Largest Nuclear Reactor: India’s largest and the first 540-MW nuclear pressurised heavy water reactor was commissioned at Tarapur on 6th March. It is the fourth unit at the Tarapur atomic power station and the 15th in the country. The unit is completely indigenous. It will undergo various tests and start delivering electricity to the country’s western grid commercially from August 2005.

Training For Midwives: The Indian government will train 150,000 auxiliary nurses and midwives (ANMs) to prescribe medicines and carry out basic gynaecological procedures in case of emergencies during childbirth. These health workers, with a basic qualification of having passed Class X, will also be taught to administer intravenous fluids. The government had to seek the permission of the Drug Controller General of India as prescribing medicines by anybody besides a trained doctor is a crime under the Drug and Cosmetic Act 1956.

‘Ambassador’ Sania Mirza: Sania Mirza, having moved up to 77 on the World Tennis Association rankings, has recently signed her first endorsement deal with Lotto Sport Italia. She will be Lotto’s brand ambassador and will have her own signature line (something that not too many tennis stars can boast of). Lotto’s brand ambassadors have included Boris Becker and Martina Navratilova.

03-03-05

Organic Farming: The emerging global market in organic farming, now worth $26 billion, offers much scope to the Indian farmer. Organic farming is sustainable and environmentally benign. The National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS) has recently released a policy paper prescribing the need to develop high-tech organic technology with strict quality control meeting international quality standards. The global market may grow to $102 billion by 2010. To begin with, experts recommend that the practice of organic farming should be for low volume high value crops like spices, medicinal plants, fruits and vegetables. India has 2,775 hectare of land under organic farming. This is 0.0015 per cent of its cultivable land. There are 1426 certified organic farms, producing 14,000 tons of produce. Of this, 11,925 tons is exported.

MBA For IAS Officers: The Indian government has asked the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIM-A) to start an MBA course for mid-career IAS officers. They will have to go through an admission process, similar to the CAT or GMAT, to take part in the proposed postgraduate programme in public policy and management, scheduled to start in 2007. The programme can also be made broadbased to involve NGOs and multilateral agencies that work in the field of public policy. It will be a full-fledged one-year MBA programme for bureaucrats with about 10 to 15 years of experience. The IIM-A is also looking for foreign participation in the programme and wants bureaucrats from neighbouring countries to join the programme.

Big Advertisers: Figures for the advertising expenditures in 2004 were released recently. Here’s a sample:

• Hindustan Lever was India's biggest advertiser in 2004, with a combined TV and press adspend of Rs. 5.17 billion.
• Maruti Udyog was the second largest advertiser. It spent Rs. 1.95 billion TV and press advertising.
• Five auto firms (Maruti Udyog, Bajaj Auto, Tata Motors, Hero Honda, TVS Motors) (Maruti Udyog, Bajaj Auto, Tata Motors, Hero Honda, TVS Motors) figured in the top ten advertisers list.
• P&G, Paras Pharmaceuticals (with brands like Moov and Krack), LG and Samsung also figured in the top-ten list.
• Two big advertisers of 2003 - Hyundai and ITC - dropped out of the top ten list. ITC did not figure in list due to the ban on tobacco and tobacco-related products which came into effect from May last year.

Indians In New York City: Indians are among the 20 largest foreign-born populations in New York City (NYC). With a population of 68,263, they are 14th on the list. Asian Indians, along with other immigrant groups, make up 43 per cent of the city workforce. Foreign-born Indians are at the high end of the educational spectrum as also that for income distribution. The average number of workers per Indian household is 1.5 and the median Indian household income is $50,000. Only 14.4 per cent of the Indian households are below the NYC poverty line. A report on the immigrant profile states that 41 per cent of working Indian males is in professional and managerial positions. Also, 58 per cent of working Indian females is in professional or managerial positions. The Indian community has grown by 68.9 per cent, with 84.8 per cent of the population in the age group of 18-64. The rate of home ownership for Indians is 32.7. However 31.4 per cent of the Indian households are overcrowded.

ISRO’s Overseas Customer: When India launches a 350-kg Italian satellite - Agile - early in 2006, it will be the first time that it will put a satellite in orbit for an overseas customer. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) had earlier launched small payloads for foreign players as piggyback. This will be the first time when its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket will launch a foreign satellite as a lone passenger. A German company which had bagged the launch contract has subcontracted it to ISRO. The marketing to global customers of India's satellite and launch capabilities is done by Antrix Corporation, the commercial arm of ISRO. USA, Russia, Germany, France, China and Japan have the expertise to launch satellites for global customers.

