Friday, February 29, 2008

India v Australia CB Series Final

CB Series Final ,Fixture:

1st Final: Australia v India at Sydney - Mar 2, 2008 (14:15 local, 03:15 GMT)
2nd Final: Australia v India at Brisbane - Mar 4, 2008 (13:15 local, 03:15 GMT)
3rd Final: Australia v India at Adelaide - Mar 7, 2008 (13:45 local, 03:15 GMT)

Budget Highlights-2008




  • Personal income tax exemption hiked to Rs 1.5 lakh
    Senior citizens threshold tax limit increased from Rs 1,95,000 to Rs 2,25,000
    Tax exemption for women increased to Rs 1.8 lakh

PIC:Finance Minister P Chidambaram presents the Union Budget 2008-09 in the Lok Sabha.


New tax slabs:

10 per cent for 1,50,000 to 3,00,000, 20 per cent for 3,00,000 to 5,00,000 and 30 per cent above 5,00,000

Excise on packaged softwares to be lower from 8% to 12%
No excise duty on refrigerating equipments
Small cars to become cheaper
Reduced excise duty on two, three wheelers
Rs 50 cr for tiger conservation
Sixth Pay Commission report by March 2008
Defence allocation up by 10% from Rs 96,000 cr to Rs 1,56,000 cr
Rs 624 cr for Commonwealth Games
PAN sole identification in securities market
Debt waiver scheme and relief to small and marginal farmers
Duty reduced on life saving drugs
Set-top boxes to become cheaper
3 IITs to be set up in Bihar, AP, Rajasthan
Special attention, more funds for North East
54 gender budgeting cells set up
More allocation for polio and AIDS

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Budget Highlights-2008

Extend PAN requirement to all securities transactions
Develop bond, derivative market
More transparency in the derivative market
Risk Capital Fund to be set up in SIDBI
National Highway Dev programme gets Rs 12,966 cr
Accelerated power development programmes to get Rs 8000 cr
Ultra mega power project at Tilana shortly
Rs 12,956 Cr for NHDP
Banks to be encouraged to embrace total financial inclusion
Foreign invt up to $8 bn expected for oil block exploration
Coal regulator to be set up
17 lakh families of weavers under Health Insurance
State data centres scheme approved and get Rs 275 cr
1 lakh broadband-enabled common service centres in villages
Enhance allocation of NHDP programme
Rs 800 cr for power distribution
Manufacturing growth rate to be taken to double digit
RIDF corpus to be hiked to Rs 14,000 cr
Total estimate of loans being waived is Rs 50,000 cr
Implementation of debt waiver scheme to end by June 30
Rescheduled farm loans eligible for waiver
Waiver amounts to 4% of total bank loans
Din in House over PC's relief plans to farmers
500 soil testing labs to be set up in country
Marginal, small farmers to get complete waiver on all loans
Scheme of debt waiver and debt relief for farmers
Allocation for NRHM increased to Rs 12,050 cr
National Horticulture Mission gets Rs 1,100 cr
Weather based crop insurance scheme to get Rs 50 cr
Special grant of Rs 20 cr to Tea Research Association
More funds for cardamom, coffee growing
Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana to get Rs 2,80,000 cr
53 minor irrigation programmes to be implemented
Target of Rs 2.80 lakh cr for agri-credit in 2008-09
Ministry of Woman and Child Dev gets Rs 7,200 cr
24 % increase in allocation for child development
Rs 500 cr for development of border areas
Rs 1,042 cr for anti-Polio drive
Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission to get Rs 6,865cr
Growth of agri-credit impressive
Minority Affairs Ministry fund doubled to Rs 1,000 cr
288 PSU bank branches in minority districts
Rs 540 cr for development plan for minority districts
LIC to cover all women SEGs
Rs 200 crore for potable water in schools
Rs 12,050 cr for strengthening rural health services
Sanitation programmes to get Rs 1200 cr
More minority recruitments in central para-military forces
ICDS allocation hiked to Rs 6,300 cr
Rs 300 cr for desalination plant near Chennai
Rs 75 cr for Rajiv Gandhi Natl Fellowship Prog
Nat Handicap Development Corp to get Rs 9 cr
Natl Minorities Development Corp to get Rs 75 cr
NE region to get Rs 1, 350 cr for development
2 schools of Planning and Architecture
Secondary education Scheme Rs 4,554 crore
Rs 100 cr to Ministry of Science and tech for Natl Knowledge Network
All knowledge bodies to be connected via broadband
Rs 85 crore to building a knowledge society
Scholarships for science and research
Education and Health allocation up 20%
Service Sector to grow at 10.7%
Rajiv Gandhi Drinking Water mission allocation hiked
NREG scheme to be rolled out in 596 districts
National Rural Health Mission allocation hiked by 15%
Remuneration of Anganwadi helpers hiked to Rs 750
Remuneration of Anganwadi workers hiked to Rs 1,500
3 IIScs in Bhopal and Thiruvananthapuram
National Programme for the Elderly to be set up
Rs 30,000 health cover for every worker in unorganised sector
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan gets Rs 13,100 crore
Bharat Nirman Programme gets allocation of Rs 31,280 cr
410 Vidyalayas in villages
Navodiya Vidyalayas in 6,0-00 districts
6,000 model high schools to be set up
Agricultural growth rate at 2.6%
Education, health pillars of social sector reforms
2008-09 will be a year of consolidation
3 IITs in AP, Bihar and Rajasthan
16 central universities
Mid-day meal scheme extended to upper primary classes
Budgetary allocation for mid-day meal scheme Rs 8,000
Rs 10 cr for Nehru Kendras in 110 districts
Rs 34,400 cr budgetary allocation for education

