Showing posts with label india. Show all posts
Showing posts with label india. Show all posts

Saturday, 23 July 2011

Jagan Mahal: 60 rooms across 42000sqft



A palatial house that Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy is building in Hyderabad is under the scanner of the CBI, which has been asked by Andhra Pradesh High Court to probe the politician's assets.
Two days ago, CBI sleuths visited a 52,263sqft site (well over an acre) in Hyderabad's upscale Banjara Hills where Jagan's five-storey mansion, valued at Rs 300 crore by local real estate players, is nearing completion.
According to real estate sources, the building plan shows several escalators, lifts, a 200-seat mini-theatre, a library, a gym, and squash, tennis and volleyball courts, apart from a three-floor underground car park.
A local contractor said he had been commissioned to supply 24 train wagonloads of marble from Rajasthan so that about 60 rooms and bathrooms, each the size of a single-bedroom flat, could be floored with marble.
Lotus Mahal, which local people have begun referring to as "Jagan Mahal", will sprawl over a 10,000sqft area. The total floor area across the five storeys is estimated at 42,000 sqft.
CBI officials said the plot had been bought by Jagan's front companies. It is made up of six original plots ' numbered 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8 ' at HUDA Heights in Banjara Hills' Lotus Pond locality, they added.
Jagan owns about two-thirds of the property while his sister Sharmila Reddy owns the rest, the sources said. Going by current property rates, the price of the entire plot should be over Rs 30 crore.
Real estate sources said Lotus Mahal would have nearly 30 bedrooms apart from an office complex, 20 servants' quarters and a two-storey outhouse in the backyard.
A builder said that but for the Telangana agitation, the mansion's price would have been Rs 700 crore. "Even at the downswing rates, it is roughly valued at Rs 300 crore."
On July 13, the high court gave the CBI two weeks to probe charges that Jagan had amassed huge wealth by laundering money during his late father Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy's term as chief minister between 2004 and 2009.
The complaint was filed by a Congress minister from the state.
Sources in Jagan's party, the YSR Congress, said their leader had taken time off his Odarpu Yatra for a month to concentrate on the construction.
A bureaucrat who visits Jagan almost every day said the mansion was modelled on the chief minister's residence at Begumpet. Jagan has set up his party headquarters at a rented bungalow in Jubilee Hills' Road No. 45.
"Jagan is confident that the new house will bring him good luck and also the goodwill of Congress workers," a party source said, indicating that Jagan hopes that many more Congress MLAs and MPs would join him by the time the house is completed.

Meet the Top 10 Young Politicians of India

One of the loudest cries often heard in political gatherings all across the country is that the youth should play a more prominent role in politics and public administration.
But the fact is, despite the presence of youth wings of all major political parties, the presence (and the role) of youth in national politics is inadequate.
In the current Indian Parliament, which has an average age of 53 years, there are only 79 leaders who are under 42. Most of them are well-educated. Of these, most young leaders are those who have an influential political background to back them up. A few young Members of Parliament are ministers as well.
Britain, the country from which we derived much of our political framework, boasts of a 43-year-old PM in David Cameron. But back home, we have to make do with the likes of Manmohan Singh. Oldies like Sharad Pawar, S.M. Krishna, Karunanidhi, Pranab Mukherjee, L.K. Advani, Kapil Sibal, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee etc. dot the Indian political landscape.
Pakistan recently appointed a 34-year-old elegant and beautiful Hina Rabbani Khar as their foreign minister. In India, none of the young MPs have been considered good enough to head an important ministry and have always been appointed as junior ministers.

  Let's take a look at 10 prominent young politicians of India many of whom are also ministers:

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Agatha Sangma (born 24 July 1980)


Representing the Tura constituency of Meghalaya on the ticket of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Agatha Sangma is the youngest MP (and minister as well) in the Indian Parliament. The 30-year-old Minsiter of State for Rural Development is the daughter of P.A. Sangma, a prominent Indian leader and politician, and former speaker of the Lok Sabha. Sangma has a Masters degree in Environmental Management from Nottingham University, UK.


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Jyotiraditya Scindia (born 1 January 1971)

The young scion of the Scindia family of Gwalior is a 40-year-old Minister of State for Commerece and Industry. He represents Indian National Congress as an MP for the Guna constituency in Madhya Pradesh. His father Madhavrao Scindia was a prominent Indian politician and minister from the Congress Party.
After earning a management degree from the Stanford College in the United States, he worked as an investment banker for Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley and also gained some development experience working as an intern with the UN Economic Development Cell.


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Sachin Pilot (born 7 September 1977)


Son of deceased Congress politician and Union Minister Rajesh Pilot (who was also a Squadron Leader in the Air Force and hence the name “Pilot”), 33-year-old Sachin Pilot represents the Ajmer constituency on the ticket of Indian National Congress. A management graduate from the prestigious Wharton Business School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA, he is presently the Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology. He is married to the daughter of Farooq Abdullah.


