The Government of Bihar has given its go ahead to implement an Rs 25.2 crore e-Governance project to cover all its 8,479 panchayats.
The proposal that was approved last week at a state cabinet meeting in Patna aims at setting up a panchayat information centres or panchayat portals called Vasudha Kendras that will enable villagers to connect with the outside world and provide affordable and easy access to information about the government and its policies.
These Vasudha Kendras would further be connected to all state departments through the Internet and the government will provide computers and Internet connections at the panchayat level centre. According to the plan, eight government departments, including the chief minister secretariat, will be linked to the State-wide Area Network (SWAN).
The project aims at establishing direct contact with villagers and making the functioning of the government more transparent.
According to reports, the project would be developed by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) along with the Bihar State Electronics Development Corporation, a state-owned IT body, while Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS) will monitor the implementation.
The state had provided top administrative officials and ministers with laptops as part of its e-Governance initiative only recently. Besides, it has also connected all its 38 district headquarters through video-conferencing link.
—iGovernment Bureau
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
King of chess
After 14 days of hard work in Mexico City, chess maestro Viswanathan Anand is entitled to a certain satisfaction. He has been crowned world champion (and received the attached prize money, $390,000, or over Rs 1.5 crore). Across 121 years, only 17 men have won this title — of them, Anand is the only one born and bred outside Europe and the former USSR. In most of the 160-odd nations where this ancient game is played seriously, this achievement would confer automatic superstar status. Sadly, in his country of origin, where chess was invented, Anand’s achievement is overshadowed in the public consciousness by the performance of the national cricket team. In contrast to the cricketers, Anand won without fuss and bother. He entered Mexico as the top seed and duly dominated a field, which consisted of eight of the world’s best players, emerging the undefeated champion. Uniquely, the 37-year-old is the only one to have won the world title under two different formats, and he also holds the world rapid title.
To play tournament chess at any level requires natural talent, strong will, good nerves, physical fitness and the acquisition of a huge body of knowledge about the ways in which the pieces interact across the 64 squares. While the other qualities may be genetic, acquiring the theory requires hard work. The game is taught in schools across much of Western Europe and across all the former Soviet republics by top-class practitioners. It is an amazing act of self-pedagogy for somebody to consistently beat the best products off those assembly lines. It is roughly equivalent to learning a foreign language with enough fluency to write in it and win a Nobel.
Anand’s feats have inspired an entire generation of talented Indian players. The “Indian chess revolution”, if it may be so described, has produced a string of teenagers (Harikrishna, Humpy, Negi, Sachdeva) who compete and win at the highest levels. Sadly, most of this activity has taken place off the public radar and been driven by the efforts of a few dedicated souls.
Chess has many positive externalities. It helps practitioners learn the discipline and self-control required to calculate a mass of possibilities and make quick decisions against a ticking clock. It is a terrific training ground for visuo-spatial pattern recognition. Last but not least, some of the thorniest problems in mathematics and computer science revolve around the game and programming computers to play it well. Thus, it has obvious synergies with information technology and training — the fact that Anand is the NIIT brand ambassador is recognition of this.
It is a relatively inexpensive sport — the programmes and coaching expertise are not expensive to acquire. Hosting a tournament or a circuit of tournaments also costs less than in most major sports. And, online audiences for world titles and events like “Kasparov versus Deep Blue” run into the hundreds of millions. However, other sports where India possesses fewer achievers routinely attract many multiples more by way of sponsorship. The last time Anand won the world championships (2000), chess itself was in turmoil with split associations and rival claimants for the title. This time round, he is the undisputed champion of the world. His achievements have already inspired many young men and women to commit energies to this mind-sport. It would be wonderful if India Inc. took note and started putting a little money into the game.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Replicate Bihar Model of RTI mechanism- Suggested by Arvind Kejriwal to Delhi Govt.
Magassay award winner Arvind Kajriwal on Sunday urged the Delhi government to replicate the Bihar RTI model where applicants use helpline services, saying it would simplify the procedure of filing the applications.
"We will have to simplify the process of filing the RTI applications. The applicant does not know how to draft an RTI application," he said at a seminar on Right To Information Act organised by YMCA here.
In each department under Delhi government, there are several Assistant Public Information Officers (APIOs) whose job is to forward the application to the Public Information Officer (PIO). Every APIO's would deal with specific problem separately.
"But the applicant does not know in whose name the application would be addressed," he said.
He hailed the Bihar model which allows the applicants to use helpline number for seeking information.
"Replicate the model of Bihar, in which instead of writing an application for seeking information, all one has to do is to dial a helpline number. A Rs 10 RTI application fee will be added to the telephone call charge," he said.