economic survey 2007- 08 presented by P. Chidamabaram


India's Economic Survey presented by the Indian finance minister P. Chidamabaram (Pic)has predicted a lower growth of 8.7 per cent for the fiscal 2007-08, while warning that rupee appreciation, lower export growth, rising inflation and US recession were posing major challenges.

The highlights of the Economic Survey 2007-08 presented by Finance Minister P. Chidamabaram in the Lok Sabha on 28th February:


  • Indian economy to top $1 trillion this fiscal at market exchange rate
    Economy projected to grow 8.7 per cent in 2007-08
    Increased activity at stock markets, key indices giving returns of around 38 per cent
    Domestic investment and savings drive growth
    Inflation projected to decline to 4.1 per cent
    Fiscal deficit to decline to 3.3 per cent
    Revenue deficit to decline to 1.5 per cent
    Gross tax GDP ratio to rise to 11.8 per cent
    Revenue expenditure grows 17 percent, higher than target of 5.4 per cent
    Concern: infrastructure constraints
    Concern: slowdown in consumer goods sector
    Concern: loss of dynamism in agriculture and allied sectors
    Fundamentals continue to inspire confidence
    Investment climate full of optimism
    Concern: Rupee appreciation
    100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in home appliances, rural agricultural banks
    51 per cent FDI in rural health
    Some FDI in retail trade
    Concern: Labour force growing faster than employment growth
    Challenge: Maintaining 9 per cent GDP growth

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Tamil writer Sujatha passes away


Sujatha, one of the most prolific writers of contemporary Tamil literature, passed away in a private hospital at Chennai on Wednesday (27th February 2008)after a brief illness. He was 72.

Rangarajan, who wrote under the pen name, Sujatha, was known for his versatility in writing.

Osmania university MCA result

Osmania university MCA result are out....
you can reach at....

http://www.osmania.ac.in/ou/res07/20080213.jsp

kerala tourism




To know more about Kerala,(Gods Own Country )India ...please visit the following link.....




Rail Enquiries

These were the portals for all kind of Rail Enquiries for UK and India

British rail
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

For India
http://www.indianrail.gov.in/
http://www.indianrail.gov.in/inet_trn_num.html
For Trains Between Important Stations:
http://www.indianrail.gov.in/inet_metro_trns.html
For Reservation Availability Status:
http://www.indianrail.gov.in/inet_srcdest_names.html

Phaneesh Murthy is new IGATE CEO



  • iGATE Corporation, a leading integrated Technology and Operations provider, has named Mr Phaneesh Murthy as its Chief Executive Officer effective April 1, 2008. Mr Murthy will take over the role from Mr Sunil Wadhwani, Chief Exe cutive Officer of iGATE since its founding in 1987. Mr Murthy has served as the Chief Executive Officer of iGATE Global Solution since 2003, and was previously Head of Global Sales and Marketing for Infosys Technologies.

  • Phaneesh Murthy had a meteoric rise in Infosys. Joining Infosys in 1992, from Sonata Software where he worked as a regional manager, Phaneesh Murthy rose quickly in a conservative set up even as the company's profits and its stock price grew rapidly.

Pallavi Joshi's car destroyed




People hired as audience for a television reality show allegedly ransacked the studio and smashed window panes of some cars, including that of actress Pallavi Joshi, when they were asked to leave the premises.


  • The actress was busy with the shoot inside the studio when the incident happened.
  • Hailing from the slums in suburbs of Andheri and Goregaon, they were paid Rs 100 each for sitting through the day in the studio.
  • They were disrupting the shoot of a musical programme at the Famous Studios in central Mumbai .
  • Pallavi has worked in the television industry for over three decades. Her main preoccupation these days is the production company she has set up with her husband.Pallavi's portrayal of a troubled girl who becomes pregnant after being raped while in coma in Alpviram is one of the most pathbreaking television performances till date.