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Naveen Jindal (born 9 March 1970)


Born to O.P. Jindal, who was a prominent Indian industrialist and politician, Naveen Jindal represents the Kurukshetra constituency in the state of Haryana on the ticket of Indian National Congress. An MBA from the University of Texas, Jindal owns 45 horses and a polo team. He fought a long legal battle for the legalisation of flying of Flag of India inside and atop non-governmental buildings and institutions and emerged victorious. He then founded the Flag Foundation of India, a non-profit body to promote the national flag.


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Priya Dutt (born 28 August 1966)


44-year-old Priya Dutt is the daughter of actor-politician Sunil Dutt and actress-politician Nargis. She is the sister of actor Sanjay Dutt. She is currently representing Mumbai North Central constituency for the Indian National Congress. After graduating in sociology from Sophia College, Mumbai University, Dutt worked in television and video. Later, she studied at The Center for the Media Arts in New York. She is actively involved in many charities and campaigns for many social causes including breast cancer awareness.


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Akhilesh Yadav (born 1 July 1973)


The son of the Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav, Akhilesh is an MP from the Kannuaj constituency in Uttar Pradesh. An engineer by qualification, he is party's Uttar Pradesh president and is spearheading the campaign to bring back Samajwadi Party to power in 2012 in UP assembly elections. Akhilesh's wife, Dimple, unsuccessfully contested the by-election for Firozabad Lok Sabha seat (in U.P.) in 2009 against actor-turned-politician Raj Babbar.


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Milind Deora (born 4 Dec 1976)


Congress MP from Mumbai South, Milind Deora was born in Mumbai to veteran politician Murli Deora. He is one of the youngest members of the current Lok Sabha. An alumnus of Boston University, he founded SPARSH, a social initiative aiming to educate students in computer and IT proficiency. Milind Deora was inducted in the Union Government of India as the Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology in 2011. On 9 November 2008, Deora married Pooja Shetty in Mumbai. She heads the film production company called 'Walk Water Media' and is the daughter of film producer Manmohan Shetty.


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Dushyant Singh (born 11 September 1973)


Son of Vasundhara Raje, the ex-chief minister of Rajasthan (and also a member of the Scindia royal family of Gwalior), Dushyant Singh is a BJP MP from Jhalawar-Baran constituency in the state. He acquired a management degree from IHTTI School of Management, Neuchatel, Switzerland. His first cousin Jyotiraditya Scindia is also in politics but represents the Indian National Congress.


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Supriya Sule (born 30 June 1969)


Supriya Sule is an Indian politician from the Nationalist Congress Party and currently an MP for the Pune constituency in Maharashtra. She is the daughter of the President of the Nationalist Congress Party, Sharad Pawar. Sule earned a B.Sc. degree from the Jai Hind College in Mumbai. In April 2010, she denied allegations of her family's financial links to IPL (India's largest cricket league body) when reports on financial irregularities in IPL surfaced.

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Rahul Gandhi (born 19 June 1970)


Often advertised as the future prime minister of the country, Rahul Gandhi comes from India's most powerful family: the Nehru-Gandhi family. Three members of his family have occupied the post of the Prime Minister of India. His educational credentials have been questioned by Dr Subramanian Swamy, a noted politician and president of the Janata Party. As per the information available in public domain, he studied at St. Stephen's College in Delhi for a year and then later moved to Harvard University in the US. But in 1991, after Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by the LTTE during an election rally, he shifted to Rollins College, University of Florida due to security concerns and completed his B.A. in 1994


Wednesday, 13 July 2011

Infosys to hire 45,000 techies this year



Infosys Ltd, India's second largest IT bellwether, is back on hiring spree and plans to increase its headcount by a whopping 45,000 during this fiscal (2011-12), a top company official said here Tuesday.
'We will be hiring about 45,000 engineers worldwide in this fiscal (FY 2012), which will be 13,000 more than we projected (32,000) in April to meet the growing demand and increase the bench strength,' Infosys chief executive S. Gopalakrishnan told reporters here.
Stepping up hiring was evident in the first quarter (April-June) when the global software major recruited 9,900 people as against the projected target of 6,500.
'We will be hiring about 12,000 people, including freshers and laterals in the second quarter (July-Sept) to train and mentor them to leverage the emerging outsourcing opportunities,' the company's co-chairman designate said.
With 7,160 engineers leaving the company and its subsidiaries during the quarter under review (Q1), the net addition was 2,740, taking the total number of employees to 133,560 as against 130,820 quarter ago and 114,822 a year ago.
Return to double-digit growth after recovering from the global tech meltdown, the company hired about 43,120 people last fiscal (FY 2011), including 20,000 freshers against the estimated 25,000.
The attrition rate declined sequentially to 15.8 percent from 17 percent and remained flat during the last 12 months.
'The first quarter is typically the time when people look for higher education in the country or overseas. Of those (7,160) who left, about 30 percent of left in pursuit of higher studies. With better retention, we have reduced the attrition level by 1.2 percent,' company's human resources executive Nandita Gujar said.