"We will have to simplify the process of filing the RTI applications. The applicant does not know how to draft an RTI application," he said at a seminar on Right To Information Act organised by YMCA here.
In each department under Delhi government, there are several Assistant Public Information Officers (APIOs) whose job is to forward the application to the Public Information Officer (PIO). Every APIO's would deal with specific problem separately.
"But the applicant does not know in whose name the application would be addressed," he said.
He hailed the Bihar model which allows the applicants to use helpline number for seeking information.
"Replicate the model of Bihar, in which instead of writing an application for seeking information, all one has to do is to dial a helpline number. A Rs 10 RTI application fee will be added to the telephone call charge," he said.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Maulana Mazharul Haque- A Bihari Freedom Fighter
Maulana Mazharul Haque was born to a rich landlord, Sheikh Ahmedullah, in Bihar in December 1866. An only son, he had two sisters Ghafrunisha and Kaneez Fatma.
His primary education was delivered at home by a Maulvi, but he passed his matriculation from the Patna Collegiate in 1886. He then traveled to Lucknow for higher studies, where he was admitted to Cannig College. However, it is said that he found it difficult to adjust to circumstances and instead, chose to leave for England the same year to pursue a course in law. He returned to India qualified in law in 1891 and set up a legal practice in Patna. He even joined the judicial service as a Munsif, on the advice of a foreign friend. It is perhaps not surprising though, that he soon developed differences with the District & Sessions Judge and had to resign. Subsequently, he started a practice at Chapra.
He is said to have made a significant contribution to relief efforts launched during the famine in Saran district of Bihar in 1897. But Maulana Mazharul Haque's public life actually commenced with the creation of the Bihar Provincial Conference, a move he supported as he believed in the need for the constitution of Bihar as a separate province.
In 1906, he moved to Patna to continue to practice law. It was also in 1906 that Maulana Mazharul Haque was elected Vice Chairman of Bihar Congress Committee.
Mazharul Haque helped organize the Home Rule Movement in Bihar and was its President in 1916. He actively participated in the Champaran Satyagraha for which he was sentenced to 3 months imprisonment.
Subsequently, when the Non Cooperation and Khilafat Movements were launched, Mazharul Haque gave up his lucrative legal practice and his elected post as member of the Imperial Legislative Council and turned all his efforts to the freedom struggle. By now, he was a firm believer in complete Independence being "the birthright of every Nation"�.
Mazharul Haque was also a fervent believer in democratic decentralization and he organized the Panchayats in Saran district towards meeting this vision. He also made many requests for better educational facilities in Bihar, especially for free and compulsory primary education.
Maulana Mazharul Haque is known to have stayed with his maternal uncle Dr. Saiyyad Mahmood in Siwan during the anti-purdah movement launched in Bihar in response to the Non Cooperation Movement of 1920. Mahatma Gandhi sought to bring women also into mainstream politics, to strengthen the resistance against British rule as well as empower them to play a more active role in society. Literally, purdah means "veil" and the system involves women being confined indoors or wearing a protective veil whenever they venture outdoors. The purdah system espoused by Muslim and many Hindu families, especially in Bihar, meant that women remained behind men in all spheres of life. Around this time, he was approached by students of the Patna University desiring to support Gandhi's call to boycott Government run institutions. The Bihar Vidyapeeth, then headquartered at an ashram he constructed on the Patna-Danapur road thus came into being. The ashram became well known as the Sadaquat Ashram, it now serves as the headquarters of the Congress party in Patna, the capital of the state of Bihar.
An avid writer and poet, in 1921, he started "The Motherland" an English weekly journal (later bi-weekly) which was used to propagate thoughts and ideals of the Non Cooperation Movement.
While Maulana Mazharul Haque's birthplace was village Brahmpur, Thana Maner of Patna district, by 1900 his affinity to village Faridpur of district Siwan (then Saran district) where his family held a lot of land was well established. Here he constructed a home and named it "Ashiana". Ashiana was visited by a number of India's leaders of the times, such as Pandit Motilal Nehru in 1927, Sarojini Devi in 1928 and afterwards over the years Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya, K.F. Nariman and Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad.
Mazharul Haque retired from politics during the last years of his life. He died in his home, "Ashiana" in January 1930.
In remembrance of this worthy freedom fighter and educationalist, in April 1988, the Maulana Mazharul Haque Arabic and Persian University was founded at Patna.