He is an "obnoxious little weed"- Hayden




    • Cricket Australia (CA) on 27th February charged Australian opener Matthew Hayden
      with a breach of its Code of Behaviour for making offensive remarks against
      Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh in a radio interview




  • Hayden, who has been an active participant in the on-field bickerings , called Harbhajan an "obnoxious little weed"( The meaning of obnoxious is unbearable ) .

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

India v Sri Lanka ,CB Series


11th Match, Tri Series : Feb 26, 2008
Venue: Bellerive Oval, Hobart
India win by 7 wickets, take home a bonus point and storm into the Finals of the CommonWealth Bank Series

India: 180/3 (32.2 Ovs)
Sri Lanka: 179 (47.1 Ovs)



It was a clinical effort by the Indians. They bowled well and then batted like
they are known for and the best part was that this was a pure team effort. Key
players Sachin and Yuvraj seem to have found some
touch finally and come the finals, this might be handy. Sri Lanka never really
looked to have the firepower to restrict India below 180 and the way Sachin
started off, it made the Lankan job all the more difficult. Gambhir gave him great company and carried on with his good form,
thereby surpassing 400 runs in the series.
Yuvraj also tonked a few balls
and India now look to be in some shape. The Finals will call for some exciting
cricket but before that we have the formal match between Australia and Sri Lanka
in a couple of days time.

RAIL BUDGET 2007-08 Highlights



  • RAILWAY BUDGET 2007-08 Highlights :

    Second class fares cut by 5% beyond 50 km
    Third AC fares cut by 3%
    II AC fares cut by 4% I AC fares slashed by 7%
    5% cut in petrol, diesel freight
    All long-distance trains to have public address systems
    All new coaches made of stainless steel by 09/10
    Multi-level parking to be built at 30 large stations
    Looking at enabling reservations through mobile phones
    To introduce environmentally friendly toilets in 36,000 coaches for Rs 40 bn
    Railways will be linked by Mar '09 to call centres
    Digital display boards at railway stations
    All long-distance trains to display estimated time of arrival at all times
    Multi-purpose smart Mumbai cards to be introduced
    Ticket reservation possible from anywhere
    Railways profit due to UPA govt policies
    Additional Rs 20 bn earned on freight services
    Achieved 790 tonnes pay-load target
    Coolies promoted to gangmen
    New weekly Puri-Darbhanga express
    New Itarsi-Katni passenger train daily
    New daily Ahmedabad-Patan express
    Chennai-Salem new train daily
    Ranchi-Bhagalpur new train tri-weekly
    Indore-Udaipur via Ratlam new train tri-weekly

    Four new trains have been allotted to Kerala .
    Kochu Veli-Dehradun weekly trainKochu Veli- Amritsar weekly expressBangalore-Kochuveli Gharib Rath Bangalore-Coimbatore Express extended to Ernakulam

Financial aid for Vallarpadom-Edapally railway line


One more daily passenger in Shornur-Nilambur route


Rajadhani Express to operate three days in a week

Monday, February 25, 2008

Technopark will host Kerala IT.com from March 13






  • Kerala IT.com, an IT event supported by the Kerala State Information Technology Mission will be held at Technopark Thiruvananthapuram from March 13 to 15.


  • Over 100 major IT companies and all major IT industry associations are expected to attend the event.

  • Seminars and workshops will also be held as part of the event.

Israel tie up Tata

  • India’s defence technology expertise is at large making a mark in the global platform. Israeli Military Industries (IMI), a Tel Aviv-based manufacturer of weapon systems, is planning to use India’s rocket launcher technology to upgrade and replace its existing American systems.
  • The Tatas, who had teamed up with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), to make Pinaka rocket launchers could also become part of the joint production team for the Israeli weapons contract. Pinaka is mainly used to destroy enemy troop concentration areas and communication centres in air terminal complexes. Pinaka was the first defence contract given to private companies in India. The strategic electronics division of Tata Power is manufacturing Pinaka launchers along with Larsen & Toubro.

Robed Obama picture creates fury



  • The picture shows Mr Obama wearing traditional African dress during a visit to Kenya in 2006.
  • The Obama camp said it was circulated by Mrs Clinton's staff as a smear. Mrs Clinton's team denied the accusation.
    The row comes as the rivals campaign for two crucial primaries next week.

Killing of innocents is anti-Islamic,said Darul Uloom seminary in Deoband

  • One of the most influential Muslim seminaries, with followers across the world, on Monday(25th Feb 2008) issued a kind of fatwa, declaring terror activities as anti-Islam. The Darul Uloom seminary in Deoband (Uttar Pradesh, India.) also involved top clerics at a conclave in defining terrorism in the light of the Quran and Shariah.
  • This is the first time that an Islamic theological institution has institutionally defined and banned terrorism.
"Killing of innocents is not compatible with Islam. It is anti-Islamic.”