02-03-05

World Population In 2030: India will overtake China as the world’s most populous nation by 2030, five years earlier than had been expected, according to a new United Nations study. India, at 1.103 billion people this year, may reach 1.593 billion by 2050, while China may go from 1.316 billion to 1.392 billion. India’s fertility rate is over three children per woman while China’s is about 1.7. The report also forecast that world population will hit 9.1 billion by 2050, a jump of 2.6 billion people with India and Pakistan seeing the biggest increases. The growth in India, Pakistan and seven other nations - Nigeria, Congo, Bangladesh, Uganda, the United States, Ethiopia and China - should account for half the total increase. In 15 nations - mostly southern and eastern Europe - the birth rate has fallen below 1.3 children per woman, a level unprecedented in human history. An exception is the United States, where the expected increase is mainly due to the continuing arrival of immigrants, who tend to have more children in the first generation. Population is expected to triple in Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Chad, Congo, East Timor, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger and Uganda. The projections depend largely on future birth rates, and assume a decline in fertility from 2.6 children per woman now to slightly more than two children by 2050.

28-02-05

Gujarati Tourists In Kenya: The Kenya Tourist Board is wooing Gujaratis - who constitute 40 per cent of the outbound traffic from India and are also a large chunk of the foreign nationals settled in Kenya - to visit that country. Gujaratis are the highest spenders among Indian tourists (who spend US $ 600 to $ 1,400 per person). Indian arrivals in Kenya were the highest among all Asian countries at 23,000 in 2004, followed by Japan at 12,000 and China at 8,800. Long-staying travellers have an average stay of 5 to 6 nights.

09-02-05

More Routes For Jet/Sahara: Jet Airways and Air Sahara are likely to be allowed to start daily flights to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur from April 2005. The two airlines have only recently received permission for flights to London. The airlines would also like permission for flights to Bangkok. Jet and Sahara will have daily Chennai-Kuala Lumpur flights. Jet will fly between Mumbai and Singapore and Sahara between Delhi and Singapore.

Sports Complex On Yamuna Riverbed: Environmentalists in Delhi have one more project to complain about. The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) wants to build a multi-utility sports complex sprawling over 215 acres on the Yamuna riverbed in time for the 2010 Commonwealth Games. The Central Ground Water Authority has approved the project and a study by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) at Nagpur has found it to be safe. The other projects coming up in the vicinity are the Akshardham Temple, Commonwealth Games Village, Wazirabad Biodiversity Park and the river re-development project. The sports complex will have cricket and football fields and parking for 30,000 cars. DDA will develop the football stadium in coordination with the All India Football Federation. The Board of Control for Cricket in India will develop the cricket stadium.

Nuisance Of Unsolicited Mobile Calls: After hearing a public interest litigation (PIL), filed by Harsh Pathak, that complained of frequent unsolicited calls to mobile users across the country, India’s Supreme Court has issued notices to the Centre, all cellular operators and multinational banks. The PIL seeks a ban on such calls, saying that they are an ‘invasion of privacy and a violation of the right to live a peaceful life’. Notices were issued to the Union government, the law ministry, MTNL, cellular operators Hutch, Reliance, Idea and Bharti, and multinational banks HSBC, Citibank, Standard Chartered, HDFC and ICICI. The unsolicited calls are normally for loans, credit cards or new mobile connections. There were 43 million mobile phones in India until September 2004. By 2007, there are expected to be 150 million mobile users. Cell phone revenue may cross the $6 billion mark in 2005. It’s a big playing field out there and this PIL may possibly help the harassed user.

UK Work-Permit Rules: Britain has announced new controls on immigration and work permits that may benefit skilled Indians. The new system will give priority to migrants with professional skills, such as IT experts, teachers and doctors. English-language skills will be an added bonus. According to Prime Minister Tony Blair his government was 'toughening up' the work permit regime, to 'make absolutely clear that it's only people you really need to come in and work' who will be allowed in. Britain's skills shortage in IT, medicine and education is likely to favour skilled persons who are also fluent English language speakers, such as Indians.

