Saturday, January 29, 2011
University in UK Awards First Beatles Degree
University in UK Awards First Beatles Degree: "A Canadian woman has become the first person in the world to graduate with a Masters degree in Beatles studies."
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Genomics: Present-day practices and future trends - JAAPA
Genomics: Present-day practices and future trends - JAAPA: "Genomic medicine involves the use of information derived from chromosomal DNA as well as RNA, proteins, and metabolites to guide and tailor clinical decision making, leading to personalized medicine. Together this information may be used to assess disease risk, support clinical diagnosis and choice of treatment, assess disease prognosis, and correlate with other traditional risk factors such as family history. We frequently use health risk assessments to estimate risk for developing disease and reinforce disease prevention; examples include the Framingham Heart Study models, the Gail model for breast cancer risk assessment, and others."
Monday, January 24, 2011
BBC News - India plans Asian tidal power first
BBC News - India plans Asian tidal power first
The Indian state of Gujarat is planning to host Asia's first commercial-scale tidal power station.
The company Atlantis Resources is to install a 50MW tidal farm in the Gulf of Kutch on India's west coast, with construction starting early in 2012.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
The State of Indian Economy - 2010
The State of Indian Economy - 2010
By Ashok Handoo*
As we move into the New Year, it is time to take stock of the state of our economy-the achievements in 2010 and the challenges we face in 2011.The most outstanding achievement has been the recovery from the economic slowdown that we have been facing since 2008, as a consequence of the global downturn. It is now being recognised the world over that the management of our economy during this period has been appreciable and we have been able to minimise the effects of global recession on our economy. India continues to be the 2nd fastest growing economy of the world.
In 2010 the recovery has been particularly fast. Exports have been increasing at a good speed, industrial growth has gone into double digit once gain and overall growth rate is impressive. Growth in the third quarter was impressive 8. 9 percent. What is more important is that it has been broad based covering all the three sectors, agriculture, industry and services. Foreign exchange reserves have swelled by $11 billion to nearly $300 billion.
But the most significant challenges that we have been facing are the inflation, particularly the food inflation and the fiscal deficit. The year started with as high as 17 percent food inflation. Inflation has already come down substantially, and it is expected to stabilise at 5.5 percent by the end of this fiscal. What is worrying is the food inflation, which after coming down to single digit mark, has again moved into the double digit zone, recently. It crossed 12 percent mark recently. This has been affecting the poorer sections of the society hard.
The Government on its part has been dealing with the problem as a high priority agenda item. It has banned the export of pulses indefinitely, and allowed duty free imports up to March 2012. Additional quotas of rice and wheat are being released to states for both below and above poverty line consumers to be distributed through the public distribution system. Similar steps have been taken with regard to some other food items. The purpose is to deal with the problem on the supply side.
On the demand side, the Reserve Bank of India has been taking fiscal and monetary measures all through the year to regulate money supply and thereby influence the demand. It has raised the key interest rates 6 times during the year and continues to keep a close watch on the situation.
Industrial growth touched 10.8 percent, after a gap of 3 months. It had come down to as low as 4.39 percent in August. Manufacturing sector which accounts for 80 percent of our industrial production too has been doing well.
Rising global oil prices has been one of the most important factors leading to inflationary pressures. During 2010, international oil prices increased by over 15 percent touching well over $91 a barrel in December, and the count goes on. This is only a little lower than the 26- month old high we have seen. It may well touch $100 mark in due course of time. Since India imports 70 percent of its oil requirements, the effect is all pervading. By selling oil at less than the market price, our oil companies have suffered an aggregate loss of over Rs.68, 369 crore during the current fiscal so far.
The debt crisis in Europe has also been affecting our economy, much because Europe is one of the most important trading partner for India. How things pan out there in the coming months will have a bearing on us too.
On the fiscal deficit front, the Government is confident that it will be able to contain it at 5.5 percent by the end of the current fiscal. Judging by the current performance, that seems achievable.
The declining trend in Foreign Direct investment too needs to be corrected. There is however a silver lining that the international companies in India are reinvesting funds in Indian ventures to expand capacity. The NRI inflows which were 22 percent less in 2009-10 compared to the previous year also need to be encouraged through various policy decisions.