His primary education was delivered at home by a Maulvi, but he passed his matriculation from the Patna Collegiate in 1886. He then traveled to Lucknow for higher studies, where he was admitted to Cannig College. However, it is said that he found it difficult to adjust to circumstances and instead, chose to leave for England the same year to pursue a course in law. He returned to India qualified in law in 1891 and set up a legal practice in Patna. He even joined the judicial service as a Munsif, on the advice of a foreign friend. It is perhaps not surprising though, that he soon developed differences with the District & Sessions Judge and had to resign. Subsequently, he started a practice at Chapra.
He is said to have made a significant contribution to relief efforts launched during the famine in Saran district of Bihar in 1897. But Maulana Mazharul Haque's public life actually commenced with the creation of the Bihar Provincial Conference, a move he supported as he believed in the need for the constitution of Bihar as a separate province.
In 1906, he moved to Patna to continue to practice law. It was also in 1906 that Maulana Mazharul Haque was elected Vice Chairman of Bihar Congress Committee.
Mazharul Haque helped organize the Home Rule Movement in Bihar and was its President in 1916. He actively participated in the Champaran Satyagraha for which he was sentenced to 3 months imprisonment.
Subsequently, when the Non Cooperation and Khilafat Movements were launched, Mazharul Haque gave up his lucrative legal practice and his elected post as member of the Imperial Legislative Council and turned all his efforts to the freedom struggle. By now, he was a firm believer in complete Independence being "the birthright of every Nation"�.
Mazharul Haque was also a fervent believer in democratic decentralization and he organized the Panchayats in Saran district towards meeting this vision. He also made many requests for better educational facilities in Bihar, especially for free and compulsory primary education.
Maulana Mazharul Haque is known to have stayed with his maternal uncle Dr. Saiyyad Mahmood in Siwan during the anti-purdah movement launched in Bihar in response to the Non Cooperation Movement of 1920. Mahatma Gandhi sought to bring women also into mainstream politics, to strengthen the resistance against British rule as well as empower them to play a more active role in society. Literally, purdah means "veil" and the system involves women being confined indoors or wearing a protective veil whenever they venture outdoors. The purdah system espoused by Muslim and many Hindu families, especially in Bihar, meant that women remained behind men in all spheres of life. Around this time, he was approached by students of the Patna University desiring to support Gandhi's call to boycott Government run institutions. The Bihar Vidyapeeth, then headquartered at an ashram he constructed on the Patna-Danapur road thus came into being. The ashram became well known as the Sadaquat Ashram, it now serves as the headquarters of the Congress party in Patna, the capital of the state of Bihar.
An avid writer and poet, in 1921, he started "The Motherland" an English weekly journal (later bi-weekly) which was used to propagate thoughts and ideals of the Non Cooperation Movement.
While Maulana Mazharul Haque's birthplace was village Brahmpur, Thana Maner of Patna district, by 1900 his affinity to village Faridpur of district Siwan (then Saran district) where his family held a lot of land was well established. Here he constructed a home and named it "Ashiana". Ashiana was visited by a number of India's leaders of the times, such as Pandit Motilal Nehru in 1927, Sarojini Devi in 1928 and afterwards over the years Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya, K.F. Nariman and Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad.
Mazharul Haque retired from politics during the last years of his life. He died in his home, "Ashiana" in January 1930.
In remembrance of this worthy freedom fighter and educationalist, in April 1988, the Maulana Mazharul Haque Arabic and Persian University was founded at Patna.
Prestige Omgega- An Innovative Advertising
Its a common consumer grouse that handle is the first thing to come apart in any cookware.To address this problem TTK came out with Omega series of Non Stick cooking pan with stronger handle.
To communicate this, an Innovative hoarding was put up in Bangaluru. What made this idea powerful was the fact that the hoarding carrying a giant Non-Stick fry pan rested on the handle.
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Patna High Court does Bihar proud
This might come as a pleasant surprise. Bihar, which has one of the highest crime rates in India, can boast of a high court with relatively one of the fewest number of pending cases - 97,354. This is in sharp contrast to many other states where the backlog in the high courts runs into hundreds of thousands.
According to latest official statistics from various high courts at the end of March this year, the figure of 97,354 for the Patna High Court compares very favourably with those at the high courts of Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Uttar Pradesh.
While the Allahabad High Court tops the list of courts with a high backlog - at 815,602 cases, the Orissa High Court has 224,382 cases.
Three other high courts - in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh - have 209,095, 188,796 and 148,512 cases respectively pending with them.
What's worse, other economically well off states too have a surfeit of cases at their high courts.
For example, the Madras High Court and the Bombay High Court respectively occupy the second and third positions in the list of high courts with a huge build-up of cases awaiting adjudication. The Madras High Court has 418,110 cases pending with it, while the backlog of cases at Bombay High Court stands at 366,495.
The high courts of West Bengal, Punjab and Haryana, and Gujarat had 272,643, 244,875, and 112,045 cases pending with them respectively at the end of March this year.