07-02-05

Funding For Heart Surgeries: Hridaymitra Prastisthan (HMP) of Pune is a voluntary organisation that has facilitated 15,000 heart surgeries in 10 years for patients in Maharashtra. The trust guides patients to arrange for the funds required for surgery. At times, the needy are given grants from its corpus of Rs. 1.5 million. It seems that not too many people needing surgery are aware that they are entitled to about Rs. 80,000 from various government sources and private trusts. The trust guides people to the fund sources and helps them with the paperwork. It has till date managed to arrange for at least Rs. 1 billion for cardiac patients. Its helpline (phone number +91-20-24456849) receives about 25 calls daily. Among the fund sources are PM Fund, CM Fund, Mayor’s Fund, Shirdi Saibaba Trust, Mahalaxmi Temple Trust (Mumbai) and Siddhivinayak Trust. A beneficiary’s annual income should not be more than Rs. 60,000.

No Work, No Pay: At the recent All-India whips' conference in Hyderabad a resolution was passed unanimously which said that an amendment to the relevant legislation should be made quickly to make parliamentarians and legislators forfeit their daily allowances if they disturb House proceedings or come in the way of business listed for the day. The amendment, when it comes into force, will be binding on all legislators and parliamentarians. As per the recommendation, no daily allowance will be paid to elected representatives if the House is adjourned without transacting business.

05-02-05

Modern Prisons In Punjab: Some prisoners in Punjab may get better ‘living quarters’. The state government may sell prime land belonging to jails and fund modern multi-storied prisons. Two high-security prisons will be built at Nabha and Kapurthala by selling plots belonging to the Jalandhar and Bathinda jails at an expected cost of Rs. 3.4 billion. An agreement is likely to be signed with a construction company from Malaysia. The new jails will provide its nearly 10,000 prisoners separate cells with attached toilets (for two people each), TV, fan and 24-hour water supply. There will be separate sections for women, convicts and undertrials. Closed-circuit cameras in all barracks and towers will record every activity. In the existing jails, 25,000 prisoners are accommodated against a sanctioned strength of 9,500.

04-02-05

ONGC Bags Sudan Contract: ONGC, India's flagship explorer has been awarded a $1.2 billion refinery project in Sudan. It will set up the refinery at Port au Sudan with a capacity to process 100,000 million barrels a day. The refinery will export products to deficit south and east African economies. The contract had initially been given to Malaysian firms but Khartoum later changed its mind in favour of ONGC, which is also laying a 741-km product pipeline from the Khartoum refinery to Port au Sudan. Indian and European banking and financial institutions will fund the projects. ONGC will build the refinery on a BOT (build, operate, transfer) basis and is expected to complete the project in 32 months. The pipeline will cost $200 million, and will carry petrol, diesel and other white products like kerosene and fuel oil for exports from the Khartoum refinery to Port au Sudan.

03-02-05

Training For Shoe Repairers: The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) is launching courses for hitherto neglected persons such as motor mechanics, shoemakers and shoe repairers and construction site workers. Some of the courses have already been started. The target learners will be the marginalised and poorest groups in the country. Other new courses include dietetics, food service management, rural development, bio-informatics, disaster management, aquaculture, agricultural policy, community cardiology, medical waste management and women empowerment. The university inducts about 300,000 students every year for its doctoral, degree, diploma and certificate programmes.

Hero Worship: Hero worship is endemic in our country and the personality cult flourishes. In the process, the tendency is to entrust heroes and heroines with vast powers and uncritically accept their authority without insisting on accountability. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar (the principal architect of our Constitution) was aware of these lurking dangers. In the Constituent Assembly, he emphasised John Stuart Mills’ caution, namely, not ‘‘to lay liberties at the feet of even a great man, or to trust him with powers which enable him to subvert their institutions’’. Babasaheb was aware that hero worship in our country plays a part in politics unequalled in magnitude to the part it plays in any other country. He warned: ‘‘Bhakti in religion may be a road to the salvation of the soul. But in politics, Bhakti or hero-worship is a sure road to degradation and to eventual dictatorship. … From an article by Soli J. Sorabjee in The Indian Express.

02-02-05

Solar Water Heating Systems: Solar water heating systems may become compulsory for new residential and commercial buildings in municipal corporations and councils in Maharashtra. The local bodies have been asked to initiate the legal processes to amend the building rules. The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) has already implemented this rule. It is not yet clear whether this will be mandatory for existing buildings too.

Air-India Loses Monopoly: Air-India has now lost its monopoly on the India-London sector. The government has allowed Jet Airways and Air Sahara to operate nine weekly flights on this route. This should result in more competition and lower fares. Jet Airways has permission to operate seven daily flights to London and Air Sahara two flights a week. Indian Airlines had not bid for the rights to fly to London. Of the 33 flights to India on the London route, Air-India already operates 18. It has got three additional rights for Birmingham and three more flights on the London route have been reserved for it.