Despite all these odds the economy is expected to grow at an impressive rate of about 9 percent this fiscal, though the Finance Minister Shri Pranab Mukherjee sticks to his earlier estimate of 8.7 percent rate. As the Home Minister Shri P. Chidambaram put it, the average growth rate during the UPA 1, has been 8.5 percent, 7.4 percent in the first year of UPA II and the second year is poised for 9 percent growth, much above the earlier performance. Coupled with this, if food inflation comes down to reasonable levels and both overall inflation and fiscal deficit are curtailed at 5.5 percent as estimated in the budget, that should augur well for the New Year and beyond and enable us to pursue our goal of inclusive growth.
As a long term policy, we need to take a number of steps to improve the health of our economy. On top is the introduction of modern farming technologies, revamping of the public distribution system to do away with the loopholes which lead to pilferages and tackling subsides which take away a large portion of our revenues. All this calls for economic reforms which need to be undertaken sooner than later. The outlook is promising, indeed. (PIB Features)
*Freelance Writer
Disclaimer : The views expressed by the author in this feature are entirely his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of PIB.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
FACT: enrollment in schools in India
The present age of five-year-olds enrolled in schools has increased from 54.6 in 2009 to 62.8 in 2010
only 1 BC appointed as SC judge so far!
Of the 690 appointed as Supreme Court Judges so far (up to 2010) , only one judge from BC category appointed.
THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA - Article 30
THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA
Article 30
Right of minorities to establish and administer educational institutions.- (1) All
minorities, whether based on religion or language, shall have the right to establish and
administer educational institutions of their choice.
_20[(1A) In making any law providing for the compulsory acquisition of any property of
any educational institution established and administered by a minority, referred to in
clause (1), the State shall ensure that the amount fixed by or determined under such law
for the acquisition of such property is such as would not restrict or abrogate the right
guaranteed under that clause.]
(2) The State shall not, in granting aid to educational institutions, discriminate against
any educational institution on the ground that it is under the management of a minority,
whether based on religion or language.
Article 30
Right of minorities to establish and administer educational institutions.- (1) All
minorities, whether based on religion or language, shall have the right to establish and
administer educational institutions of their choice.
_20[(1A) In making any law providing for the compulsory acquisition of any property of
any educational institution established and administered by a minority, referred to in
clause (1), the State shall ensure that the amount fixed by or determined under such law
for the acquisition of such property is such as would not restrict or abrogate the right
guaranteed under that clause.]
(2) The State shall not, in granting aid to educational institutions, discriminate against
any educational institution on the ground that it is under the management of a minority,
whether based on religion or language.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
quiz: Indian Polity
We recently reviewed the Overseas Citizenship of India Card and Person of Indian Origin Card. We have decided to merge them into one,' the prime minister told the 9th edition of India's annual convention to connect with its 25-million-strong diaspora in 130 nations.
UPSC questions on Indian Polity (General Studies - Prelims) 1993 test paper
The only instance when the President of India exercised his power of veto related to –
Ans: the PEPSU Appropriation Bill
The chief minister of a state in India is not eligible to vote in the Presidential election if-
Ans: he is a member of the Upper House of the state legislature
The abolition of the IAS and the IPS has been recommended by the
Ans: Rajamannar Commission
The Swaran Singh Committee considered the question of
Ans: the suitability of the Presidential form of government for India
The anti-defection law was enacted as early as 1979 in
Ans: West Bengal
Friday, January 14, 2011
NEWS quiz
A new international airport has been named after James Bond thriller writer Ian Fleming in a place he had a special relationship with. Where is it?
It's Jamaica. Ian Fleming International Airport, which will be used by private jets and small commercial aircraft, is close to the scenic retreat Goldeneye, where the late author wrote his books. James Bond visits Rio de Janeiro in Moonraker, Khao Phing Kan is an island in Thailand that features in The Man with the Golden Gun and is popularly called James Bond Island, while Fleming emphasised Bond's Scottish heritage in his books.