Mumbai blast: Death toll rising, over 100 injured

Serial blasts struck Mumbai this evening, less than three years after the 26/11 terrorist attacks of 2008. The three blasts, in sequence, were timed at 6.30 pm, 6.45 pm, and 7 pm IST, and targeted in that order Zaveri Bazaar, Opera House and the Kabutarkhana area of Dadar West. Zaveri Bazaar, centre of the jewelry industry, is adjacent the iconic Mumbadevi temple from which the city derives its name; both Zaveri Bazaar and Kabutarkhana were also targeted in the 1993 serial blasts.

PHOTOS




 

Wednesday, 6 April 2011

Nicole Scherzinger Maxim India March 2011

American singer and actress Nicole Scherzinger is the blazing beauty on the cover page of men’s magazine Maxim India for the month of March 2011.
Nicole Scherzinger


Nicole Scherzinger

Nicole Scherzinger


Nicole Scherzinger


Saturday, 19 March 2011

Tendulkar never scared me but Lara, Gilchrist did: Shoaib



Colombo, March 19 (PTI): He has had some of the most memorable on-field battles with Sachin Tendulkar but maverick speedster Shoaib Akhtar claims he was never scared to bowl at the legendary batsman. Instead, it was dashing Australian 'keeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist and West Indian legend Brian Lara who "scared the hell" out of him during his 14-year international career.

"Yes, that's true. But that doesn't mean I have no respect for Sachin. He is a legend and will always remain as one. But Sachin would never scare me. Guys like Gilchrist and Lara would scare the hell out of me," Akhtar, who recently announced his retirement from international cricket after the World Cup told espnstar.com in an interview.

Shoaib who played 46 Tests and 163 ODIs for Pakistan was in awe of Lara and Gilchrist. "Gilchrist would simply take me on. Lara was class apart. In fact, I would be so attracted to his persona that I wouldn't know where to bowl. His body-language was just too cool!"

For someone who has been in the news for his off-field activities as well as his on-field exploits feels that had the iconic former Pakistan captain Imran Khan been around during his playing days, things would have been different. "He (Imran) was like a father figure. I have missed him badly. If he would have been there, I would have become a better bowler and a better person, may be," he answered.

Talking about his regular run-ins with the PCB, Akhtar said that it is the system that made an anti-establishment man. "The system made me quite an anti-establishment fellow. Ever since I started playing cricket, I was told that, I wasn't good enough. Whether at the club level or national or international level, I was told I was never good enough. That made me more determined."

"My system refused to swim with the tide. I was exactly the opposite. In spite of this, I have played cricket with my head held high. No one can say I have compromised myself when playing for Pakistan. Have you ever seen that I been linked with match fixing?," he shot back.

Akhtar whose career was start-stop one due to numerous injuries including five major knee surgeries also spoke about playing through pain. "There have been days when five syringes would be inserted on each of my knees to draw out fluid. I would scream with pain because my knees would be swollen like melons and I would feel that someone was ripping off my thigh muscles. But next day, I would go there and fire the ball at close to 150 kmph or more. That's Shoaib Akhtar for you.

"There were two Shoaib Akhtars in me. One that told me to "give up cricket" and the other one that said "conquer the odds". The second one always prevailed. It's because of this today I am playing the World Cup."

He was a touch emotional as he termed his retirement as his second death.

"I am surrounded by some sort of emptiness and sadness. For 20 years, I have fought to play cricket. I fought injuries, I fought against so many things. Now I have decided to leave something I loved. It hurts."

Having got a lot of fame, money and adulation from the game, the star cricketer wants to give something back to the society. In fact, like his idol Imran Khan, Shoaib wants to build a hospital.

"I want to build a hospital in Islamabad. Somewhere in the remote hills where no one can imagine. I will lay the first brick and then God will help me do the rest. My real life begins now, the life away from the spotlight. There are so many things that I want to do now. I want to leave my mark on the common man."

He makes no bones about the fact the he wants to emulate Imran.

"What Imran has done is unimaginable. People call him a cricketer-turned-politician, but I call him a revolutionary, a visionary. When you step in his cancer hospital, you get the feel of what he has done. I want to emulate him."

Wednesday, 22 December 2010

South Africa were lucky to win first Test against India

All-rounder Clive Rice was one of the golden generation of Test cricketers from South Africa whose international careers were destroyed by apartheid and the resultant sporting isolation of the country.

That generation included the likes of the Pollock brothers Graeme and Peter, Barry Richards, Mike Procter, and Eddie Barlow. Many of these names would arguably have been among the all-time greats of the game if only they had had a chance at a full career at the international level. Some of them got a taste of Test cricket before the boycott came into force in 1970. Others like Kepler Wessels, Robin Smith and Alan Lamb turned out for England or Australia.