You can reach http://www.darululoom-deoband.com/english/index.htm

Top Pak army officer killed

  • The head of the Pakistan Army's medical services Lt Gen Mushtaq Beig was killed along with six others when a suicide bomber blew himself up near a car carrying senior Pakistan Army officers near the army headquarters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi on 25th Feb.at about 3 pm local time.
  • It was not immediately clear whether the suicide bomber was on foot or in a car. Some reports said the bomber rammed his car into the army vehicle.

Virgin Atlantic :Tested First flight using bio-fuel

Virgin Atlantic operated its first flight using bio-fuel on 24th February 2008.
The Boeing 747-400 aircraft flew from London Heathrow to Amsterdam. There were no passengers on board the demonstration flight.
The President of Virgin Atlantic, Sir Richard Branson, said no modifications were made to either the aircraft or the engines for the flight to be operated.
The total fuel used for the demonstration flight was 22,000 kg of which 5,500 kg of bio fuel blend was used. The bio-fuel was made from a blend of coconut oil from the Philippines and babassu oil from Brazil. Neither of these feedstock competes with staple food supplies nor causes deforestation

Sunday, February 24, 2008

ICSI to declare results on Feb 25 at 14:00 hrs

  • The results of the Company Secretaries (CS) examination held in December 2007 will be announced on February 25th.
  • The results will be announced simultaneously at 1400 hrs IST at all the four regional offices of Institute of Company Secretaries of India - Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata, including 69 Chapter offices and 66 examination centres.
The link of the results will access through :

http://www.icsi.edu/

http://www.examresults.net/

Oscar winners-2008







          The complete list of winners at the 80th annual Academy Awards:
          Best Motion Picture: No Country for Old Men.
          Lead Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood. (see Pic1)(29 April 1957, London, England, UK)
          Lead Actress: Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose. (see Pic2) (30 September 1975, Paris, France)
          Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men.
          Supporting Actress: Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton.
          Director: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men.
          Foreign Language Film: The Counterfeiters, Austria.
          Adapted Screenplay: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men.
          Original Screenplay: Diablo Cody, Juno.
          Animated Feature Film: Ratatouille.
          Art Direction: Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
          Cinematography: There Will Be Blood.
          Sound Mixing: The Bourne Ultimatum.
          Sound Editing: The Bourne Ultimatum.
          Original Score: Atonement, Dario Marianelli.
          Original Song: Falling Slowly from Once, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova.
          Costume: Elizabeth: The Golden Age.
          Documentary Feature: Taxi to the Dark Side.
          Documentary Short Subject: Freeheld.
          Film Editing: The Bourne Ultimatum.
          Makeup: La Vie en Rose.
          Animated Short Film: Peter & the Wolf.
          Live Action Short Film: Le Mozart des Pickpockets (The Mozart of Pickpockets).
          Visual Effects: The Golden Compass.
          Academy Award winners previously announced this year:
          Honorary and technical Oscars: Robert Boyle; Eastman Kodak Co.; David A Grafton.
          some of the movies can be downloaded from Torrent sites.

        Friday, February 22, 2008

        Australia v Sri Lanka

        Commonwealth Bank Series
        9th Match: Australia v Sri Lanka at Melbourne, Feb 22, 2008
        Match delayed by rain
        9:25 pm Local Time : Still raining and the covers are firmly in place.Sri Lanka are still 25 behind according to D/L method.
        Australia 184/7 (50 ov)
        Sri Lanka 77/4 (29.3 ov)
        Sri Lanka require another 108 runs with 6 wickets and 20.3 overs remaining

        Keralaite held for terror links

        • A member of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) was arrested in Bangalore on 21stFebruary 2008 on terrorism charges.
          His name is Yahya (32), an electrical engineer.
          A native of a village near Kozhikode,Kerala (Northern part of Kerala) he came to Bangalore eight years ago after completing his bachelor’s degree in engineering. He stayed in Gurappanapalya.
          He had contacts with many suspected terrorists and held several meetings in north Karnataka. They were preparing to strike at key installations in the state.

        Wednesday, February 20, 2008

        Mohanlal’s "Akashagopuram" (Master Builder)



        • Finally Mohanlal’s, K P Kumaran directed off-beat Akashagopuram is ready for release. ,It will hit theatre after examination season on March 21. It will be another milestone in the actor’s career as he plays Albert Samson an English architect. The film is based on famous Norwegian playwright Henrik Johan Ibsen’s classic “Master Builder”.

        • One of the major highlights of the film is the music of John Altman, an Emmy award winning British composer music arranger, orchestrator and conductor. Altman arranged all the period music (western classical) for Titanic, and has also done other Hollywood films. He has composed a song I’m black.... for the film which is beautifully picturised on Mohanlal and Shwetha.

        • The film will bring out a classic performace from Mohanlal !!!!