What's surprising is that the Patna High Court has been able to keep the backlog of cases low despite having a massive vacancy - 32.5 percent - of judges. Against a sanctioned strength of 43 judges, it has just 29 judges.
In contrast, the Allahabad High Court has merely 19 percent judicial vacancy, having 77 judges against a sanctioned strength of 95 judges. Only the Orissa as well as Punjab and Haryana high courts have judicial vacancies higher than that of the Patna High Court.
The Orissa High Court, which tops the list of courts with 36 percent of judicial vacancy, has only 14 judges against a sanctioned strength of 22. The vacancy at the Punjab and Haryana High Court is to the tune of 34 percent (35 judges working against a sanctioned strength of 53).
The vacancy of judges in other high courts is in the range of 20 percent with Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan having 20 percent vacancy each, Gujarat 26 percent, Bombay 17 percent and Madras 10 percent.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Sign this online petition to Stop the bias against Bihar and Biharis
Dear Friends,
Here we are in 2007, having just celebrated our Nation's 60th birthday, in this new era marching ahead with great hope and conviction to take our country to new heights. We are talking about world being flat and information being power, we are talking about tele density and broadband penetration but alas we still come across horrific incidents where people are being killed for just being Bihari. By destiny they were born as Bihari and that become the cause of their gruesome killing.
The recent gruesome of killing of Biharis in Assam by ULFA militants is yet
another incident which shows the kind of bias which exits in our Country
against Bihar and Biharis. So how do we react to this as a Bihari and citizens of this country?
How do we express our anguish and pain when our fellow country men are being
killed for being Bihari ? Following the great tradition of this great country we humbly submit our petition http://www.petitiononline.com/1bihar/petition.html ,
Please spare a moment for the cause of the bereaved soul and lodge your protest against this incident in strongest possible word. Let's hope and pray that incidents like these are never repeated and also express our solidarity with the family members of the bereaved ones.
Our Friend Ajit Chouhan has started this petition drive http://www.petitiononline.com/1bihar/petition.html to ensure that we raise
our voice against this act of cowardice.
I'll request you all to sign and send this link http://www.petitiononline.com/1bihar/petition.html to
all your friends and relatives and request them to sign this petition, let's try and ensure that each Bihari put his protest against this heinous act.
http://www.petitiononline.com/1bihar/petition.html
Thanks,
Here we are in 2007, having just celebrated our Nation's 60th birthday, in this new era marching ahead with great hope and conviction to take our country to new heights. We are talking about world being flat and information being power, we are talking about tele density and broadband penetration but alas we still come across horrific incidents where people are being killed for just being Bihari. By destiny they were born as Bihari and that become the cause of their gruesome killing.
The recent gruesome of killing of Biharis in Assam by ULFA militants is yet
another incident which shows the kind of bias which exits in our Country
against Bihar and Biharis. So how do we react to this as a Bihari and citizens of this country?
How do we express our anguish and pain when our fellow country men are being
killed for being Bihari ? Following the great tradition of this great country we humbly submit our petition http://www.petitiononline.com/1bihar/petition.html ,
Please spare a moment for the cause of the bereaved soul and lodge your protest against this incident in strongest possible word. Let's hope and pray that incidents like these are never repeated and also express our solidarity with the family members of the bereaved ones.
Our Friend Ajit Chouhan has started this petition drive http://www.petitiononline.com/1bihar/petition.html to ensure that we raise
our voice against this act of cowardice.
I'll request you all to sign and send this link http://www.petitiononline.com/1bihar/petition.html to
all your friends and relatives and request them to sign this petition, let's try and ensure that each Bihari put his protest against this heinous act.
http://www.petitiononline.com/1bihar/petition.html
Thanks,
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
India is Asia's top spot for billionaires
From being one of the world's poorest economies six decades ago to becoming a "top spot" today, India has come a long way, Forbes says in a special report even as it lists more billionaires in India worth $191 billion than in any other Asian nation.
"India's top ten, worth $112 billion, account for two-thirds of that wealth," it says in the report 'India at 60'.
"India's rising fortunes are underscored by the increasing prosperity of its wealthiest citizens," it adds, as it lists 36 billionaires in the country.
"India was one of the world's poorest economies when it won its independence from Britain in 1947. Incredibly, 60 years later, the country's emerging economic clout has made it Asia's top spot for billionaires."
This year, for the first time in two decades of wealth tracking, Forbes counted more Indians than Japanese billionaires. Three Indians made it to the list of top 20 of the world's richest and only the US had more billionaires than India.