One of Belgium's best-known actors, Benoit Poelvoorde, has urged his fellow citizens not to do what again until the country finally forms a government?
It's shaving. "Let's keep our beards until Belgium rises again," Mr Poelvoorde said on Belgian TV. A caretaker government has been running day-to-day business in the country since an inconclusive election on 13 June 2010.
10b featured in the name of something that was being introduced to the world this week. What?
t was the planet, Kepler-10b. Scientists at the US space agency Nasa have discovered the smallest planet ever found outside our solar system, which is a rocky planet roughly the same size as Earth. China conducted the first test-flight of its J-20 stealth fighter.
The citizens of south Sudan took part in a week-long vote on independence from the north. Which was the last new country in Africa to be recognised by the UN?
It was Eritrea, which emerged from its long war of independence in 1993. Somaliland and Western Sahara are not recognised by the UN.
A book dubbed the sequel to The Catcher in the Rye has been banned in the US over copyright issues. What is the Holden Caulfield character doing now?
He's in a retirement home, or at least escaping from one, in New York. Caulfield is aged 76 in the work by Fredrik Colting, called 60 Years Later: Coming Through the Rye.
A cross-eyed opossum in Germany called Heidi has become an internet hit, winning more than 65,000 admirers on Facebook. What was one of the reasons given for her crossed eyes?
The zoo believes the marsupial's eye problem may be to do with her diet or because she is overweight, leading to fat deposits behind the eyes.
Birds died from ..?
It's binge drinking. Officials in Romania said birds that were thought to have died from avian flu instead died from alcohol poisoning after gorging on grape marc - the leftovers from the wine-making process.
source: BBC
It's Jamaica. Ian Fleming International Airport, which will be used by private jets and small commercial aircraft, is close to the scenic retreat Goldeneye, where the late author wrote his books. James Bond visits Rio de Janeiro in Moonraker, Khao Phing Kan is an island in Thailand that features in The Man with the Golden Gun and is popularly called James Bond Island, while Fleming emphasised Bond's Scottish heritage in his books.
One of Belgium's best-known actors, Benoit Poelvoorde, has urged his fellow citizens not to do what again until the country finally forms a government?
It's shaving. "Let's keep our beards until Belgium rises again," Mr Poelvoorde said on Belgian TV. A caretaker government has been running day-to-day business in the country since an inconclusive election on 13 June 2010.
10b featured in the name of something that was being introduced to the world this week. What?
t was the planet, Kepler-10b. Scientists at the US space agency Nasa have discovered the smallest planet ever found outside our solar system, which is a rocky planet roughly the same size as Earth. China conducted the first test-flight of its J-20 stealth fighter.
The citizens of south Sudan took part in a week-long vote on independence from the north. Which was the last new country in Africa to be recognised by the UN?
It was Eritrea, which emerged from its long war of independence in 1993. Somaliland and Western Sahara are not recognised by the UN.
A book dubbed the sequel to The Catcher in the Rye has been banned in the US over copyright issues. What is the Holden Caulfield character doing now?
He's in a retirement home, or at least escaping from one, in New York. Caulfield is aged 76 in the work by Fredrik Colting, called 60 Years Later: Coming Through the Rye.
A cross-eyed opossum in Germany called Heidi has become an internet hit, winning more than 65,000 admirers on Facebook. What was one of the reasons given for her crossed eyes?
The zoo believes the marsupial's eye problem may be to do with her diet or because she is overweight, leading to fat deposits behind the eyes.
Birds died from ..?
It's binge drinking. Officials in Romania said birds that were thought to have died from avian flu instead died from alcohol poisoning after gorging on grape marc - the leftovers from the wine-making process.
source: BBC
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Smallest-ever rocky planet outside solar system 'discovered' - Hindustan Times
Smallest-ever rocky planet outside solar system 'discovered' - Hindustan Times: "Astronomers have discovered what they claim is the smallest-ever rocky planet outside our solar system, named Kepler-10b. A team at NASA says that its Kepler mission has confirmed the discovery of the exoplanet, measuring 1.4 times the size of Earth -- its discovery is based on eight months of data collected by the spacecraft from May 2009 to Jan 2010."