        IPL Auction,Top Cricketers

        IPL Teams:
        Mumbai ,Bangalore , Kolkata ,Mohali
        Chennai ,Delhi ,Hyderabad , Jaipur

        Here is the top players with Availability ,Bidding Price and Team

        1.
        MS Dhoni (Ind)
        Entire tournament
        $1.5 million
        Chennai
        2.
        Shane Warne (Aus)
        Entire tournament
        $450,000
        Jaipur
        3.
        Adam Gilchrist (Aus)
        Entire tournament
        $700,000
        Hyderabad
        4.
        Shoaib Akhtar (Pak)
        From April 27
        $425,000
        Kolkata
        5.
        Mahela Jayawardena (SL)
        Entire tournament
        $475,000
        Mohali
        6.
        Muttiah Muralidaran (SL)
        Entire tournament
        $600, 000
        Chennai
        7.

        Anil Kumble (Ind )
        Entire tournament
        $500,000
        Bangalore

        Tsunami warning issued in Indonesia

        • The quake, measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale, struck Indonesia's Sumatra island on Tuesday(19th Feb 2008 ) afternoon, triggering panic in the area.
        • The quake was followed by an aftershock measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale. There were no immediate reports of damages or injuries from the quake.
        • Japan's meteorological agency has issued a tsunami warning following a powerful quake off western Indonesia.

        Tuesday, February 19, 2008

        Evangelist D G S Dinakaran dies




        • Well known evangelist D G S Dinakaran died at a private hospital at Chennai ,India on 20th February following a brief illness.He was 74 and is survived by wife, a son and three grand children.

        • Dinakaran was admitted to the Apollo hospital here on January 29 due to heart and kidney ailments.

        • The evangelist, who founded 'Jesus calls' and made it a worldwide ministry.



        India v Sri Lanka,India won by 2 wickets


        Commonwealth Bank Series

        8th Match - India v Sri Lanka

        Result : India won by 2 wickets

        Yuvraj Singh,(Pic) who has struggled for runs all summer, found form at the perfect time to score an invaluable 76 and guide his team to their second win from six matches in the series.

        Monday, February 18, 2008

        Microsoft (India) opens lab at IIT Madras

        • Microsoft Corporation India inaugurated its technology lab at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras. The IITM Microsoft Windows Technologies Lab will harness innovation through research, and provide a platform for faculty and students to leverage the facility for research and training. Microsoft has offered Rs 90 lakh for the lab, which would start with R&D on `remote terminal services and cyber cafes based on Windows XP.'

        Musharraf allies face major threat from Opposition

        Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's allies is facing a crushing defeat in the crucial parliamentary elections with early results showing the opposition PML (N) and PPP bagging most of the seats.
        Key allies of Musharraf were ousted from their parliamentary seats in the violence-hit vote, while supporters of former premier Nawaz Sharif and slain politician Benazir Bhutto made gains in several cities.
        With results for 125 out of 272 constituencies out, Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League (N) had 50 seats and slain former premier Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party had grabbed 39.
        Smaller parties and independents took 18.
        Celebrations started early with jubilinat opposition supporters taking to the streets today as results started to pour in.

        Sunday, February 17, 2008

        Tata-Israel Aerospace Industries for defence products manunufacturing





        The Tata Group signed a memorandum of understanding with the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) for developing and manufacturing a wide range of defence products, including missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, radars, electronic warfare and security systems.



        Pic:Chairman of Tata Group Ratan Tata with President and CEO of Israel Aerospace Industries Itshak Nissan after signing an MoU in defence ties.

        Australia v India

        Commonwealth Bank Series - 7th Match

        Played at Adelaide Oval on 17 February 2008 - day/night (50-over match)
        Result :Australia won by 50 runs

        Reliance Power Bonus

        • Reliance Power Ltd, whose shares got listed last week below its offer price after a mega initial public offer (IPO), have plans to issue bonus shares to all shareholders, except the promoters.
          The surprise move is said to be in response to the general feeling among retail investors who felt betrayed as the shares continue to trade below its offer price.
        • The board would decide on the ratio of bonus shares and other details.
        • The promoters, who currently hold 90 per cent equity, would be accepting a dilution of their holding. Post-bonus, the public holding in the company will go up to that extent from the current ten per cent.

        Friday, February 15, 2008

        CBSE revises question paper format for Classes X and XII

        • The Central Board of Secondary Education has revised the design of question papers in all the major subjects of Classes XII and X .
        • The move will help to assess Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) in children that will focus on evaluating their abilities to reason and analyse than simply their memorising power.
        • Sample question papers developed on the new design have been published. They are also available on the CBSE website ( http://www.cbse.nic.in/). The format of the question paper will include very short answer type, short answer type, long answer type questions.

        student kills 5 at Northern Illinois University

        A gunman dressed in black at Northern Illinois University on Thursday and shot 21 people, five of them fatally, then shot and killed himself.
        Four died at the scene, including the shooter, and two later died at a hospital.At least 22 people, including the gunman and a graduate student who was teaching an ocean sciences class, were shot.