Mobile Phones In Schools: The Delhi Government has banned mobile phones from all schools run by it and advised public schools to do the same. The ban applies to students and teachers. The ban follows complaints by parents and social organisations. The onus to ensure that the ban is enforced will be on school principals. The Government has decided to send advisory notes in this regard to over one 1,000 public schools in the city.

29-01-05

Sham Weddings: The authorities will come down heavily on non-resident Indian (NRI) ‘bridegrooms’ who go through sham weddings with local girls. The Punjab state police may charge them under Section 376 (rape) if investigations indicate that they had no intentions of getting married. NRIs who leave their wives and families in the lurch in Punjab would also be declared absconders and would have to face extradition from countries where they are settled. Complaints have been lodged against NRIs in 39 cases while in the remaining cases both parties agreed to compromise or opted for court settlements. Men fleeing abroad without their brides are a common story in Punjab. Police officials say the number of desertion cases by NRIs could be as high as 10,000, as many affected girls did not formally complain. Travel agents and marriage touts are also involved in the cheating. In many cases, the NRIs were guilty of bigamy.

Black Box For Trucks: Two Chandigarh based inventors - Rajesh Vaidya and Vinod Chauhan - have developed a Black Box for vehicles. Based on GSM/GPS technology, the smart device helps transporters to maintain contact with their vehicles wherever they may be on the road. The gadget costs about Rs. 20,000 and transmits information - the vehicle’s load, distance travelled, idling time, stoppages, fuel consumption etc. - online to the transporter's computer or mobile phone. The functions are similar to the black boxes in aircraft. It is claimed to be the first such vehicle monitoring system in the country.

Chicken Tikka Masala In UK: Gulam Noon started a business in UK that specialises in frozen and chilled Indian meals in 1989. His company now operates what is claimed to the largest factory in the world for ready-made Indian meals. This NRI entrepreneur is supposed to have helped make chicken tikka masala popular in Britain. He has now been awarded an honorary doctorate of business administration by Kingston University, UK. While conferring the doctorate the university recognised his “outstanding contribution to business and education. … As an industrialist and philanthropist, he has … combined a hugely successful business with a commitment to the wider community, as demonstrated in his wide range of charity work. In particular, he has championed the importance of education for children and young people, opening up a world of possibilities to them." Noon has been in the food business after inheriting his father's company in Mumbai when he was 17. He is also the managing director of Bombay Halwa Ltd. He founded the Asian Business Association. He was knighted in 2002.

27-01-05

KRC’s Ro-Ro Service: The Konkan Railways Corporation (KRC) has suggested to the Railways Ministry that its 'Roll on-Roll off’ (Ro-Ro) service should be extended all over India. This service, which allows loaded trucks to be carried on a modified freight train, was started in 1999 and has earned revenues of Rs. 350 million for KRC. About 100 trucks use the service on two routes: Kolad to Verna (Mumbai to Goa) and Kolad to Surathkal (Mumbai to Mangalore). Fuel tanks and ammunition are not allowed and there is a load limit (25 tonnes for 2-axle trucks, 40 tonnes for 4-axle trucks). At 65 to 75 paise per tonne per kilometer, the cost is around Rs. 5,900 on the Mumbai-Goa route and around Rs. 9,000 on the Mumbai-Mangalore route. With a speed of 75 km per hour, the Mumbai-Goa distance is covered in 10 hours (against 24 hours by road). The average time of loading and unloading a truck on and off the train is just about 15 to 20 minutes. There are no delays for octroi and paperwork at terminals. The drivers travel along with their trucks on the train.

WTC Unit In Bangalore: A World Trade Centre unit may come up in Bangalore in the near future. It will be a part of the global network of World Trade Centres, one of which was destroyed in New York City in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack. The license to build a unit in Bangalore is held by a local firm and the complex may come up in Whitefield, as part of a 100-acre plot on which the Radisson Hotel and premium residential buildings are being built. The built-up space of the WTC unit could be in the region 1 million sq ft. Headquartered in New York, WTCA was started in 1970 as a non-profit organisation to promote the growth of international trade by setting up strategically positioned World Trade Centres throughout the world. It has 300 centres in 100 countries, including one in Mumbai. WTC makes trade information available to members and the tenants in its buildings. It also offers a range of other facilities and services. Members occupying space in any WTC can avail of services in all other WTCs.