Rice, however, was among those who missed out. He could only savour the experience of international cricket very briefly towards the fag end of his career when, aged 42, he led the Springboks on a three-ODI tour of India, signalling the end of their sporting isolation. He was, however, dropped from the side for the World Cup that followed soon after on the grounds of age, though he was supremely fit. Till date, Rice has not forgiven that decision.

Rice, who was rated among the world's best all-rounders in the 1980s, along with Kapil Dev, Ian Botham, Imran Khan and Richard Hadlee, believes his country's 1-0 lead in the current Test series against India owes a lot to the weather and the luck of the toss. In a no-holds-barred interview with DNA, he also flayed the politics in his country’s cricket establishment. Excerpts:

Where is the Test series heading?
This is going to be a very good series. South Africa put India in and got an early advantage. Going by the batting line-up that exists in the tournament, the quality of cricket can be very high. There is every chance that India will come back like Australia have in the Ashes. Everyone had written Australia off. The Poms got complacent. If South Africa get complacent, they will suddenly find the series 1-1.

How do you explain India’s performance in the first Test?
It is because they lost the toss. All that rain the night before the Test changed the complexion of the pitch. If you win the toss, as an international captain, you should be batting first. In this case, the rains left the pitch damp and [Graeme] Smith put the opposition in. We have seen the pitch giving turn. If it was dry from the very beginning, the Test would have been stacked in India’s favour. The moisture on the first day of the Test made [Dale] Steyn and [Morne] Morkel very difficult to handle.

You mean to say Smith should have batted first?
Absolutely. They saw the dampness on the pitch and inserted India.

So you say South Africa are lucky to have won the Test?
Going by the way India batted in the second innings and South Africa batted in the first innings, it could have been a high-scoring draw. Once a team gets a 500-run advantage, it gets difficult for the opposition to bat with conviction. Scoring over 450 without conviction is no mean achievement.

Durban is known to be the bounciest of the wickets in South Africa. Do you give India a chance there in the second Test?
The weather will be a big factor in Durban, too. If it is overcast, the ball will move around. The golf [tournament] that Ernie Els won this weekend saw a lot of rain. So you never know what can happen if it is raining. The toss could be crucial again.

With a little bit of luck, India could win the Durban Test.
Down there, you can be at the mercy of the weather. If you have got the conditions on your side, the opposition struggles automatically.

You said the home side cannot take 20 wickets in a Test and Graeme Smith said the team proved you wrong.
It is the first time in how many Tests they have managed to do it?I’m delighted that they did it. But it was left to two bowlers. It was also because of the conditions.

How do you analyse the Indian team?
The Indian batting line-up is very good. A batsman like MS Dhoni comes just before Harbhajan Singh. He needs support from the tailenders.

Are you still hurt at not being picked for the 1992 World Cup?
That will never change. I was a victim of the political game between Transvaal (now Gauteng) and the Eastern Province. I will never ever forgive them for whatever happened then. I can’t be bothered for the political power struggle that was going on then.

Can you elaborate on that power struggle?
The Eastern Province wanted to get control of the game. Previously, Transvaal dominated the game for 20 years — my whole career time. The Eastern Province had its way once they got control. After that, I contributed to South African cricket by becoming a national selector and running the national academy, but I’m still hurt by that incident.

Does the power still struggle exist here? Or has the situation changed?
Changed? No, I don’t think it has. That’s why there is no game at the Wanderers. The No 1 and 2 teams are playing here but there is no Test match at the Lord’s of South Africa!

Is it a kind of inverted apartheid that whites are being victimised now?
I say it is politics. Some accusations over the conduct of the IPL [Indian Premier League season 2] were made and they turned out to be true. I read in the papers that some members had to resign because of these allegations.

Can you give any specific instances of the politics in South African cricket?
See, players are choosing to play in England and are not being available to play for South Africa.

You mean to say South African cricket can be much better than it is?
Yes, it can be.

What is the solution?
I think we need to get the players administrating the game.

Like who?
The players who have got a passion for the game. If you have them, the game goes forward. If you got people there for money and not for the passion, then you have mediocrity in place.

Do you say there is mediocrity in the team?
I didn’t say that. If you have got a team, nobody will agree it is the best team. The debate is inevitable over whether the team is the best. It will never be the so-called best team. But we are not far off the best team.

So you agree that the South African selectors are doing a good job.
If they win the series, they are doing a good job. If not, everyone will think they are not up to the sleeve.

Thursday, 27 August 2009

India third on global 'female smoking list'

NEW DELHI: Indian women are among the worst in the world when it comes to smoking. According to the latest Tobacco Atlas, the country ranks third in the top 20 female smoking populations across the globe.

Only the US with 2.3 crore female smokers and China with 1.3 crore women smokers are worse off than India in this chart. However, as far as percentage of women smoking is concerned, it is below 20% for India.

Among India's immediate neighbours, only Pakistan figures in this infamous list, but right at the bottom at 20th with around 30 lakh female smokers.