        Wednesday, February 13, 2008

        Greeting cards....!!!!

        You can send free online greeting cards, animated cards, ecards, postcards & egreetings with quotes for friends and family on special occasions like: Birthdays, Festival greetings,Anniversary etc ... using the following link
        http://www.123greetings.com/

        Tuesday, February 12, 2008

        Study Indianism,at Oxford !!!!!!

        • This would be a pride moment for every indian.....
        • The University of Oxford has introduced a new degree, MSc in Contemporary India, the reason is growing interest among students about India and its burgeoning economy.
        • The course would provide students with the opportunity to learn both about India's achievements and persistent problems and will provide high-quality training in research methods and in the critical analysis theory in the main social science disciplines.
        • The degree has been designed for the students from a wide range of backgrounds, particularly the Social Sciences and History.
        • "India is a fascinating country to study: it is the largest democracy in the world, a regional superpower and has had great IT business success," Barbara Harris-White, Professor of Development Studies, said. JAI HIND !!!!

        Arunachal Pradesh ,Land of rising sun,is an integral part of India.

        • There is no reason and integrity of China's claim over Arunachal Pradesh,the state of Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India.!!!
          Any number of agreements signed and declarations issued on confidence-building measures and the harping on the five principles of panchsheel have not deterred the Chinese government from sticking to their position on the border dispute.
          Arunachal Pradesh attained its statehood on 20th February 1987. It is situated in the North-Eastern part of India with 83743 sq. kms area and has a long international border with Bhutan to the west (160 km), China to the north and north-east (1,080 km) and Myanmar to the east (440 km). It stretches from snow-capped mountains in the north to the plains of Brahmaputra valley in the south. Arunachal is the largest state area-wise in the north-east region, even larger than Assam which is the most populous.

        Monday, February 11, 2008

        Reliance Power goes below issue price

        Reliance Power, whose IPO made history on the Indian stock exchanges in January, sent ripples through the market when it closed 17 per cent below allotment price on listing on 11th Feb.
        The stock opened on the BSE with a gain of Rs 97 over the issue price of Rs 450.
        Within minutes it fell to Rs. 389 as investors rushed in to sell, to book “listing gains.”
        For the rest of the day, the stock traded below Rs. 450, closing the day 17 per cent down, at Rs. 372.50.

        Friday, February 8, 2008

        Arunachal Pradesh is part of India

        There is no meaning in China's claim over Arunachal Pradesh,the North-Eastern part of India with 83743 sq. kms area and has a long international border with Bhutan to the west (160 km), China to the north and north-east (1,080 km) and Myanmar to the east (440 km).
        Arunachal is "our land of rising sun",it will be remain with my motherland ,India.
        Arunachal is the largest state area-wise in the north-east region, even larger than Assam which is the most populous.
        It is situated between latitude 26° 30' N and 29° 30 ' N and longitude 91° 30' E and 97° 30' E. Itanagar is the capital of Arunachal Pradesh and located at an altitude of 530 meters above MSL.

        U.S spy satellite to hit Earth in March

        • A dead US spy satellite in a deteriorating orbit is expected to hit the Earth during the first week of March.
          Where the satellite will hit is not known. Officials familiar with the situation say about half of the 2,270 kilograms spacecraft is expected to survive its blazing descent through the atmosphere and will scatter debris, some potentially hazardous, over several hundred miles. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.
          The satellite is outfitted with thrusters, small engines used to position it in space, that contain the toxic rocket fuel hydrazine. Hydrazine can cause harm to anyone who comes into contact.
          The satellite, known by its military designation US193, was launched in December 2006. It lost power and its central computer failed almost immediately afterward, leaving it uncontrollable. It carried a complex and secret imaging sensor.
          US officials do not want the equipment to be recovered by people who should not have control of it.Where it lands will be difficult to predict until the satellite descends to about 59 miles above Earth and enters the atmosphere.

        Australia beat Srilanka by 128 runs

        Australia beat Srilanka by 128 runs in the third oneday of commonwealth Bank cricket series.

        February 8, 2008,
        3rd ODI
        Venue: Sydney
        Toss: Australia elected to bat

        Australia 253/6 (50 ov)
        Sri Lanka 125 (31.3 ov)

        The highlight of the day is the impressive performance of Nathan Bracken,whose bowling figure is 8.3 overs ,1 maiden,47 runs and 5 wickets.