22-01-05

Pune’s Vidnyan Vahini: The Pune based Vidnyan Vahini (VV) voluntary group was founded by Madhukar Deshpande who returned from the USA in 1994 after 30 years as a university maths professor in Milwaukee. VV popularises science among rural children in Maharashtra. Deshpande has been influenced by socially minded friends and activists like Baba Amte and Medha Patkar. He realised that rural schools sorely lack science labs and therefore students dread science and that interest in science is the key to the solution of many problems. With some help from a Canadian aid agency, he built a mobile science laboratory (MSL) inside a bus, complete with TV, video and school lab equipment, books, a generator and a toilet block. After three years, he put out an appeal for aid and formed a corpus fund. Like-minded friends from the US and India donated funds and soon VV became self-sustaining. VV volunteers have grown from a handful to 25, mostly comprising retired persons who like to work among schoolchildren. Together, they have travelled across 85,000 km and covered 750 remote rural schools across Maharashtra. The entire service is free of charge. A permanent rural science centre is being constructed at Andoor. The Tatas have gifted them another mobile bus. Do you see a parallel here with the movie ‘Swades’, in which Shah Rukh Khan quits a job with NASA and returns to India to solve its rural problems? Art imitating life?

Dual-Use Technologies: Indian scientists and students at US universities have routine access to technologically sensitive laboratory equipment, but they may soon need to obtain special licences. Thanks to changes in the US Export Administration Regulations (EAR) which may become effective this year universities would need licences from the department of commerce before foreign researchers can operate, install, maintain or repair equipment that figures on the list of controlled dual-use technologies, that is, technologies with both military as well as civilian applications. The transfer of such controlled technology to a foreign national in the US is considered a 'deemed export' under EAR, and licences are required by the foreign national in the US if the transfer of that technology to the foreign national's home country needs a licence. The fear pertains to the areas of nuclear proliferation, biological weapons and the like, motivated by concerns of ‘national security’. The list of controlled technologies includes thousands of entries, including 'body armour' and 'bacteria'.

21-01-05

Television Viewership In India: The TAM Media Research findings for 2004 have just been announced. The mass entertainment channels (DD, Star Plus, Sony, Zee, Sahara) continued to dominate in terms of both viewership and revenues. Among the highlights:

- Hindi entertainment channels account for 40 per cent of the TV viewership and 52 per cent of the advertising revenue.
- Of the total ad revenue of Rs. 48,000 million, the entertainment channels grossed Rs. 24,960 million. The national broadcasters’ share was 12 per cent, or Rs. 5,760 million, and the rest went to private broadcasters.
- Regional channels (Sun, ETV, Alpha, Asianet) accounted for 38 per cent of viewership, but only 20 per cent of the ad revenue (Rs. 9,600 million).
- The ad revenue of mass entertainment channels is 2.5 times that of regional ones even though the viewership is similar.
- With just 5 per cent of the viewership, news channels (Aaj Tak, NDTV, Zee, CNBC, Star News) have a revenue share of 10 per cent, or Rs. 4,600 million. Their share of viewership went up from 1 per cent in 2001 to 5 per cent in 2004, but the ad revenue remained at 10 per cent.
- The Hindi film channels (Zee Cinema, Setmax, Star Gold) have 8 per cent of viewership but their ad revenue is less than half that of the news channels.
- 50 new channels are likely to be added in 2005.
- Sports broadcasting rose in 2003 due to the cricket World Cup, but it declined in 2004; viewership in sports came down from 10 per cent in 2003 to 4 per cent last year.
- The English entertainment channels (HBO, Star Movies, Zee English) had just 2 per cent of the viewership and earned 4 per cent of the ad revenue.
- The music channels (MTV, Zee Music, Channel V, B4U) had just 1 per cent of the viewership.

20-01-05

You Can Be Fired If You Sleep On The Job: The Supreme Court recently upheld the decision of Bharat Forge Company Ltd. To terminate the services of an employee who habitually slept during working hours. The employee was asleep at his workplace on 26th August 1983, disciplinary proceedings were initiated, and he was found guilty and dismissed from service on January 17, 1984. The internal inquiry noted that he had thrice earlier been found asleep at work and given minor punishments. The worker challenged the dismissal in a Maharashtra labour court which directed his reinstatement. The company appealed to an industrial tribunal which set aside the labour court order, but the Bombay High Court reversed the order, directed payment of Rs. 250,000 to him and also ordered his reinstatement in service. Allowing the company’s appeal against the reversal, a Supreme Court bench ruled: "In the facts and circumstances of the case and having regard to the past conduct of Nakate (the employee) as also his conduct during domestic inquiry, we cannot say the quantum of punishment imposed upon him was wholly disproportionate to his act of misconduct."

