who hails from Lucknow, is pursuing her studies here. She has been a meritorious student throughout her academic career.
“It is remarkable for a student who never initially studied English,” Patel said.
“I developed interest in English literature and have deep interest in it,” said Juveria who secured 69.5 percent in masters program in English literature.
In 2000, Juveria was a topper in Urdu in her class 10 exam and in 2002 she secured highest marks in history in class 12 exam. The New Delhi-based Central Board of Secondary Education conducted both exams and she won medals in both.
When she finished schooling, she got herself registered in Delhi University and completed her B.A. honors in English through its correspondence course.
“Now I want to continue my education further with a research work in English novels,” Juveria said.
“Juveria’s achievement has become possible due to her own hard work, dedication and determination, as well as the support she received from the faculty, the management team of ATEICO Communication headed by General Manager Riaz Mulla, which represents IGNOU in Saudi Arabia, and, above all, the Indian diplomatic mission’s offices in Riyadh and Jeddah,” Shahnaz said.
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Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Google Award for Hyderabad Student
HYDERABAD: A student from the International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad, Sahiti Polishetty, has been selected for ‘Women in Engineering Award’ along with eight others in the country. The award instituted by Google India was announced recently.
The award recognises women students in computer science and related majors and this year, the awards were opened to women engineering students from under-graduate, post-graduate and doctoral programmes across 80 colleges in the country. The award carries a cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh along with a certificate and a trophy. Winners were selected on the basis of their academic background and demonstrated qualities of leadership, a Google press release said. Other winners are: Sameena Shah of IIT – Delhi; Sarika Mohapatra of IIT – Kanpur; Supriya Vadlamani of BITS – Pilani; Anjali Sardana of IIT – Roorkee; Amisha Khera of Jaypee Institute of Technology University, Noida; Kurchi Subhra Hazra of NIT- Durgapur; Aiswarya Cyriac of The Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai and Gauri Hiren Joshi of Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information and Communication Technology.
The award recognises women students in computer science and related majors and this year, the awards were opened to women engineering students from under-graduate, post-graduate and doctoral programmes across 80 colleges in the country. The award carries a cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh along with a certificate and a trophy. Winners were selected on the basis of their academic background and demonstrated qualities of leadership, a Google press release said. Other winners are: Sameena Shah of IIT – Delhi; Sarika Mohapatra of IIT – Kanpur; Supriya Vadlamani of BITS – Pilani; Anjali Sardana of IIT – Roorkee; Amisha Khera of Jaypee Institute of Technology University, Noida; Kurchi Subhra Hazra of NIT- Durgapur; Aiswarya Cyriac of The Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai and Gauri Hiren Joshi of Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information and Communication Technology.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Pak Has Owed India Rs 300cr for 60 Years.
You might think Dawood Ibrahim's extradition is one India's longest-standing demands from Pakistan, but there is another that beats is much older.
Tucked away in the fine print of every Budget since 1948-49 is an unvarying entry: "Amount due from Pakistan on account of share of pre-partition debt (approx) - Rs 300 crore".
In 1948-49, Rs 300 crore was more than the size of government's budget - expenditure of Rs 257.37 crore against receipts of Rs 256.28 crore yielding a deficit of Rs 1.09 crore. Today, Rs 300 crore would account for about 0.03% of total receipts or expenditure.
So, what's the history of this entry? After Partition, it was agreed that India would initially meet all the liabilities of the united entity and that Pakistan would then pay back its share of the debt to be mutually agreed.
The sum finally agreed upon was Rs 300 crore. The rate of interest was fixed at 3 per cent and Pakistan was to pay back the amount in 50 annually equated instalments starting from 1952. Clearly, that never happened.
Tucked away in the fine print of every Budget since 1948-49 is an unvarying entry: "Amount due from Pakistan on account of share of pre-partition debt (approx) - Rs 300 crore".
In 1948-49, Rs 300 crore was more than the size of government's budget - expenditure of Rs 257.37 crore against receipts of Rs 256.28 crore yielding a deficit of Rs 1.09 crore. Today, Rs 300 crore would account for about 0.03% of total receipts or expenditure.
So, what's the history of this entry? After Partition, it was agreed that India would initially meet all the liabilities of the united entity and that Pakistan would then pay back its share of the debt to be mutually agreed.
The sum finally agreed upon was Rs 300 crore. The rate of interest was fixed at 3 per cent and Pakistan was to pay back the amount in 50 annually equated instalments starting from 1952. Clearly, that never happened.
Monday, February 16, 2009
The story behind the $10 'laptop'
It was a claim that anyone with a reasonable amount of computing knowledge would have debunked under normal circumstances - a laptop for $10 or under Rs 500. You don't even get a decent memory stick for that price, or even the cheapest of mobiles!