        Man of the match: NW Bracken

        Thursday, February 7, 2008

        Valentine's Day, History

        • The day is most closely associated with the mutual exchange of love notes in the form of "valentines." Modern Valentine symbols include the heart-shaped outline and the figure of the winged Cupid.
        • Valentine's Day started in the time of the Roman Empire. In ancient Rome, February 14th was a holiday to honour Juno. Juno was the Queen of the Roman Gods and Goddesses. The Romans also knew her as the Goddess of women and marriage. The following day, February 15th, began the Feast of Lupercalia.The lives of young boys and girls were strictly separate. However, one of the customs of the young people was name drawing. On the eve of the festival of Lupercalia the names of Roman girls were written on slips of paper and placed into jars. Each young man would draw a girl's name from the jar and would then be partners for the duration of the festival with the girl whom he chose. Sometimes the pairing of the children lasted an entire year, and often, they would fall in love and would later marry.
          Under the rule of Emperor Claudius II Rome was involved in many bloody and unpopular campaigns. Claudius the Cruel was having a difficult time getting soldiers to join his military leagues. He believed that the reason was that roman men did not want to leave their loves or families. As a result, Claudius cancelled all marriages and engagements in Rome.
        • The good Saint Valentine was a priest at Rome in the days of Claudius II. He and Saint Marius aided the Christian martyrs and secretly married couples, and for this kind deed Saint Valentine was apprehended and dragged before the Prefect of Rome, who condemned him to be beaten to death with clubs and to have his head cut off. He suffered martyrdom on the 14th day of February, about the year 270.
        • At that time it was the custom in Rome, a very ancient custom, indeed, to celebrate in the month of February the Lupercalia, feasts in honour of a heathen god. On these occasions, amidst a variety of pagan ceremonies, the names of young women were placed in a box, from which they were drawn by the men as chance directed.
          The pastors of the early Christian Church in Rome endeavoured to do away with the pagan element in these feasts by substituting the names of saints for those of maidens. And as the Lupercalia began about the middle of February, the pastors appear to have chosen Saint Valentine's Day for the celebration of this new feast. So it seems that the custom of young men choosing maidens for valentines, or saints as patrons for the coming year, arose in this way.

        Commonwealth Bank Series 2008

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        February 3 ,2008 at Brisbane
        Australia v India, Brisbane
        Match abandoned due to rain (2 pts each)
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        February 5 ,2008 at Brisbane
        Sri Lanka v India, Brisbane
        Match abandoned due to rain (2 pts each)


        • Sachin Tendulkar added another feather to his cap on Tuesday when he became the first man to aggregate 16,000 runs in one-day internationals (ODI).
          Tendulkar, 34, reached the milestone during his 35-run knock against Sri Lanka in the rain-marred Commonwealth Bank Triangular Series at the Gabba. He now has a tally of 16,007 at an average of 44.21 in 409 matches. He has hammered 41 centuries and 87 half-centuries.

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        February 8, 2008
        3rd ODI
        Venue: Sydney
        Toss: Australia elected to bat
        Australia beat Srilanka by 128 runs in the third oneday of commonwealth Bank cricket series.

        The highlight of the day is the impressive performance of Nathan Bracken,whose bowling figure is 8.3 overs ,1 maiden,47 runs and 5 wickets.

        Bharti to build new under-sea cable

        • Bharti Airtel, along with eight major global telecommunications companies, has signed a formal agreement to build a high-capacity fibre-optic submarine cable that will connect India to France via West Asia.
        • Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd is also part of this consortium.
        • The new cable comes even as Internet services in India and other countries in the region have been severely impacted due to three cable cuts recently.
        • This will be the ninth under-sea cable touching Indian shores and will enable more bandwidth in the next 2 years.
          The cable system, known as I-ME-WE (India, Middle East, Western Europe), will be operational by 2009 and is being designed to provide 3.84 terabits per second.
        • The other companies who are part of the consortium are Etisalat (UAE), France Telecom (France), Ogero (Lebanon), PTCL (Pakistan), STC (Saudi Arabia), TE (Egypt) and TIS Sparkle (Italy). Alcatel Lucent has been given the supply contract for the construction of the I-ME-WE submarine cable system.

        Wednesday, February 6, 2008

        Fog envelops Kashmir


















        Vehicles move under snow-covered trees during heavy snowfall in Srinagar

        Beatles guru, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi dies

        • Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the Indian guru to the Beatles and millions of meditators, has died at his home in the Dutch town of Vlodrop, in the Netherlands. He was believed to be around 91 years old.
        • Born between 1911 and 1919, the maharishi, whose real name was Mahesh Prasad Varma, was a physics graduate from Allahabad University before rejecting materiality and becoming a devotee of Swami Brahmananda Saraswati or "Guru Dev".
        • In 1955 the maharishi began publicly teaching a traditional meditation technique which he later renamed Transcendental Meditation.
          Within three years, the maharishi had begun the first of a number of worldwide tours which lead to his fame and global recognition.
          It is estimated that there are some 5 million practitioners of Transcendental Meditation.
        • The most celebrated and famous of the 1960s spiritual gurus, the Maharishi drew in many high profile celebrities to his Transcendental Meditation movement. These included the Beach Boys, singer-songwriter Donovan, Clint Eastwood and avant-garde film maker, David Lynch.
          But the most high profile followers were the Beatles, who spent time on a retreat in India in the late 1960s.