"We have made decent progress in several areas during the last 60 years. We have produced world-class scientists, engineers, journalists, soldiers, bureaucrats, politicians and doctors," says N R Narayana Murthy, the co-founder of one of India's best known software companies and among those in the rich list.
"There is an equally convincing set of data to show that we have a long way to go in certain other areas. A whopping 350 million are illiterate, 260 million people are still below the poverty line, 150 million people lack access to drinking water; 750 million people lack decent sanitation," he adds.
Veteran investment banker Nimesh Kampani, chairperson of the JM Financial Group and until recently, Morgan Stanley's Indian partner, predicts 100 billionaires by 2009 representing diverse fields. "There's lots more that lies beneath."
According to Forbes, it was a vastly different story in 1987 when the magazine began tracking fortunes around the world - that year the only Indian on the list was the Birla family with a net worth of close to $2 billion.
It was only in 1994 when Dhirubhai Ambani of Reliance Industries made his debut with his petrochemicals fortune. His empire has now been split between his two sons, Mukesh and Anil.
Today, London-based Lakshmi N Mittal is the richest Indian worth $25 billion, followed by Mukesh and Anil, who unseated Wipro group's chairman Azim Premji, who had been India's richest resident for several years.
"India was a relatively sleepy place for the world's wealthiest until three years ago. With just nine billionaires in 2004, none ranked higher than 58," says the magazine.
"That's when wealth began taking off, with the fast-rising stock market and booming real estate sector bringing prosperity as never before," it says, adding the sensitive index of the Bombay Stock Exchange soared from soared from 6,000 points to more than 15,000 points recently.
Forbes says many tycoons have been in the news lately for negotiating big deals. Venugopal Dhoot is set to acquire Daewoo Electronics for $700 million.
Commodities magnate Kumar Mangalam Birla paid $1 billion to buy the Tata Group's stake in their telecom joint venture Idea. Banker Uday Kotak bought out Goldman Sach's stake in his bank's investment banking and brokerage arms.
This apart, there were five newcomers in the latest Forbes list, including Kalanidhi Maran, who runs regional broadcaster Sun TV, and Ramesh Chandra, who made a fortune building middle-class housing.
Others are and Jignesh Shah, who set up India's largest commodities exchange, tractor tycoon Keshub Mahindra and Infosys Technologies co-founder K Dinesh, who returned to the list after having previously slipped off.
Yet, there were also some dropouts, including India's richest self-made woman, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw of Biocon and Anurag Dikshit, who saw the stock of his net gaming outfit, PartyGaming, tank over regulatory issues.
The Forbes special report also has other articles like "Indian Students Flock To The US", "The Indian Media Mela", "Do You Have A 'Chindia' Strategy", "India at 60" by Amartya Sen, "Hottest Wedding Spots In India" and "World's Cheapest Car
"India's top ten, worth $112 billion, account for two-thirds of that wealth," it says in the report 'India at 60'.
"India's rising fortunes are underscored by the increasing prosperity of its wealthiest citizens," it adds, as it lists 36 billionaires in the country.
"India was one of the world's poorest economies when it won its independence from Britain in 1947. Incredibly, 60 years later, the country's emerging economic clout has made it Asia's top spot for billionaires."
This year, for the first time in two decades of wealth tracking, Forbes counted more Indians than Japanese billionaires. Three Indians made it to the list of top 20 of the world's richest and only the US had more billionaires than India.
"We have made decent progress in several areas during the last 60 years. We have produced world-class scientists, engineers, journalists, soldiers, bureaucrats, politicians and doctors," says N R Narayana Murthy, the co-founder of one of India's best known software companies and among those in the rich list.
"There is an equally convincing set of data to show that we have a long way to go in certain other areas. A whopping 350 million are illiterate, 260 million people are still below the poverty line, 150 million people lack access to drinking water; 750 million people lack decent sanitation," he adds.
Veteran investment banker Nimesh Kampani, chairperson of the JM Financial Group and until recently, Morgan Stanley's Indian partner, predicts 100 billionaires by 2009 representing diverse fields. "There's lots more that lies beneath."
According to Forbes, it was a vastly different story in 1987 when the magazine began tracking fortunes around the world - that year the only Indian on the list was the Birla family with a net worth of close to $2 billion.
It was only in 1994 when Dhirubhai Ambani of Reliance Industries made his debut with his petrochemicals fortune. His empire has now been split between his two sons, Mukesh and Anil.
Today, London-based Lakshmi N Mittal is the richest Indian worth $25 billion, followed by Mukesh and Anil, who unseated Wipro group's chairman Azim Premji, who had been India's richest resident for several years.
"India was a relatively sleepy place for the world's wealthiest until three years ago. With just nine billionaires in 2004, none ranked higher than 58," says the magazine.