But then, the announcement was made by no less a person than Rameshwar Pal Agrawal, secretary, Department of Higher Education of the Ministry of Human Resource Development.
Also, the government has been talking of low-cost computing devices for quite some time now - the prices of which would be much lower than former Media Lab's director Nicholas Negroponte's $188 XO laptops which are part of the One Laptop Per Child global project.
So, despite the disbelief and the 'Oh Yeah(s)?' on the Net, observers both in India and abroad keenly awaited the launch of the prototype in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. After all, nobody would want to risk pooh poohing a low-cost computing device which could effectively and eventually bridge the 'digital divide'. However, when the contraption was finally launched, it fell extremely short on expectations - some called it nothing short of a joke, even 'hoax'.
Was the criticism justified? Probably not, if one understands the context. A lot of work was put in by students of the Vellore Institute of Technology, scientists in Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, the IIT-Madras and the involvement of PSUs like Semiconductor Complex Ltd.
The end product came with 2GB storage memory, Wi-Fi connectivity, ethernet port(s) and USB connectivity. But it did not have a screen. So if you wanted to display the data stored on it, you would need to attach a compatible output device using the USB ports. And the computing device called 'Sakshat' turned out to be 10 inches long and five inches wide and cost around $30. So it was still less than Rs 1,500.
Besides, the idea was noble. The Department of Higher Education of the Ministry of Human Resource Development has earmarked around Rs 4,600 crore (Rs 46 billion) to promote the use of Information and Communication Technology in teaching and learning processes.
Approximately 20,000 institutions of higher learning are expected to benefit from this. To achieve this objective, the government said it would support the development of low-cost and low-power consuming devices through field trials - one of these was 'Sakshat'.
But, then, why call it a laptop? This is probably the main reason for so much confusion. IDC India Lead Analyst (P C Research) Sumanta Mukherjee, says: "Should it be possible to provide a notebook at a customer price of Rs 500, the final impact on the PC market will depend on the functionality. While affordability is a key driver to enhancing PC penetration, it certainly is not the only one - relevance of the product, cheap and reliable broadband in deep interiors will also make a difference."
The success of a computing model, according to Diptarup Chakraborti, principal research analyst, Gartner India, revolves around a friendly operating system and application-ready device. "If these requirements are not fulfilled, users graduate to higher models very fast," he explains. Perhaps, he suggests, the nomenclature for such devices (referring to the Rs 500 laptop) should be changed.
There's much merit in this line of thinking. When one pictures a 'laptop', it creates expectations of a minimum configuration and form factor. History is a good teacher (anyone remembers the Simputer which did not take-off in India?). Muddled thinking should not result in diluting a noble cause.
The idea of an affordable laptop has existed in some form or the other since the 1960s, and Prof Seymour Papert of MIT's Media Lab developed the idea in 1985, in "The School of the Future". Perhaps, the first real answer to the challenge of low-cost computing for kids was the XO (which runs open-source Linux) from Negroponte, founder of the OLPC project.
The original target cost was $100, but this escalated (including shipping costs) due to design upgrades (more memory and a faster microprocessor) and also because the initial production volumes would not enjoy economies of scale.
The OLPC project was supported by companies that are arch rivals - Intel (which later pulled out) and AMD, besides Microsoft, Linux and Google; so perhaps the project was bound to run into rough weather.
Negroponte, it is alleged, asked the chipmaker to stop selling its Classmate PC while it was part of the OLPC. Intel reasoned it ought to support multiple platforms (not the XO alone). Also, there were differences over how the education market should be approached.
The Intel approach is to use school teachers and sell to schools rather than the government. Negroponte, on the other hand, is said to be favouring bypassing teachers, which is not a favoured approach in emerging economies. This is one of the reasons why the OLPC project received a cold shoulder from the Indian government too. The other reason could be that Negroponte was associated with the MIT Media Lab, Asia, with which the government had an unpleasant experience a few years ago.
To counter the OLPC, Intel introduced its Classmate PC for developing countries (including India), which costs between Rs 9,000-12,000, but was launched in India in July-August 2007 for Rs 18,000. The Classmate PC includes hardware, software and learning programmes. Intel teamed up with HCL Infosystems [Get Quote] (which offers both Microsoft and Linux) and Educomp to introduce the Classmate PC in India.
The OLPC Foundation, on its part, joined hands with Reliance Communications [Get Quote], which is running a pilot in a village called Khairat, near Karjat (in Maharashtra).