Published by the American Cancer Society and World Lung Foundation, the Atlas makes another serious observation -- female smokers in India die an average eight years earlier than their non-smoking peers.

According to the Atlas, about 250 million women in the world are daily smokers -- 22% being from high resource countries and 9% from low and middle resource countries.

Realising the potential of this growing market, the Atlas said the tobacco industry has been marketing cigarettes to women using seductive but false images of vitality, emancipation, slimness, sophistication and sexual allure.

Reacting to the report, Dr P C Gupta, director of Healis Sekhsaria Institute of Public Health, told TOI that this finding had very serious implications for India. "Even though the percentage prevalence of women smoking in India isn't that high, the number is huge. In addition to all the harm that tobacco causes to men, women are additionally exposed in a special way because of their reproductive function."

Dr Gupta added that tobacco consumption reduced birth weight of the foetus, decreased their gestational age leading to premature babies, increased the risk of still births and heightened chances of anaemia among adult pregnant women.

"The government isn't focusing on anti-tobacco campaign that specially targets women. Smoking is definitely increasing in young college going women showing that the tobacco industry is targeting them very strongly," Dr Gupta added.

The Atlas said tobacco killed some six million people each year -- more than a third of whom will die from cancer -- and drained $500 billion annually from global economies.

As 25% of smokers die and many more become ill during their most productive years, income loss devastates families and communities. In 2010, 72% of those who die from tobacco related illnesses would be in low- and middle-income countries. By 2030, 83% of these deaths will occur in low and middle-income countries.

Unveiled at the Global Cancer Summit on Wednesday, the Atlas said 2.1 million cancer deaths per year will be attributable to tobacco by 2015. "The Atlas is crucial to helping advocates in every nation get the knowledge they need to combat the most preventable global health epidemic," said John R Seffrin, CEO of American Cancer Society.

Source: TOI

India third on global 'female smoking list'

NEW DELHI: Indian women are among the worst in the world when it comes to smoking. According to the latest Tobacco Atlas, the country ranks third in the top 20 female smoking populations across the globe.

Only the US with 2.3 crore female smokers and China with 1.3 crore women smokers are worse off than India in this chart. However, as far as percentage of women smoking is concerned, it is below 20% for India.

Among India's immediate neighbours, only Pakistan figures in this infamous list, but right at the bottom at 20th with around 30 lakh female smokers.

Published by the American Cancer Society and World Lung Foundation, the Atlas makes another serious observation -- female smokers in India die an average eight years earlier than their non-smoking peers.

According to the Atlas, about 250 million women in the world are daily smokers -- 22% being from high resource countries and 9% from low and middle resource countries.

Realising the potential of this growing market, the Atlas said the tobacco industry has been marketing cigarettes to women using seductive but false images of vitality, emancipation, slimness, sophistication and sexual allure.

Reacting to the report, Dr P C Gupta, director of Healis Sekhsaria Institute of Public Health, told TOI that this finding had very serious implications for India. "Even though the percentage prevalence of women smoking in India isn't that high, the number is huge. In addition to all the harm that tobacco causes to men, women are additionally exposed in a special way because of their reproductive function."

Dr Gupta added that tobacco consumption reduced birth weight of the foetus, decreased their gestational age leading to premature babies, increased the risk of still births and heightened chances of anaemia among adult pregnant women.

"The government isn't focusing on anti-tobacco campaign that specially targets women. Smoking is definitely increasing in young college going women showing that the tobacco industry is targeting them very strongly," Dr Gupta added.

The Atlas said tobacco killed some six million people each year -- more than a third of whom will die from cancer -- and drained $500 billion annually from global economies.

As 25% of smokers die and many more become ill during their most productive years, income loss devastates families and communities. In 2010, 72% of those who die from tobacco related illnesses would be in low- and middle-income countries. By 2030, 83% of these deaths will occur in low and middle-income countries.

Unveiled at the Global Cancer Summit on Wednesday, the Atlas said 2.1 million cancer deaths per year will be attributable to tobacco by 2015. "The Atlas is crucial to helping advocates in every nation get the knowledge they need to combat the most preventable global health epidemic," said John R Seffrin, CEO of American Cancer Society.

Source: TOI

Wednesday, 19 August 2009

India's technical education best in the world: Clinton

Washington: Lauding India's technical education system, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton believes the country is one of the best in this field, though it faces a challenge of providing adequate primary education to millions of children.

"You can look at the very best in Indian education, and it's the best in the world. You can look at the technical education and it is to be envied. It is so effective," Clinton said in response to a question which was texted to her during her recent trip to India.

Answers by the top US diplomat to select questions have now been posted on the State Department's website.

Clinton said millions of children in India, however, don't have adequate primary education or secondary education or, certainly, college education.

"India faces the challenge of so many people to serve in very rural areas, often without adequate infrastructure, so you have to come to grips with how you actually produce the schools that are needed, the teachers who will be dedicated, the curriculum and materials that are required," she said.