19-01-05

India-SA Exchange: South Africa plans to have a student exchange programme in which Indian students from premier institutions like the IITs and the IIMs can get associated with the development of that country. Prof. Loyiso G. Nongxa, vice-chancellor of University of Witwatersrand in SA, visited India recently to identify the institutions. He said that his country plans to come up with a Centre for Software Engineering - with standards comparable to that of the IITs. Indian students of the IITs may also get post-doctoral fellowships at SA universities.

Hospitality Entrepreneurs: A non-resident Gujarati (NRG) wants to set up a hospitality management institute at Surat to train entrepreneurs to set up their own businesses - hotels, motels, restaurants and amusement parks. The chairman of the $350 million JHM Hotels, Hasmukh Rama, gave details of this idea recently at the Global Investors' Summit in Ahmedabad. The land for the Rs. 300-million institute has been selected and he is waiting to tie up with a US university for the courses, may be Cornell University or Michigan State University. The institute, likely to be ready in three years, will have courses such as restaurant management, amusement park management and retail management. Initially, 50 students will be enrolled.

AAHOA Keen On Gujarat: The Asian American Hotel Owners' Association (AAHOA) intends to educate its members in the USA about the potential of places such as Somnath, Ambaji, Saputara and Dholavira in Gujarat. The Association members who recently attended the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas in Mumbai said that the tourism potential of Gujarat will be on the agenda of their annual convention in Florida in March. It seems that they have invited Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi to address the convention. Over 4,000 members are likely to attend. The AAHOA has 8,700 members (90 % of whom are from Gujarat); between them they hold 42 per cent of the mid-economy hotels in the US.

18-01-05

India-US Aviation Pact: The proposed India-US aviation pact should increase air travel between the two countries and reduce fares by 20 to 30 per cent. The agreement increases options for the traveler by removing restrictions on the number of flights, airlines and destinations between the two countries. Air cargo and mail services are also likely to increase. More flights, more seats and more access to interior destinations could force fares down to about $700 in the next 18 months. Airlines would be able to select routes and destinations based on demand, without having to seek government. The agreement allows bilateral code-sharing with domestic Indian carriers and permits all-cargo operators to operate in either country without involving the two governments. For instance, Air-India may like to add flights to Washington, Houston and San Francisco after the agreement is in place. Even Indian Airlines and private operators such as Jet Airways and Air Sahara may be interested. The traffic between India and USA is currently two million passengers annually. Only three carriers offer direct flights between India and the USA - Air-India, Delta Airlines and Northwest Airlines. With the new pact, even Continental Airlines and United Airlines may begin operations to Indian cities.

17-01-05

Cricket Schedule: Pakistan’s Tour of India
(Venues yet to be announced)
1st Test: March 4 to 8
2nd Test: March 12 to 16
3rd Test: March 20 to 24
1st ODI: March 28
2nd ODI: March 31
3rd ODI: April 3
4th ODI: April 6
5th ODI: April 9

16-01-05

Ambassador Monopoly Ends: The monopoloy status of Hindustan Motors' Ambassador car as a 'state fleet car' has now ended. The government has approved the Tata Indigo and the Maruti Esteem as alternate options. The finance ministry has accorded the Maruti and Tata mid-size cars the status of staff car. The manufacturers are one preparing stripped-down versions that can be sent to Director General of Supplies and Disposal (DGSD). Maruti Udyog has started production of a new stripped-down non-AC version (at a price of Rs. 308,000). The requirement for the state fleet is of course only a few thousand units a year.

Good Year For Auto Industry: The automobile industry achieved two records in 2004: total passenger car sales in the domestic market crossed 1 million units and over 6 million two-wheelers were sold in the domestic market. The improved sales were prompted by several new entrants in the passenger car and motorcycle categories. The current low interest rate scenario and higher disposable incomes among young professionals also helped. The Society of Indian Auomobile Manufacturers (Siam) reported that passenger vehicle sales in 2004 were 1.03 million units. Passenger vehicles (cars, utility vehicles and multi-purpose vehicles registered a 21.79 per cent growth year-on-year. Domestic sales of passenger cars alone recorded a 22 per cent growth. The increase in two-wheeler sales was due to the growing demand for motorcycles made by Hero Honda and Bajaj Auto. Total motorcycle sales rose 51.61 per cent in December alone at 4,59,458 units.