Indian and multinational PC makers like Asus, HCL Infosystems and Wipro [Get Quote] are also ready with Nettops (low-cost desktops), based on Intel Atom processors. AMD, on its part, says its Yukon platform does not compromise on performance while saving on power and keeping the laptops light in weight.
Another chip player, Freescale Semiconductor, announced this January that it would enter the netbook market with sub-$200 price points. It uses the i.MX processor based on ARM Cortex technology in association with Pegatron.
Incidentally, players like Chennai-based Novatium have partnered with MTNL [Get Quote] to offer cheap desktops at less than Rs 10,000 (including the service, monitors and so on). The desktop called netPC costs just Rs 4,999. Novatium offers a managed service which means that customers store data on the Novatium servers - a good option for small- and medium enterprises too. Over 7,000 netPCs have been sold to date.
Research firm IDC has predicted that the new market segment, comprising small, energy-efficient and low-cost devices (netbooks and nettops), could grow from fewer than 500,000 in 2007 to 9 million in 2012 as the market for second computers expands in developed economies.
Indeed, low-cost computing is here, but we need another name to accommodate form factors like that of 'Sakshat', failing which all of us - including the Indian government - will miss the wood for the trees.
[ http://www.rediff.com/money/2009/feb/09the-story-behind-the-dollar-10-laptop.htm ]
But then, the announcement was made by no less a person than Rameshwar Pal Agrawal, secretary, Department of Higher Education of the Ministry of Human Resource Development.
Also, the government has been talking of low-cost computing devices for quite some time now - the prices of which would be much lower than former Media Lab's director Nicholas Negroponte's $188 XO laptops which are part of the One Laptop Per Child global project.
So, despite the disbelief and the 'Oh Yeah(s)?' on the Net, observers both in India and abroad keenly awaited the launch of the prototype in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. After all, nobody would want to risk pooh poohing a low-cost computing device which could effectively and eventually bridge the 'digital divide'. However, when the contraption was finally launched, it fell extremely short on expectations - some called it nothing short of a joke, even 'hoax'.
Was the criticism justified? Probably not, if one understands the context. A lot of work was put in by students of the Vellore Institute of Technology, scientists in Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, the IIT-Madras and the involvement of PSUs like Semiconductor Complex Ltd.
The end product came with 2GB storage memory, Wi-Fi connectivity, ethernet port(s) and USB connectivity. But it did not have a screen. So if you wanted to display the data stored on it, you would need to attach a compatible output device using the USB ports. And the computing device called 'Sakshat' turned out to be 10 inches long and five inches wide and cost around $30. So it was still less than Rs 1,500.
Besides, the idea was noble. The Department of Higher Education of the Ministry of Human Resource Development has earmarked around Rs 4,600 crore (Rs 46 billion) to promote the use of Information and Communication Technology in teaching and learning processes.
Approximately 20,000 institutions of higher learning are expected to benefit from this. To achieve this objective, the government said it would support the development of low-cost and low-power consuming devices through field trials - one of these was 'Sakshat'.
But, then, why call it a laptop? This is probably the main reason for so much confusion. IDC India Lead Analyst (P C Research) Sumanta Mukherjee, says: "Should it be possible to provide a notebook at a customer price of Rs 500, the final impact on the PC market will depend on the functionality. While affordability is a key driver to enhancing PC penetration, it certainly is not the only one - relevance of the product, cheap and reliable broadband in deep interiors will also make a difference."
The success of a computing model, according to Diptarup Chakraborti, principal research analyst, Gartner India, revolves around a friendly operating system and application-ready device. "If these requirements are not fulfilled, users graduate to higher models very fast," he explains. Perhaps, he suggests, the nomenclature for such devices (referring to the Rs 500 laptop) should be changed.
There's much merit in this line of thinking. When one pictures a 'laptop', it creates expectations of a minimum configuration and form factor. History is a good teacher (anyone remembers the Simputer which did not take-off in India?). Muddled thinking should not result in diluting a noble cause.
The idea of an affordable laptop has existed in some form or the other since the 1960s, and Prof Seymour Papert of MIT's Media Lab developed the idea in 1985, in "The School of the Future". Perhaps, the first real answer to the challenge of low-cost computing for kids was the XO (which runs open-source Linux) from Negroponte, founder of the OLPC project.
The original target cost was $100, but this escalated (including shipping costs) due to design upgrades (more memory and a faster microprocessor) and also because the initial production volumes would not enjoy economies of scale.
The OLPC project was supported by companies that are arch rivals - Intel (which later pulled out) and AMD, besides Microsoft, Linux and Google; so perhaps the project was bound to run into rough weather.
Negroponte, it is alleged, asked the chipmaker to stop selling its Classmate PC while it was part of the OLPC. Intel reasoned it ought to support multiple platforms (not the XO alone). Also, there were differences over how the education market should be approached.