"It is truly up to all of us -- families, governments, businesses, educational institutions -- to do everything we can to give every child a chance to grow up and fulfill his or her God-given potential," Clinton said.



If Indo-US relationship is managed well, both India and United States can mutually benefit from former's economic progress, Clinton said further.

"I know that some Americans fear that greater partnership with India will mean lost jobs or falling wages in the United States. But if we manage our relationship well, both sides can benefit from India's economic progress," Clinton said.

"India's six per cent growth rate is a bright spot amid the global economic downturn, and bilateral trade and investment flows between our nations have doubled in the last five years," she said, adding that the 300 million members of India's burgeoning middle class present a vast new market and opportunity.

"Our countries should work together to open that market and spread the benefits of sustainable prosperity. We and the rest of the world have a lot to gain from our enhanced cooperation," Clinton said in her response to a question from William in Kentucky.



Clinton also exuded confidence that despite differences over way to tackle climate change, India and the United States can devise a successful plan on the issue.

"I am very confident -- and even more so after this trip -- that the United States and India can devise a plan that will dramatically change the way we produce, consume, and conserve energy. And, in the process, start an explosion of new investments and millions of jobs," Clinton said.

"How India and the United States can work together to devise a comprehensive, strategic approach to climate change and a clean energy future was an important topic of my trip," Clinton said in written response to another question.

The issue was discussed with leaders from both the Indian government and Indian businesses. "We in the United States, under the Obama administration, are recognising our responsibility and taking action," she said.

"The times we live in demand nothing less than a total commitment. The statistics are there for everyone to see. And as both of our nations reaffirmed at the Major Economies Forum just recently held in Italy, and moderated by President Obama, we need a successful outcome in Copenhagen later this year," Clinton said.

Bureau Report
Source: ZeeNews

India's technical education best in the world: Clinton

Washington: Lauding India's technical education system, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton believes the country is one of the best in this field, though it faces a challenge of providing adequate primary education to millions of children.

"You can look at the very best in Indian education, and it's the best in the world. You can look at the technical education and it is to be envied. It is so effective," Clinton said in response to a question which was texted to her during her recent trip to India.

Answers by the top US diplomat to select questions have now been posted on the State Department's website.

Clinton said millions of children in India, however, don't have adequate primary education or secondary education or, certainly, college education.

"India faces the challenge of so many people to serve in very rural areas, often without adequate infrastructure, so you have to come to grips with how you actually produce the schools that are needed, the teachers who will be dedicated, the curriculum and materials that are required," she said.

"It is truly up to all of us -- families, governments, businesses, educational institutions -- to do everything we can to give every child a chance to grow up and fulfill his or her God-given potential," Clinton said.



If Indo-US relationship is managed well, both India and United States can mutually benefit from former's economic progress, Clinton said further.

"I know that some Americans fear that greater partnership with India will mean lost jobs or falling wages in the United States. But if we manage our relationship well, both sides can benefit from India's economic progress," Clinton said.

"India's six per cent growth rate is a bright spot amid the global economic downturn, and bilateral trade and investment flows between our nations have doubled in the last five years," she said, adding that the 300 million members of India's burgeoning middle class present a vast new market and opportunity.

"Our countries should work together to open that market and spread the benefits of sustainable prosperity. We and the rest of the world have a lot to gain from our enhanced cooperation," Clinton said in her response to a question from William in Kentucky.



Clinton also exuded confidence that despite differences over way to tackle climate change, India and the United States can devise a successful plan on the issue.

"I am very confident -- and even more so after this trip -- that the United States and India can devise a plan that will dramatically change the way we produce, consume, and conserve energy. And, in the process, start an explosion of new investments and millions of jobs," Clinton said.

"How India and the United States can work together to devise a comprehensive, strategic approach to climate change and a clean energy future was an important topic of my trip," Clinton said in written response to another question.

The issue was discussed with leaders from both the Indian government and Indian businesses. "We in the United States, under the Obama administration, are recognising our responsibility and taking action," she said.

"The times we live in demand nothing less than a total commitment. The statistics are there for everyone to see. And as both of our nations reaffirmed at the Major Economies Forum just recently held in Italy, and moderated by President Obama, we need a successful outcome in Copenhagen later this year," Clinton said.

Bureau Report
Source: ZeeNews

Friday, 14 August 2009

Pakistanis feel US enemy No 1, not India

New Delhi, August 14:

Pakistani people in a survey admitted that America is the biggest threat to Pakistan’s stability, sidelining India and even Taliban.

Fifty-nine percent of respondents in an opinion poll carried out by Gallup Pakistan said that they faced greatest threat by the US. Drone anger or public fury over US predator strikes inside Pakistan seems to be especially responsible for America’s unpopularity. A massive 67 percent of those polled said they opposed US military operations on Pakistani soil.

Despite all the attacks and suicide bombings carried out by them throughout the country, only 11 percent of respondents think that Taliban posed a threat to them. A massive 43% supported dialogue with Taliban.