Messi wins FIFA world player award 2010
Lionel Messi | FIFA | World Player | 2010 | Ballon d'Or| Argentina | Barcelona | - Oneindia News: "Lionel Messi has been bestowed with the FIFA's Ballon d'Or award on Jan 10 as the world's best player of 2010. The 23-year old plays as a forward for Argentina and Barcelona."
Sunday, January 9, 2011
The Hindu : Happy Birthday, Wikipedia!
The Hindu : Sci-Tech / Internet : Happy Birthday, Wikipedia!: "At the turn of the decade, many busied themselves drawing up lists of top tech marvels that defined the decade that was. Amid a plethora of smart phones, tablet PCs and glitzy gadget that got us into a tizzy, with every upgrade and social networking sites that went micro towards the end of the decade is one that has grown consistently and collaboratively over the decade. So much so that many can barely imagine the Internet without Wikipedia, their ‘know-it-all' buddy.
On January 15, Wikipedia turns 10. While it may not let you share your party pictures or curb your thoughts to 140 characters, compared with other younger success stories of the Internet, this massive encyclopaedia has revolutionised the concept of gathering and sharing knowledge online."
On January 15, Wikipedia turns 10. While it may not let you share your party pictures or curb your thoughts to 140 characters, compared with other younger success stories of the Internet, this massive encyclopaedia has revolutionised the concept of gathering and sharing knowledge online."
Why the Ozone layer is depleting?
Atmosphere Ozone is depleted in recent years as a result of chemical reactions with fluorocarbons released from aerosol sprays, refrigeration equipment, and other pollutants
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
India used to account for 33% of the world's GDP; then fell to 3%
India used to account for 33% of the world's GDP; then fell to 3%; now may rise to 25%
India has 568 million more registered voters than the US
India has 568 million more registered voters than the US -- and a better turnout rate too
Where are the baby girls? - The Boston Globe
Where are the baby girls? - The Boston Globe: "According to a 1994 law meant to discourage parents from aborting baby girls, any doctor who identifies the sex of a fetus will be struck off the medical register and face a hefty fine and up to three years in prison. A pregnant woman who undergoes tests to detect the sex of a fetus risks imprisonment and fines, too."
Abortion
INDIA: In recent decades, 500,000 female births have gone missing each year due to (illegal) sex selection and abortion
The average Indian is nearly 20 years younger than the average Japanese
The average Indian is nearly 20 years younger than the average Japanese (26 vs 45)
Hollywood Goes Bollywood as U.S. Studios Target India Filmgoers - BusinessWeek
Hollywood Goes Bollywood as U.S. Studios Target India Filmgoers - BusinessWeek: "Twentieth Century Fox had almost as much success in India with a Hindi film that had no special effects as with James Cameron’s worldwide blockbuster “Avatar.” That’s a lesson for U.S. studios on how to compete in the world’s most prolific movie market."
India sold 3.2 billion tickets last year
A bigger movie market than America and Canada combined, India sold 3.2 billion tickets last year
Study Reveals Top 10 Wettest U.S. Cities | LiveScience
Study Reveals Top 10 Wettest U.S. Cities | LiveScience: "Mobile, Alabama, actually topped a new list of soggiest cities in the 48 contiguous states, with more than 5 feet of rainfall annually, according to a study conducted by San Francisco-based WeatherBill, Inc.
The Southeast dominated the most rainy list, while the Pacific Northwest never enters the list until Olympia, Washington pops up at number 24."
The Southeast dominated the most rainy list, while the Pacific Northwest never enters the list until Olympia, Washington pops up at number 24."
Cherrapnuji is the wettest places on earth
India's Cherrapnuji is the wettest places on earth, receiving 425 inches of rain every year
India grows 12 million tons of mangoes in a year
India grows 12 million tons of mangoes in a year, the weight equivalent to 80,000 blue whales
India Gets 2nd Ranking in Arms Imports | India Defence Online
India Gets 2nd Ranking in Arms Imports | India Defence Online: "With rapid defence acquisitions from the international arms market, India is well on its way to become the leading arms buyer in the next five years. As per a recently released report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), China currently holds the number position in arms acquisition followed by India for the period of 2005-2009."