The Intel approach is to use school teachers and sell to schools rather than the government. Negroponte, on the other hand, is said to be favouring bypassing teachers, which is not a favoured approach in emerging economies. This is one of the reasons why the OLPC project received a cold shoulder from the Indian government too. The other reason could be that Negroponte was associated with the MIT Media Lab, Asia, with which the government had an unpleasant experience a few years ago.
To counter the OLPC, Intel introduced its Classmate PC for developing countries (including India), which costs between Rs 9,000-12,000, but was launched in India in July-August 2007 for Rs 18,000. The Classmate PC includes hardware, software and learning programmes. Intel teamed up with HCL Infosystems [Get Quote] (which offers both Microsoft and Linux) and Educomp to introduce the Classmate PC in India.
The OLPC Foundation, on its part, joined hands with Reliance Communications [Get Quote], which is running a pilot in a village called Khairat, near Karjat (in Maharashtra).
Indian and multinational PC makers like Asus, HCL Infosystems and Wipro [Get Quote] are also ready with Nettops (low-cost desktops), based on Intel Atom processors. AMD, on its part, says its Yukon platform does not compromise on performance while saving on power and keeping the laptops light in weight.
Another chip player, Freescale Semiconductor, announced this January that it would enter the netbook market with sub-$200 price points. It uses the i.MX processor based on ARM Cortex technology in association with Pegatron.
Incidentally, players like Chennai-based Novatium have partnered with MTNL [Get Quote] to offer cheap desktops at less than Rs 10,000 (including the service, monitors and so on). The desktop called netPC costs just Rs 4,999. Novatium offers a managed service which means that customers store data on the Novatium servers - a good option for small- and medium enterprises too. Over 7,000 netPCs have been sold to date.
Research firm IDC has predicted that the new market segment, comprising small, energy-efficient and low-cost devices (netbooks and nettops), could grow from fewer than 500,000 in 2007 to 9 million in 2012 as the market for second computers expands in developed economies.
Indeed, low-cost computing is here, but we need another name to accommodate form factors like that of 'Sakshat', failing which all of us - including the Indian government - will miss the wood for the trees.
[ http://www.rediff.com/money/2009/feb/09the-story-behind-the-dollar-10-laptop.htm ]
Saturday, February 14, 2009
This Madarsa Has More Hindus
MALDA: Alif..be..te..se... At first glance, there is nothing out of the ordinary about this little girl memorizing Arabic letters in a madarsa. Only
that her name is Dipali Burman. And she is not alone — more than six in 10 students in Kasba Mahaso Makhduma High Madrasha are Hindus.
This madarsa, quite likely unique in the country, is 10 km east of Raigunj in North Dinajpur. The majority of the 1077 students on the rolls belong to non-Muslim communities. “Over 65% of the students here are Hindus,” said principal Md Golam Mostafa, who has been with the school since its inception in 1975.
“Out of the 76 students taking the High Madrasha (equivalent to Plus-II) examination this year, 46 are Hindus,” he added, proudly.
Established in the Hindu-majority area of Kamlabari Haat on land donated by Syed Abul Kasem, the madarsa has come a long way over the last three decades. “There were jungles all around, apart from a few huts here and there. When Abdul Kasem and Ansed Ali first talked of setting up the madarsa, many laughed at them,” said Mostafa. But the duo knew they were on the right path and went ahead with the school.
Situated 10 km east of Raigunj in North Dinajpur, the school started in 1975. And it didn't take long for people to understand its value. Locals, mostly belonging to the Rajbonshi community, had no other place to send their kids for education. The madarsa came as a saviour.
If it was a compulsion then, the situation is much different now. There are at least four high schools Hemtabad HS, Karnajora HS, Banglabari HS and Bahugram HS nearby but Hindu parents still prefer the madarsa. Those who pass out of this school look nowhere else for their children.
One such is Iswar Khan of Kamlabari, an alumnus, whose daughter Mampi is a Class V student of Kasba MM High Madrasha. "We never felt any hesitation while sending our children to this school, nor do we have any problem with the syllabus or teaching," said Khan.
But what do the students feel about pursuing Arabic, which is a compulsory subject? "It is simply another language, no harm in learning it," said students Rajat Tarafdar and Prabha Sarkar. Arabic teacher Md Ismail Kasem was beaming with pride. "Do you know who got the highest marks in Arabic the last time? It was Dipa Sarkar."
that her name is Dipali Burman. And she is not alone — more than six in 10 students in Kasba Mahaso Makhduma High Madrasha are Hindus.