Billions of dollars in aid and untold numbers of visits by US officials have failed to win Pakistan’s full support for efforts to defeat the Taliban.

Quite contrary to popular belief, only eighteen per cent of people said that India is nurturing designs of Pakistan’s downfall.

Source: Zopag

Pakistanis feel US enemy No 1, not India

New Delhi, August 14:

Pakistani people in a survey admitted that America is the biggest threat to Pakistan’s stability, sidelining India and even Taliban.

Fifty-nine percent of respondents in an opinion poll carried out by Gallup Pakistan said that they faced greatest threat by the US. Drone anger or public fury over US predator strikes inside Pakistan seems to be especially responsible for America’s unpopularity. A massive 67 percent of those polled said they opposed US military operations on Pakistani soil.

Despite all the attacks and suicide bombings carried out by them throughout the country, only 11 percent of respondents think that Taliban posed a threat to them. A massive 43% supported dialogue with Taliban.

Billions of dollars in aid and untold numbers of visits by US officials have failed to win Pakistan’s full support for efforts to defeat the Taliban.

Quite contrary to popular belief, only eighteen per cent of people said that India is nurturing designs of Pakistan’s downfall.

Source: Zopag

Tuesday, 11 August 2009

'China should break India into 20-30 states'

New Delhi: In an article likely to raise Indian hackles, a Chinese strategist contends that Beijing should break up India into 20-30 independent states with the help of “friendly countries” like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan.

The publication of the article nearly coincided with the 13th round of India-China border talks that ended in New Delhi Saturday on a positive note, with Beijing emphasizing the need to build strategic trust and elevate strategic partnership to a new level to include coordination on global issues.
Written in Chinese, the article, “If China takes a little action, the so-called Great Indian Federation can be broken up,” is published in the new edition of the website of the China International Institute for Strategic Studies (CIISS), an influential think tank that advises Beijing on global and strategic issues.

According to DS Rajan, director of the Chennai Centre for China Studies, Chennai, Zhan Lue, the author of the article, argues that the “so-called” Indian nation cannot be considered as one having existed in history as it relies primarily on Hindu religion for unity.

The article says that India could only be termed a “Hindu religious state” that is based on caste exploitation and which is coming in the way of modernisation.

The writer goes on to argue that with these caste cleavages in mind, China in its own interest and the progress of whole of Asia should join forces with “different nationalities” like Assamese, Tamils and Kashmiris and support them in establishing independent nation states of their own.
n particular, the article asks Beijing to support the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), a militant separatist group in the Indian northeast, to it achieve independence for Assam from India.

Furthermore, the article suggests that China can give political support to Bangladesh to encourage ethnic Bengalis in India get rid of “Indian control” and unite with Bangladesh as one Bengali nation.

If this is not possible, the creation of at least another free Bengali nation state as a friendly neighbour of Bangladesh would be desirable for the purpose of weakening India’s expansion and threat aimed at forming a “unified South Asia”, the article argues.
The article recommends India’s break up into 20-30 nation-states like in Europe and contends that if the consciousness of “nationalities” in India could be aroused, social reforms in South Asia can be achieved, the caste system can be eradicated and the region can march towards prosperity.

The Chinese strategist suggests that to split India, China can seek support of friendly countries including Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan.

China should encourage Bangladesh to give a push to the independence of West Bengal and recover the 90,000 sq km territory in Arunachal Pradesh, which China calls Southern Tibet, says Rajan who has analysed the article for the Chennai-based think tank.

“The write-up could not have been published without the permission of the Chinese authorities, but it is sure that Beijing will wash its hands out of this if the matter is taken up by New Delhi,” says Rajan.

“It has generally been seen that China is speaking in two voices - its diplomatic interlocutors have always shown understanding in their dealings with their Indian counterparts, but its media is pouring venom on India,” says Rajan.

Which one to believe is a question confronting the public opinion and even policy makers in India, Rajan says, adding that ignoring such an article will “prove to be costly” for India.

Govt downplays suggestion

The Indian Government however described as an "expression of individual opinion" comments by the Chinese analyst.

At the same time, India emphasised that "opinions and assessment of the state of India-China relations should be expressed after careful judgement based on long-term interests of building a stable relationship between the two countries."

External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vishnu Prakash said India and China have strategic and cooperative partnership, and the multi-sectoral engagement and the pace of bilateral exchanges have gained momentum in recent years.

"The article in question appears to be an expression of individual opinion and does not accord with the officially stated position of China on bilateral relations conveyed to us on several occasions, including at the highest level, most recently by the State Councillor Dai Bingguo during the visit to India last week," he said, reacting to the analyst's views.

"We continue to maintain that opinion and assessment on the state of India-China relations should be expressed after careful judgement based on long-term interests of building a stable relationship between the two countries," Prakash said.

"The Chinese side has conveyed to us that in approaching India-China relations, China abides by the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence. One of these principles stresses respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty," Prakash said.