India is the world's second largest importer of arms
India is the world's second largest importer of arms and has spent $50 billion on defense purchases in the last decade
Walmart raises IT sourcing from India
Walmart raises IT sourcing from India - Dec 9, 2010: China Sourcing, Supply Chain Management, China Logistics article: "Selects Wipro, Collabera as vendors; total IT sourcing from India about $1 billion.
US-based retailer Walmart, also the largest company in the world, has increased its information technology (IT) sourcing strategy from India by setting up a dedicated group here (in Gurgaon). Called Remote Services Management, the group is headed by Micky Singh who was earlier the CIO of Walmart India and responsible for setting up complete IT solution to Bharti-Walmart, covering all facets of the retail joint venture."
US-based retailer Walmart, also the largest company in the world, has increased its information technology (IT) sourcing strategy from India by setting up a dedicated group here (in Gurgaon). Called Remote Services Management, the group is headed by Micky Singh who was earlier the CIO of Walmart India and responsible for setting up complete IT solution to Bharti-Walmart, covering all facets of the retail joint venture."
Walmart alone outsources $1 billion in IT contracts to India
Walmart alone outsources $1 billion in IT contracts to India
Outsourcing to India: Country Profile & Statistics | 2011
Outsourcing to India: Country Profile & Statistics | 2011: "India is the leading country for offshore outsourcing. The offshore outsourcing industry started in India and it has be able to grow the IT and BPO export sector to $47 billion and capture more than half the offshore outsourcing industry. That is not to say that India does not have challenges or is the best location for every offshore outsourcing effort, but it has an unparalleled history and size."
Half the world’s outsourced IT services come from India
Half the world’s outsourced IT services come from India, amounting to a $47 billion dollar industry
Half the world’s outsourced IT services come from India
Half the world’s outsourced IT services come from India, amounting to a $47 billion dollar industry
India's tech capital, Bangalore
India's tech capital, Bangalore, has increased its office supply by six times since 2006, and now has more Grade-A offices than Singapore
Bangalore closes in on Shanghai in office space
Bangalore closes in on Shanghai in office space: "Bangalore is closing in on Shanghai, China’s booming commercial and industrial metropolis, in terms of Grade-A office space."
India's tech capital, Bangalore
India's tech capital, Bangalore, has increased its office supply by six times since 2006, and now has more Grade-A offices than Singapore
India to add 50 mln sq ft office space by mid-2012 - CBRE | Reuters
India to add 50 mln sq ft office space by mid-2012 - CBRE | Reuters: "India's office space is likely to grow by 50 million square feet (sq ft) over the next 18 months, driven by strong economic growth and a sustained recovery by the information technology industry, property services firm CB Richard Ellis (CBRE) said.
The Indian office space market added 55 million sq ft in 2010, and demand will continue, it said in an annual review of the Indian market on Wednesday."
The Indian office space market added 55 million sq ft in 2010, and demand will continue, it said in an annual review of the Indian market on Wednesday."
Property prices in Mumbai and Delhi have more than doubled
Property prices in Mumbai and Delhi have more than doubled in the past 18 months
India's GDP per capita will quadruple
India's GDP per capita will quadruple from 2007 to 2020, according to Goldman Sachs
One-third of world's poor in India: Survey - The Times of India
One-third of world's poor in India: Survey - The Times of India: "India is home to roughly one-third of all poor people in the world. It also has a higher proportion of its population living on less than $2 per day than even sub-Saharan Africa"
Can India garner the demographic dividend?
The Hindu : Opinion / Lead : Can India garner the demographic dividend?: "Much has been said recently about India's demographic dividend: that its working-age (15-59 years) population, as of now, largely consists of youth (15-34 years), and as a result its economy has the potential to grow more quickly than that of many other countries, including China. China, because of its “one-child” policy over the past several decades will soon begin ageing and, as a result, say the demographers, will become less competitive. But can India hope to garner its demographic gift?"
25% of the world's new workers will be Indian
In the next three years, up to 25% of the world's new workers will be Indian
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