This madarsa, quite likely unique in the country, is 10 km east of Raigunj in North Dinajpur. The majority of the 1077 students on the rolls belong to non-Muslim communities. “Over 65% of the students here are Hindus,” said principal Md Golam Mostafa, who has been with the school since its inception in 1975.
“Out of the 76 students taking the High Madrasha (equivalent to Plus-II) examination this year, 46 are Hindus,” he added, proudly.
Established in the Hindu-majority area of Kamlabari Haat on land donated by Syed Abul Kasem, the madarsa has come a long way over the last three decades. “There were jungles all around, apart from a few huts here and there. When Abdul Kasem and Ansed Ali first talked of setting up the madarsa, many laughed at them,” said Mostafa. But the duo knew they were on the right path and went ahead with the school.
Situated 10 km east of Raigunj in North Dinajpur, the school started in 1975. And it didn't take long for people to understand its value. Locals, mostly belonging to the Rajbonshi community, had no other place to send their kids for education. The madarsa came as a saviour.
If it was a compulsion then, the situation is much different now. There are at least four high schools Hemtabad HS, Karnajora HS, Banglabari HS and Bahugram HS nearby but Hindu parents still prefer the madarsa. Those who pass out of this school look nowhere else for their children.
One such is Iswar Khan of Kamlabari, an alumnus, whose daughter Mampi is a Class V student of Kasba MM High Madrasha. "We never felt any hesitation while sending our children to this school, nor do we have any problem with the syllabus or teaching," said Khan.
But what do the students feel about pursuing Arabic, which is a compulsory subject? "It is simply another language, no harm in learning it," said students Rajat Tarafdar and Prabha Sarkar. Arabic teacher Md Ismail Kasem was beaming with pride. "Do you know who got the highest marks in Arabic the last time? It was Dipa Sarkar."
This Madarsa Has More Hindus
MALDA: Alif..be..te..se... At first glance, there is nothing out of the ordinary about this little girl memorizing Arabic letters in a madarsa. Only
that her name is Dipali Burman. And she is not alone — more than six in 10 students in Kasba Mahaso Makhduma High Madrasha are Hindus.
This madarsa, quite likely unique in the country, is 10 km east of Raigunj in North Dinajpur. The majority of the 1077 students on the rolls belong to non-Muslim communities. “Over 65% of the students here are Hindus,” said principal Md Golam Mostafa, who has been with the school since its inception in 1975.
“Out of the 76 students taking the High Madrasha (equivalent to Plus-II) examination this year, 46 are Hindus,” he added, proudly.
Established in the Hindu-majority area of Kamlabari Haat on land donated by Syed Abul Kasem, the madarsa has come a long way over the last three decades. “There were jungles all around, apart from a few huts here and there. When Abdul Kasem and Ansed Ali first talked of setting up the madarsa, many laughed at them,” said Mostafa. But the duo knew they were on the right path and went ahead with the school.
Situated 10 km east of Raigunj in North Dinajpur, the school started in 1975. And it didn't take long for people to understand its value. Locals, mostly belonging to the Rajbonshi community, had no other place to send their kids for education. The madarsa came as a saviour.
If it was a compulsion then, the situation is much different now. There are at least four high schools Hemtabad HS, Karnajora HS, Banglabari HS and Bahugram HS nearby but Hindu parents still prefer the madarsa. Those who pass out of this school look nowhere else for their children.
One such is Iswar Khan of Kamlabari, an alumnus, whose daughter Mampi is a Class V student of Kasba MM High Madrasha. "We never felt any hesitation while sending our children to this school, nor do we have any problem with the syllabus or teaching," said Khan.
But what do the students feel about pursuing Arabic, which is a compulsory subject? "It is simply another language, no harm in learning it," said students Rajat Tarafdar and Prabha Sarkar. Arabic teacher Md Ismail Kasem was beaming with pride. "Do you know who got the highest marks in Arabic the last time? It was Dipa Sarkar."
that her name is Dipali Burman. And she is not alone — more than six in 10 students in Kasba Mahaso Makhduma High Madrasha are Hindus.
This madarsa, quite likely unique in the country, is 10 km east of Raigunj in North Dinajpur. The majority of the 1077 students on the rolls belong to non-Muslim communities. “Over 65% of the students here are Hindus,” said principal Md Golam Mostafa, who has been with the school since its inception in 1975.
“Out of the 76 students taking the High Madrasha (equivalent to Plus-II) examination this year, 46 are Hindus,” he added, proudly.
Established in the Hindu-majority area of Kamlabari Haat on land donated by Syed Abul Kasem, the madarsa has come a long way over the last three decades. “There were jungles all around, apart from a few huts here and there. When Abdul Kasem and Ansed Ali first talked of setting up the madarsa, many laughed at them,” said Mostafa. But the duo knew they were on the right path and went ahead with the school.