13-01-05

Royalty For 'Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon': The Bombay High Court has asked music company HMV to specify the amount they are willing to pay out of the royalty revenue from the sale of records of the patriotic song 'Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon' to the Army Welfare Fund for the disabled and war widows. The court's suggestion came after the counsel for HMV admitted that the firm was liable to pay royalty for the song written by poet Pradeep as per his wishes. HMV (formerly Saregama India Ltd.) had so far given the fund a little over Rs. 300,000 out of the royalty and denied that any other amount was due. To check whether the company was releasing the amounts regularly, the poet's daughter, Mittul Pradeep, had moved the court for details of the accounts. The court heard the matter on several occasions. The court observed that the petitioner was not seeking the royalty for herself and wanted it to go to the war widows. It asked the HMV counsel to indicate a lump sum amount to put an end to the matter immediately. The matter will now be taken up on January 19.

Hollywood Films In India: India is a major market for Hollywood films. English films had ticket collections of Rs. 2,500 million in 2004 (Spiderman 2 grossed Rs. 350 million and Titanic Rs. 500 million). The English movie market is growing at 35% in India, which is now 15th in theatrical collections made by Hollywood studios. Over 70 movies are due for release. Hollywood's big studios are confident that India is a profit centre. New multiplexes will also help to increase business. Delhi is the biggest market for English films, followed by Mumbai.

12-01-05

Sugar-Free Chikis: Sugar-free chikis are gaining popularity in markets in Saurashtra and being exported abroad. The traditional manufacturers are replacing the high-calorie jaggery used in chikis with low-calorie date pulp that gives the same degree of stickiness and colour. The cost: Rs. 140 to Rs. 250 a kg, compared to Rs. 60 for the traditional variety. Of course, even these chikis contain the natural sugar present in dates but it is claimed that this is not as harmful as jaggery. The chikis are mixed with dry fruits like almonds and cashew nuts. The dates are made into pulp, mixed with dry fruits and fried with a little ghee. Once partially dry they are cut into pieces. The shelf life is about 60 days. Groundnut and sesame seeds are often added to give the taste of the traditional chiki.

10-01-05

Dual Citzenship: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said that dual citizenship will be given to all Indians who migrated after January 26, 1950, as long as their home countries allow dual citizenship under their local laws. He made this announcement while inaugurating the 'Pravasi Bharatiya Divas' in Mumbai. Details will be worked out soon. This move is an improvement on the previous government's decision to grant dual citizenship to overseas Indians in select developed countries. Nearly 1,900 overseas Indians, representing the diaspora from around 70 countries, have enrolled for the event (January 7-9). The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, or India Diaspora Day, recognises the contribution of India's diaspora, numbering nearly 20 million and dispersed all over the world, in a three-day event that seeks to build bridges with it and tap its skills and resources for the parent country's benefit. In a measure of the importance that the government attaches to it, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh himself inaugurated the event. It is being organised jointly by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). The meeting coincides with the anniversary of the return of Mahatma Gandhi, the original non-resident Indian, to India on January 9, 1915, after almost two decades in South Africa. The event is also meant to recognise the contribution of the Indian diaspora in the political, social, academic and cultural fields. This time all the entertainment programmes have been cancelled as a mark of respect to the tsunami victims. In the two previous programmes, both held in New Delhi, evening entertainment featuring top actors and singers was a major attraction for the overseas Indians. The Indian diaspora is supposed to be second only to the Chinese in size. Overseas Indians are spread over 110 countries in five continents and have an estimated combined income of $160 billion, equal to nearly 35 per cent of India's gross domestic product.

What Overseas Citizenship Means: In 2004, the benefit of overseas Indian citizenship - commonly referred to as dual citizenship - was made available to persons of Indian origin (PIOs) of 16 countries: Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Cyprus, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and United States. The recent government announcement has extended this to all overseas Indians (OIs). Only those who migrated after January 26, 1950, can become Indian citizens and they will be eligible only if their home nations’ laws allow dual citizenship. Apart from people classified as PIOs, the latest announcement may benefit NRIs too if they wish to acquire a foreign citizenship without completely cutting off the links with India, but they would first have to give up their ordinary Indian citizenship once they become foreign citizens and then apply for overseas Indian citizenship. 'Overseas citizenship' means you cannot vote, run for political office or take government jobs. The overseas citizens will be on par with NRIs: they can now travel without a visa to India and stay for over 180 days without having to register, which those holding a simple PIO card cannot do. They will be allowed to invest in agriculture and plantations and purchase property, which PIOs cannot do. Education at Indian institutes of higher learning will also be possible. Citizenship will be granted on a case-by-case basis because of security concerns.