        Tuesday, February 5, 2008

        TCS: 500 staff resigned

        • Tata Consultancy Services Ltd, India's largest software services exporter, said about 500 of its staff had resigned after their performance was rated poorly.
          "Those who cannot meet the performance requirements of our company are asked to look for another job commensurate with their abilities," said a spokesman for Mumbai-headquartered Tata Consultancy . "This (financial) year so far about 500 people have resigned voluntarily."
          "It's not an exceptional thing, it happens every year and it's a part of our annual performance exercise. "
          Last year also similar number of people left the company.
          India's export-driven software services companies have been winning large outsourcing contracts from western clients, but recession fears in the United States, a strong rupee, soaring wages and a skills shortage are major worries.

        Accel Transmatic

        • Accel Transmatic, listed on the BSE, was promoted by Accel Frontline Ltd — a joint venture of Accel Ltd owned by Mr Panicker and Frontline Technologies of Singapore. Now, with Frontline Technologies being taken over by British Telecom, Accel Frontline is set to become a subsidiary of the British telecommunications major.
        • The Rs 40-crore company has other divisions too — embedded software and hardware products such as ticket vending machines, both inherited from takeovers, and IT training.
          The Chennai-based animation company Accel Transmatic Ltd is upgrading its infrastructure. Recently, the company has created a motion capture facility at Thiruvananthapuram and is now building an animation facility in Chennai, with an estimated cost of Rs 50 crore.

        Sunday, February 3, 2008

        BrahMos-2 missile

        • India, Russia teams working on designing different versions of BrahMos.
        • The project launched jointly with Russia, under BrahMos, will see more than 20 Russian institutes and industry and a bigger number of Indian industry participating.
          The hypersonic missiles, will fly at Mach 5-7 speeds.
        • One Mach is equivalent to velocity of sound or 1230km/h 330 metres per second.
        • Already joint teams from India and Russia have started working on designing different versions of the missiles. The project will be of five-year duration.
          Both the Indian and the Russian Government have assured adequate funding and support.
        • The initiative has come in the wake of the superb success of the BrahMos project, launched in 1999. The supersonic BrahMos missile developed with speeds of Mach 2.8 has already got orders from the Indian Navy and Army.
        • BrahMos missile is now available for launch from multiple platforms which include ship to ship, land to ship and land to land.

        Friday, February 1, 2008

        India-Australia-Srilanka Tri Series 2008 Fixtures


        Australia vs India, 1st ODIBrisbane, 08:45 AM, Sun, 3 Feb 2008

        India vs Sri Lanka, 2nd ODIBrisbane, 08:45 AM, Tue, 5 Feb 2008

        Australia vs Sri Lanka, 3rd ODISydney, 08:45 AM, Fri, 8 Feb 2008

        Australia vs India, 4th ODIMelbourne, 08:45 AM, Sun, 10 Feb 2008

        India vs Sri Lanka, 5th ODICanberra, 04:30 AM, Tue, 12 Feb 2008

        Australia vs Sri Lanka, 6th ODIPerth, 08:00 AM, Fri, 15 Feb 2008

        Australia vs India, 7th ODIAdelaide, 08:45 AM, Sun, 17 Feb 2008

        India vs Sri Lanka, 8th ODIAdelaide, 08:45 AM, Tue, 19 Feb 2008

        Australia vs Sri Lanka, 9th ODIMelbourne, 08:45 AM, Fri, 22 Feb 2008

        Australia vs India, 10th ODISydney, 08:45 AM, Sun, 24 Feb 2008

        India vs Sri Lanka, 11th ODIHobart, 04:30 AM, Tue, 26 Feb 2008

        Australia vs Sri Lanka, 12th ODIMelbourne, 08:45 AM, Fri, 29 Feb 2008

        Google quarterly results disappoint

        • Google Inc on 31st January reported disappointing quarterly results on rising capital spending and costs for acquiring advertising customers, unnerving investors who sent its shares down 6.5 per cent. Revenue rose 51 per cent to $4.827 billion, just shy of the $4.83 billion.
        • It was only the third time in 14 quarters as a public company that Google failed to top Wall Street profit forecasts. But Google executives underscored their belief that there were no signs that a weakening US economy so far was hurting its own results and that they expect advertisers to maintain spending with Google even if they slash overall ad budgets.
        • Immediately following the results, the stock fell to around $510, down 9.5 per cent. The stock fell 24 per cent in January. A 2007 darling among technology stocks, it has fallen from near $750 in November, when analysts raced to boost price targets as high as $900.