Situated 10 km east of Raigunj in North Dinajpur, the school started in 1975. And it didn't take long for people to understand its value. Locals, mostly belonging to the Rajbonshi community, had no other place to send their kids for education. The madarsa came as a saviour.
If it was a compulsion then, the situation is much different now. There are at least four high schools Hemtabad HS, Karnajora HS, Banglabari HS and Bahugram HS nearby but Hindu parents still prefer the madarsa. Those who pass out of this school look nowhere else for their children.
One such is Iswar Khan of Kamlabari, an alumnus, whose daughter Mampi is a Class V student of Kasba MM High Madrasha. "We never felt any hesitation while sending our children to this school, nor do we have any problem with the syllabus or teaching," said Khan.
But what do the students feel about pursuing Arabic, which is a compulsory subject? "It is simply another language, no harm in learning it," said students Rajat Tarafdar and Prabha Sarkar. Arabic teacher Md Ismail Kasem was beaming with pride. "Do you know who got the highest marks in Arabic the last time? It was Dipa Sarkar."
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
India at a Glance !!!
BACKGROUND
India is one of the oldest civilisations in the world with a kaleidoscopic variety and rich cultural heritage. It has achieved all-round socio-economic progress during the last 60 years of its Independence. India has become self-sufficient in agricultural production and is now the tenth industrialised country in the world and the sixth nation to have gone into outer space to conquer nature for the benefit of the people. It covers an area of 32,87,2631 sq km, extending from the snow-covered Himalayan heights to the tropical rain forests of the south. As the 7th largest country in the world, India stands apart from the rest of Asia, marked off as it is by mountains and the sea, which give the country a distinct geographical entity. Bounded by the Great Himalayas in the north, it stretches southwards and at the Tropic of Cancer, tapers off into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal on the east and the Arabian Sea on the west.
Lying entirely in the northern hemisphere, the mainland extends between latitudes 8°4' and 37°6' north, longitudes 68°7' and 97°25' east and measures about 3,214 km from north to south between the extreme latitudes and about 2,933 km from east to west between the extreme longitudes. It has a land frontier of about 15,200 km. The total length of the coastline of the mainland, Lakshadweep Islands and Andaman& Nicobar Islands is 7,516.6 km.
GEOGRAPHY
Location: The Indian peninsula is separated from mainland Asia by the Himalayas. The Country is surrounded by the Bay of Bengal in the east, the Arabian Sea in the west, and the Indian Ocean to the south.
Geographic Coordinates: Lying entirely in the Northern Hemisphere, the Country extends between 8° 4' and 37° 6' latitudes north of the Equator, and 68°7' and 97°25' longitudes east of it.
Indian Standard Time: GMT + 05:30
Area: 3.3 Million sq km
Telephone Country Code: +91
Border Countries: Afghanistan and Pakistan to the north-west; China, Bhutan and Nepal to the north; Myanmar to the east; and Bangladesh to the east of West Bengal. Sri Lanka is separated from India by a narrow channel of sea, formed by Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar.
Coastline: 7,516.6 km encompassing the mainland, Lakshadweep Islands, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
Climate: The climate of India can broadly be classified as a tropical monsoon one. But, in spite of much of the northern part of India lying beyond the tropical zone, the entire country has a tropical climate marked by relatively high temperatures and dry winters. There are four seasons - winter (December-February), (ii) summer (March-June), (iii) south-west monsoon season (June-September), and (iv) post monsoon season (October- November).
Terrain: The mainland comprises of four regions, namely the great mountain zone, plains of the Ganga and the Indus, the desert region, and the southern peninsula.
Natural Resources: Coal, iron ore, manganese ore, mica, bauxite, petroleum, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, magnesite, limestone, arable land, dolomite, barytes, kaolin, gypsum, apatite, phosphorite, steatite, fluorite, etc.
Natural Hazards: Monsoon floods, flash floods, earthquakes, droughts, and landslides.
Environment – Current Issues: Air pollution control, energy conservation, solid waste management, oil and gas conservation, forest conservation, etc.
Environment – International Agreements: Rio Declaration on environment and development, Cartagena Protocol on biosafety, Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on climatic change, World Trade Agreement, Helsinki Protocol to LRTAP on the reduction of sulphur emissions of nitrogen oxides or their transboundary fluxes (Nox Protocol), and Geneva Protocol to LRTAP concerning the control of emissions of volatile organic compounds or their transboundary fluxes (VOCs Protocol).
Geography – Note: India occupies a major portion of the south Asian subcontinent.