"That's when wealth began taking off, with the fast-rising stock market and booming real estate sector bringing prosperity as never before," it says, adding the sensitive index of the Bombay Stock Exchange soared from soared from 6,000 points to more than 15,000 points recently.
Forbes says many tycoons have been in the news lately for negotiating big deals. Venugopal Dhoot is set to acquire Daewoo Electronics for $700 million.
Commodities magnate Kumar Mangalam Birla paid $1 billion to buy the Tata Group's stake in their telecom joint venture Idea. Banker Uday Kotak bought out Goldman Sach's stake in his bank's investment banking and brokerage arms.
This apart, there were five newcomers in the latest Forbes list, including Kalanidhi Maran, who runs regional broadcaster Sun TV, and Ramesh Chandra, who made a fortune building middle-class housing.
Others are and Jignesh Shah, who set up India's largest commodities exchange, tractor tycoon Keshub Mahindra and Infosys Technologies co-founder K Dinesh, who returned to the list after having previously slipped off.
Yet, there were also some dropouts, including India's richest self-made woman, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw of Biocon and Anurag Dikshit, who saw the stock of his net gaming outfit, PartyGaming, tank over regulatory issues.
The Forbes special report also has other articles like "Indian Students Flock To The US", "The Indian Media Mela", "Do You Have A 'Chindia' Strategy", "India at 60" by Amartya Sen, "Hottest Wedding Spots In India" and "World's Cheapest Car
Monday, August 13, 2007
Bihar Flood Relief- Contribute your 2 cents
One BIHAR Team launched a comnined effort with the help of several Bihari organisation to help the flood victims in Northern Bihar. Here are the details and for more please visit http://www.biharfloodrelief.blogspot.com/
The focus is on providing chlorine and halogen tablets to prevent any epidemic breakout due to contaminated water. Your donations are required for buying these medicines. You can also help us in purchasing these medicines by providing contacts.
We plan to buy these medicines in Mumbai and courier it to Chandan in Patna at the earliest. If you can help us buy these medicines in a better way (Better rates, Local contacts in Patna etc) do contact us at 0-9323473603/ rajiv.vidyarthy@gmail.com/ tanyaprasad@hotmail.com
These medicines will be delivered to Chandan Singh, who is part of One Bihar Team (http://1bihar.blogspot.com/). Chandan will take care of its further distribution. Distribution will be through some of the good NGOs working in the relief operations.
This is an initiative driven by people from multiple bihar based yahoogroups. We have executed similar projects in past through these yahoogroups. Some of the projects that we have executed in past can be found at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Bihari/files/ and http://1bihar.blogspot.com/
Atul Kumar (IIM Ahmedabad, AVP, Genpact, USA),
Rajiv Vidyarthy (IIT Delhi, IIM Lucknow, Mumbai),
Chandan Singh (Executive Director, GreenPower),
Tanya Prasad (Mumbai),
Saroj Kumar (Project Manager, based in USA),
Samir Kumar (Research Student in Australia),
Ajit Chouhan (Business Partner, Infosys)
Naveen Sharma (IIT Kgp, Program Manager, Cisco),
TV Sinha (XLRI, Sr VP, Polaris),
Mayank Krishna (Marketing Manager, Pidilite)
.. there are many more names .. You can find more details about these people on www.Orkut.com
Your donations will be acknowledged and account statements will be published regularly at the following link, you can track the development by visiting this link.
Donations collected and purchases done till now are displayed here (This document is updated every few hours),
Please provide us some time to include your donations in this list.
Transfer your donations to ICICI bank account # 002001019947 (Rajiv Vidyarthy, Powai Branch, Mumbai). Please mention your name in the comments (will help us track) and send an email with the transfer details to Rajiv.vidyarthy@gmail.com, we will send you a confirmation for the same.
Through ICICI bank branches – Go to any ICICI bank and deposit your donations in account number, 002001019947. call Rajiv@9323473603 and inform about the donation.
We can arrange to collect cash/cheque/other bank transfers, call up Rajiv@9323473603 to coordinate.
Donors in US - Transfer your donations to Saroj Kumar's (ex-moderator Bihari Group) BoA account, send him an email with your transfer details at sarojbihar@yahoo.co.in
First Name : Saroj
Last Name : Kumar
A/c #: 18299 40027
zip: 94555
Routing no: 121000358
Bank of America
What is our focus? How can I help?
The focus is on providing chlorine and halogen tablets to prevent any epidemic breakout due to contaminated water. Your donations are required for buying these medicines. You can also help us in purchasing these medicines by providing contacts.
How these medicines will be purchased?