Source: Zee News

'China should break India into 20-30 states'

New Delhi: In an article likely to raise Indian hackles, a Chinese strategist contends that Beijing should break up India into 20-30 independent states with the help of “friendly countries” like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan.

The publication of the article nearly coincided with the 13th round of India-China border talks that ended in New Delhi Saturday on a positive note, with Beijing emphasizing the need to build strategic trust and elevate strategic partnership to a new level to include coordination on global issues.
Written in Chinese, the article, “If China takes a little action, the so-called Great Indian Federation can be broken up,” is published in the new edition of the website of the China International Institute for Strategic Studies (CIISS), an influential think tank that advises Beijing on global and strategic issues.

According to DS Rajan, director of the Chennai Centre for China Studies, Chennai, Zhan Lue, the author of the article, argues that the “so-called” Indian nation cannot be considered as one having existed in history as it relies primarily on Hindu religion for unity.

The article says that India could only be termed a “Hindu religious state” that is based on caste exploitation and which is coming in the way of modernisation.

The writer goes on to argue that with these caste cleavages in mind, China in its own interest and the progress of whole of Asia should join forces with “different nationalities” like Assamese, Tamils and Kashmiris and support them in establishing independent nation states of their own.
n particular, the article asks Beijing to support the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), a militant separatist group in the Indian northeast, to it achieve independence for Assam from India.

Furthermore, the article suggests that China can give political support to Bangladesh to encourage ethnic Bengalis in India get rid of “Indian control” and unite with Bangladesh as one Bengali nation.

If this is not possible, the creation of at least another free Bengali nation state as a friendly neighbour of Bangladesh would be desirable for the purpose of weakening India’s expansion and threat aimed at forming a “unified South Asia”, the article argues.
The article recommends India’s break up into 20-30 nation-states like in Europe and contends that if the consciousness of “nationalities” in India could be aroused, social reforms in South Asia can be achieved, the caste system can be eradicated and the region can march towards prosperity.

The Chinese strategist suggests that to split India, China can seek support of friendly countries including Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan.

China should encourage Bangladesh to give a push to the independence of West Bengal and recover the 90,000 sq km territory in Arunachal Pradesh, which China calls Southern Tibet, says Rajan who has analysed the article for the Chennai-based think tank.

“The write-up could not have been published without the permission of the Chinese authorities, but it is sure that Beijing will wash its hands out of this if the matter is taken up by New Delhi,” says Rajan.

“It has generally been seen that China is speaking in two voices - its diplomatic interlocutors have always shown understanding in their dealings with their Indian counterparts, but its media is pouring venom on India,” says Rajan.

Which one to believe is a question confronting the public opinion and even policy makers in India, Rajan says, adding that ignoring such an article will “prove to be costly” for India.

Govt downplays suggestion

The Indian Government however described as an "expression of individual opinion" comments by the Chinese analyst.

At the same time, India emphasised that "opinions and assessment of the state of India-China relations should be expressed after careful judgement based on long-term interests of building a stable relationship between the two countries."

External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vishnu Prakash said India and China have strategic and cooperative partnership, and the multi-sectoral engagement and the pace of bilateral exchanges have gained momentum in recent years.

"The article in question appears to be an expression of individual opinion and does not accord with the officially stated position of China on bilateral relations conveyed to us on several occasions, including at the highest level, most recently by the State Councillor Dai Bingguo during the visit to India last week," he said, reacting to the analyst's views.

"We continue to maintain that opinion and assessment on the state of India-China relations should be expressed after careful judgement based on long-term interests of building a stable relationship between the two countries," Prakash said.

"The Chinese side has conveyed to us that in approaching India-China relations, China abides by the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence. One of these principles stresses respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty," Prakash said.

Source: Zee News

Saturday, 8 August 2009

Sehwag racing against time for Champs Trophy

After being out of action for over two months following a shoulder injury that needed surgery, dashing opener Virender Sehwag is hoping to return to top-notch cricket through the ICC Champions Trophy next month.
"I am hoping to play in the ICC Champions Trophy. My rehabilitation is going well," said the Delhi marauder on the sidelines of a book release function here on Friday.
Sehwag sustained the shoulder injury during the semi-finals of the Indian Premier League in South Africa in May while captaining Delhi Daredevils against eventual winners Deccan Chargers.
Source: Cricketnext.in

Sehwag racing against time for Champs Trophy

After being out of action for over two months following a shoulder injury that needed surgery, dashing opener Virender Sehwag is hoping to return to top-notch cricket through the ICC Champions Trophy next month.
"I am hoping to play in the ICC Champions Trophy. My rehabilitation is going well," said the Delhi marauder on the sidelines of a book release function here on Friday.
Sehwag sustained the shoulder injury during the semi-finals of the Indian Premier League in South Africa in May while captaining Delhi Daredevils against eventual winners Deccan Chargers.
Source: Cricketnext.in