PEOPLE
Population: India's population, as on 1 March 2001 stood at 1,028 million (532.1 million males and 496.4 million females).
Population Growth Rate: The average annual exponential growth rate stands at 1.93 per cent during 1991-2001.
Birth Rate: The Crude Birth rate according to the 2001 census is 24.8
Death Rate: The Crude Death rate according to the 2001 census is 8.9
Life Expectancy Rate: 63.9 years (Males); 66.9 years (Females) (As of Sep 2005)
Sex Ratio: 933 according to the 2001 census
Nationality: Indian
Ethnic Groups: All the five major racial types - Australoid, Mongoloid, Europoid, Caucasian, and Negroid find representation among the people of India.
Religions: According to the 2001 census, out of the total population of 1.028 million in the Country, Hindus constituted the majority with 80.5 %, Muslims came second at 13.4%, followed by Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, and others.
Languages: There are 22 National Languages have been recognized by the Constitution of India, of which Hindi is the Official Union Language. Besides these, there are 844 different dialects that are practiced in various parts of the Country.
Literacy: According to the provisional results of the 2001 census, the literacy rate in the Country stands at 64.84 per cent, 75.26% for males and 53.67% for females.
GOVERNMENT
Country Name: Republic of India; Bharat Ganrajya
Government Type: Sovereign Socialist Democratic Republic with a Parliamentary system of Government.
Capital: New Delhi
Administrative Divisions: 28 States and 7 Union Territories.
Independence: 15th August 1947 (From the British Colonial Rule)
Constitution: The Constitution of India came into force on 26th January 1950.
Legal System: The Constitution of India is the fountain source of the legal system in the Country.
Executive Branch: The President of India is the Head of the State, while the Prime Minister is the Head of the Government, and runs office with the support of the Council of Ministers who form the Cabinet Ministry.
Legislative Branch: The Indian Legislature comprises of the Lok Sabha (House of the People) and the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) forming both the Houses of the Parliament.
Judicial Branch: The Supreme Court of India is the apex body of the Indian legal system, followed by other High Courts and subordinate Courts.
Flag Description: The National Flag is a horizontal tricolour of deep saffron (kesaria) at the top, white in the middle, and dark green at the bottom in equal proportion. At the centre of the white band is a navy blue wheel, which is a representation of the Ashoka Chakra at Sarnath.
National Days: 26th January (Republic Day)
15th August (Independence Day)
2nd October (Gandhi Jayanti; Mahatma Gandhi's Birthday).
India is one of the oldest civilisations in the world with a kaleidoscopic variety and rich cultural heritage. It has achieved all-round socio-economic progress during the last 60 years of its Independence. India has become self-sufficient in agricultural production and is now the tenth industrialised country in the world and the sixth nation to have gone into outer space to conquer nature for the benefit of the people. It covers an area of 32,87,2631 sq km, extending from the snow-covered Himalayan heights to the tropical rain forests of the south. As the 7th largest country in the world, India stands apart from the rest of Asia, marked off as it is by mountains and the sea, which give the country a distinct geographical entity. Bounded by the Great Himalayas in the north, it stretches southwards and at the Tropic of Cancer, tapers off into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal on the east and the Arabian Sea on the west.
Lying entirely in the northern hemisphere, the mainland extends between latitudes 8°4' and 37°6' north, longitudes 68°7' and 97°25' east and measures about 3,214 km from north to south between the extreme latitudes and about 2,933 km from east to west between the extreme longitudes. It has a land frontier of about 15,200 km. The total length of the coastline of the mainland, Lakshadweep Islands and Andaman& Nicobar Islands is 7,516.6 km.
GEOGRAPHY
Location: The Indian peninsula is separated from mainland Asia by the Himalayas. The Country is surrounded by the Bay of Bengal in the east, the Arabian Sea in the west, and the Indian Ocean to the south.
Geographic Coordinates: Lying entirely in the Northern Hemisphere, the Country extends between 8° 4' and 37° 6' latitudes north of the Equator, and 68°7' and 97°25' longitudes east of it.
Indian Standard Time: GMT + 05:30
Area: 3.3 Million sq km
Telephone Country Code: +91
Border Countries: Afghanistan and Pakistan to the north-west; China, Bhutan and Nepal to the north; Myanmar to the east; and Bangladesh to the east of West Bengal. Sri Lanka is separated from India by a narrow channel of sea, formed by Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar.
Coastline: 7,516.6 km encompassing the mainland, Lakshadweep Islands, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
Climate: The climate of India can broadly be classified as a tropical monsoon one. But, in spite of much of the northern part of India lying beyond the tropical zone, the entire country has a tropical climate marked by relatively high temperatures and dry winters. There are four seasons - winter (December-February), (ii) summer (March-June), (iii) south-west monsoon season (June-September), and (iv) post monsoon season (October- November).