We plan to buy these medicines in Mumbai and courier it to Chandan in Patna at the earliest. If you can help us buy these medicines in a better way (Better rates, Local contacts in Patna etc) do contact us at 0-9323473603/ rajiv.vidyarthy@gmail.com/ tanyaprasad@hotmail.com
How these medicines will be distributed?
These medicines will be delivered to Chandan Singh, who is part of One Bihar Team (http://1bihar.blogspot.com/). Chandan will take care of its further distribution. Distribution will be through some of the good NGOs working in the relief operations.
People behind this initiative
This is an initiative driven by people from multiple bihar based yahoogroups. We have executed similar projects in past through these yahoogroups. Some of the projects that we have executed in past can be found at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Bihari/files/ and http://1bihar.blogspot.com/
Some of the people behind this initiative are
Atul Kumar (IIM Ahmedabad, AVP, Genpact, USA),
Rajiv Vidyarthy (IIT Delhi, IIM Lucknow, Mumbai),
Chandan Singh (Executive Director, GreenPower),
Tanya Prasad (Mumbai),
Saroj Kumar (Project Manager, based in USA),
Samir Kumar (Research Student in Australia),
Ajit Chouhan (Business Partner, Infosys)
Naveen Sharma (IIT Kgp, Program Manager, Cisco),
TV Sinha (XLRI, Sr VP, Polaris),
Mayank Krishna (Marketing Manager, Pidilite)
.. there are many more names .. You can find more details about these people on www.Orkut.com
Transparency
Your donations will be acknowledged and account statements will be published regularly at the following link, you can track the development by visiting this link.
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Bank of America
Saturday, August 11, 2007
another first - India's first spot exchange in Bihar to trade maize
Leading commodity bourse NCDEX will launch the country's first spot exchange in Bihar by the end of next month with trading in maize contracts.
"We plan to launch NCDEX Spot Exchange in Bihar by September-end," National Commodity and Derivative Exchange chief strategist Narender Gupta said.
The NCDEX-promoted spot exchange would initially allow trading in maize -- a major crop in Bihar. It would later expand to other crops, he said.
Gupta said NCDEX would also launch spot exchanges in other states. "We hope to launch spot exchange in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Rajasthan soon," he said.
Separately, NCDEX's rival Multi-Commodity Exchange (MCX) has promoted National Spot Exchange Ltd (NSEL) and sought permission from Gujarat government to launch its electronic spot market in the state.
Since agriculture is a state subject, an electronic spot exchange cannot be launched at the national level. For any spot exchange to get a presence in all states, it has to ask permission from each states separately, an analyst said.
Explaining the functioning of the spot exchange, Gupta said though sellers would be from Bihar, buyers could be from anywhere in the country. Traders functioning in futures market can also buy from the spot market.
"We plan to launch NCDEX Spot Exchange in Bihar by September-end," National Commodity and Derivative Exchange chief strategist Narender Gupta said.
The NCDEX-promoted spot exchange would initially allow trading in maize -- a major crop in Bihar. It would later expand to other crops, he said.
Gupta said NCDEX would also launch spot exchanges in other states. "We hope to launch spot exchange in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Rajasthan soon," he said.
Separately, NCDEX's rival Multi-Commodity Exchange (MCX) has promoted National Spot Exchange Ltd (NSEL) and sought permission from Gujarat government to launch its electronic spot market in the state.
Since agriculture is a state subject, an electronic spot exchange cannot be launched at the national level. For any spot exchange to get a presence in all states, it has to ask permission from each states separately, an analyst said.
Explaining the functioning of the spot exchange, Gupta said though sellers would be from Bihar, buyers could be from anywhere in the country. Traders functioning in futures market can also buy from the spot market.
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Most viewed video on the net: The Battle of Kruger
An amateur video of a tussle between a pride of lions, a herd of buffalo and two crocodiles is slowly climbing the charts on youtube.com, the popular video hosting website.
The video, which was shot in September 2004 at a watering hole in the Kruger National Park in South Africa, has been seen over 9,336,173 times.
The Battle of Kruger, as it's popularly called, has drama, suspense, action and good old family values. Little wonder then, that it's such a smash hit.
The video, which was shot in September 2004 at a watering hole in the Kruger National Park in South Africa, has been seen over 9,336,173 times.