Left-Hand Drive Cars: Following the relaxation of norms for cars imported by individuals, India will now allow car manufacturers to import left-hand drive vehicles into India, but only for the purpose of testing and research. Such imported vehicles cannot be sold to Indian customers. The idea is to allow manufacturers to get access to the latest technology. India follows the right hand drive norm adopted by countries like UK and South Africa. Embassies and state missions were earlier allowed to import left-hand drive cars, but even this was barred later. This decision comes soon after the relaxation of norms for individuals importing top-end cars, by waiving off the testing - or homologation - requirements. Under these norms, any individual can import a vehicle priced above Rs. 2 million without sending it for road-worthiness tests.

05-01-05

Indian Light Combat Aircraft: India's Aeronautical Development Agency plans to induct Tejas, a modern multi-role supersonic aircraft, into the Indian Air Force by 2008. ADA, an autonomous body under the Ministry of Defence, will induct eight such light combat planes, one a twin-seater trainer and seven single-seater fighters. Tejas is meant to replace the MIG-21 fleet. It is claimed that the aircraft is the best in its class of fighter planes and in the 10-tonne weight category it faces competition only from two aircraft - one from Sweden and another from China. It has high agility and manoeuverability and can do both day and night missions. It has a 4-tonne weapon load capacity. ADA is also developing variants for the Indian Navy. The naval versions will be for the aircraft carrier Admiral Groshkow and for the indigenous aircraft carrier which is presently under development.

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas: Fifteen overseas Indians will be honoured by President A P J Abdul Kalam in Mumbai on January 9. They will be conferred the Pravasi Bharatiya Sanman during the annual 3-day event which seeks to connect India with its diaspora. The event is called the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas and will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on January 7. In view of the tsunami disaster all celebrations associated with the three-day event, such as cultural programmes, entertainment events, cocktails and thanksgiving dinner, have been cancelled. The response has been overwhelming this year with 1,902 delegates registering. Of these, 1,400 are overseas Indians from over 60 countries, significantly more than last year when 800 overseas Indians registered. Among the overseas persons who will address the event are Surinam Vice President Jules Rattankoemar, Mauritius Vice President A. R. Bundhan, Malaysian Works Minister Samy Velu, Singapore Education Minister T. Shanmugarathnam, Fijian opposition leader Mahendra Chaudhary, Lord Navnit Dholakia of Britain, former tennis ace Vijay Amritraj, Trinidad and Tobago's Basdeo Panday and UN under secretary general Shashi Tharoor. Five Indian state chief ministers are also expected to address the various sessions and panel discussions, apart from key union ministers, including Finance Minister P Chidambaram and Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal. The list of awardees was announced by Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Jagdish Tytler. The 15 awardees are: telecom man Sam Pitroda, economist Jagdish Bhagwati, Hollywood filmmaker Manoj Night Shyamalan, novelist Vikram Seth, Fijian golfer of Indian origin Vijay Singh, Hong Kong businessman M. Arunachalam, South African leaders Amina Cachalia and Ahmed Kathrada, Tanzanian leader JK Chande, German litterateur Alokeranjan Dasgupta, Philippines-based scientist Sant S. Virmani, Trinidad and Tobago's opposition leader Basdeo Panday, Britain-based political Lord Bhiku Chhotalal Parekh, US-based political scientist Sunil Khilnani and businessman from United Arab Emirates M. A. Yusaffali.

04-01-05

CDs About Gandhi’s Life: Narayan Desai had recited the four-part biography on Gandhiji, ‘Maru Jivan Aej Mari Vani’, in katha form, at Gujarat Vidyapith (Ahmedabad). The institution has now come out with a CD featuring the recitation. Narayan Desai is the son of Mahadev Desai, chief secretary of Mahatma Gandhi, who lived with Gandhi for 22 years. The set of 20 CDs costs Rs. 1,250. The Vikas Vartul Trust has released a set of 15 CDs of 70-75 minutes each for Rs. 500. The trust will also allow other organisations and individuals to make copies of the CDs.