Terrain: The mainland comprises of four regions, namely the great mountain zone, plains of the Ganga and the Indus, the desert region, and the southern peninsula.
Natural Resources: Coal, iron ore, manganese ore, mica, bauxite, petroleum, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, magnesite, limestone, arable land, dolomite, barytes, kaolin, gypsum, apatite, phosphorite, steatite, fluorite, etc.
Natural Hazards: Monsoon floods, flash floods, earthquakes, droughts, and landslides.
Environment – Current Issues: Air pollution control, energy conservation, solid waste management, oil and gas conservation, forest conservation, etc.
Environment – International Agreements: Rio Declaration on environment and development, Cartagena Protocol on biosafety, Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on climatic change, World Trade Agreement, Helsinki Protocol to LRTAP on the reduction of sulphur emissions of nitrogen oxides or their transboundary fluxes (Nox Protocol), and Geneva Protocol to LRTAP concerning the control of emissions of volatile organic compounds or their transboundary fluxes (VOCs Protocol).
Geography – Note: India occupies a major portion of the south Asian subcontinent.
PEOPLE
Population: India's population, as on 1 March 2001 stood at 1,028 million (532.1 million males and 496.4 million females).
Population Growth Rate: The average annual exponential growth rate stands at 1.93 per cent during 1991-2001.
Birth Rate: The Crude Birth rate according to the 2001 census is 24.8
Death Rate: The Crude Death rate according to the 2001 census is 8.9
Life Expectancy Rate: 63.9 years (Males); 66.9 years (Females) (As of Sep 2005)
Sex Ratio: 933 according to the 2001 census
Nationality: Indian
Ethnic Groups: All the five major racial types - Australoid, Mongoloid, Europoid, Caucasian, and Negroid find representation among the people of India.
Religions: According to the 2001 census, out of the total population of 1.028 million in the Country, Hindus constituted the majority with 80.5 %, Muslims came second at 13.4%, followed by Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, and others.
Languages: There are 22 National Languages have been recognized by the Constitution of India, of which Hindi is the Official Union Language. Besides these, there are 844 different dialects that are practiced in various parts of the Country.
Literacy: According to the provisional results of the 2001 census, the literacy rate in the Country stands at 64.84 per cent, 75.26% for males and 53.67% for females.
GOVERNMENT
Country Name: Republic of India; Bharat Ganrajya
Government Type: Sovereign Socialist Democratic Republic with a Parliamentary system of Government.
Capital: New Delhi
Administrative Divisions: 28 States and 7 Union Territories.
Independence: 15th August 1947 (From the British Colonial Rule)
Constitution: The Constitution of India came into force on 26th January 1950.
Legal System: The Constitution of India is the fountain source of the legal system in the Country.
Executive Branch: The President of India is the Head of the State, while the Prime Minister is the Head of the Government, and runs office with the support of the Council of Ministers who form the Cabinet Ministry.
Legislative Branch: The Indian Legislature comprises of the Lok Sabha (House of the People) and the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) forming both the Houses of the Parliament.
Judicial Branch: The Supreme Court of India is the apex body of the Indian legal system, followed by other High Courts and subordinate Courts.
Flag Description: The National Flag is a horizontal tricolour of deep saffron (kesaria) at the top, white in the middle, and dark green at the bottom in equal proportion. At the centre of the white band is a navy blue wheel, which is a representation of the Ashoka Chakra at Sarnath.
National Days: 26th January (Republic Day)
15th August (Independence Day)
2nd October (Gandhi Jayanti; Mahatma Gandhi's Birthday).
My India My Pride
India is one of the oldest civilizations in the world, spanning a period of more than 4000 years, and witnessing the fusion of several customs and traditions, which are reflective of the rich culture and heritage of the Country.
The history of the nation gives a glimpse into the magnanimity of its evolution - from a Country reeling under colonialism, to one of the leading economies in the global scenario within a span of fifty years. More than anything, the nationalistic fervour of the people is the contributing force behind the culmination of such a development. This transformation of the nation instills a sense of national pride in the heart of every Indian within the Country and abroad, and this section is a modest attempt at keeping its flame alive.
The history of the nation gives a glimpse into the magnanimity of its evolution - from a Country reeling under colonialism, to one of the leading economies in the global scenario within a span of fifty years. More than anything, the nationalistic fervour of the people is the contributing force behind the culmination of such a development. This transformation of the nation instills a sense of national pride in the heart of every Indian within the Country and abroad, and this section is a modest attempt at keeping its flame alive.
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