The Battle of Kruger, as it's popularly called, has drama, suspense, action and good old family values. Little wonder then, that it's such a smash hit.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
The Lost Temples of India
The Lost Temples of India part 1
The Lost Temples of India part2
The Lost Temples of India part3
The Lost Temples of India part 4
The Lost Temples of India part 5
The Lost Temples of India part 6
What Happened to Jesus after his resurrection ? Did Jesus came to India after wards? See these videos and read to know more
After surviving the crucifixion, Jesus Christ arrived in Kashmir, where he took up residence for the remainder of his life. There he ministered to Israelite tribes of the area, continuing to preach. The Negaristan-i-Kashmir book allegedaly says that he eventually married a woman named Maryan, who bore him children. He died at the ripe old age of 120 years. His tomb is located in the Mohala Kan Yar district of the capital city of Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, Northern India, and is called the Roza Bal ("The Site of the Honored Tomb").
There is another claim : Reref to this websire
http://www.tombofjesus.com/2007/home/welcome.html
This website presents and offers evidence that Jesus Christ is dead and buried in a tomb in Srinagar, Kashmir, India, and will not be returning to earth. The website examines a range of topics from the Shroud of Turin to the Israelite origin of the people of Asia. It aims to brings together research and material related to this theory from a variety of sources.
Jesus in Kashmir,India(BBC Documentry)-1
Jesus in Kashmir,India(BBC Documentry)-2
Jesus in Kashmir,India(BBC Documentry)-3
There is another claim : Reref to this websire
http://www.tombofjesus.com/2007/home/welcome.html
This website presents and offers evidence that Jesus Christ is dead and buried in a tomb in Srinagar, Kashmir, India, and will not be returning to earth. The website examines a range of topics from the Shroud of Turin to the Israelite origin of the people of Asia. It aims to brings together research and material related to this theory from a variety of sources.
Yet another first in Bihar - Now FIRs can be lodged through e-mails in Bihar
Lodging FIRs (first information report) at police stations in Bihar is not a child’s play for the victims of crime. In fact, it’s a trial by fire: The victims have to face a volley of uncomfortable questions, make umpteenth rounds of the police station and, in many cases, they end up being made ‘accused’ themselves.
But in the next few months, all that will change. For, in the not too distant a future, it will be possible for the victim of a crime to send an e-mail to the higher police authorities, giving details of the crime committed against him/her. This would be treated as an FIR and follow-up action initiated forthwith. Lodging FIRs through e-mail will become a reality, once the government accepts the Administrative Reforms Commission’s (ARC) recommendations for police reforms. The ARC will submit its report by October-end.
ARC Chairman VS Dubey said the Commission would suggest ‘foolproof’ measures to ensure that commoners did not face difficulty in lodging FIRs and the cops were held to account if they refused to accept complaints.
The ARC is sparing no efforts to curtail the sweeping powers of the police so that the cops shed their ‘brute’ image and act friendly with commoners. The draft report makes a strong recommendation for taking away from the police the power to arrest anybody on mere suspicion that he/she might commit a crime (as per Section 151 of the Cr PC) or on the suspicion that a person holds stolen goods or if a person fails to give his/her correct address to the police.
“We feel that the sweeping powers given in the criminal procedure code to the police is the core reason why cops misuse their authority. This is why people perceive the police as tyrants and despots,” said Dubey. He also said that the ARC was intent on paving the way for civil control on the police so that the cops, especially at the police station-level did not act in an arbitrary or prejudicial manner. There will be recommendation to give powers to citizens groups, NGOs and ward committees to review pending cases in each police station of their area and also give suggestions to the police on important cases. “ We want an element of civil control on the police force,” said Dubey.
The ARC is of the strong view that shoddy investigation of incidents of crime is one of the core factors responsible for the spurt in crime in the State. So, the ARC is going to recommend a separation between the law and order duty and investigation work to avoid any overlapping of work. The ARC is also going to suggest strong measures to tackle organised crime and economic offenses by suggesting to the government to equip the investigation wing with sub-inspectors having professional knowledge of computers, law, commerce and economics.
“The poor training and knowledge of sub-inspectors vital for tackling professional crime is one reason why there has been an increase in white-collared crime. We will also suggest raising the eligibility bar for appointment as sub-inspectors requiring the candidates to be graduates besides reserving a certain percentage of seats for people with professional degrees. This will be a great help to better investigation of crimes,” said Dubey.
Besides, the ARC is also keen to suggest that the government bring in amendments in the IPC to make more offenses bailable so that those committing petty crimes could get bail at the police station itself and was not sent to jail.
The ARC Chairman said that the idea behind bringing more offenses (other than serious crimes like rape, dacoity, sedition, terror acts, murder) under bailable clauses so that petty offenders were not pushed into jail to live among hardened criminals.
Lastly, the ARC is also looking at ways to lessen the work pressure on police personnel, especially those on field duty, including sub-inspectors and constables. “Constables behave rudely with the people as they are overstressed and less educated. Once they are de-stressed, there could be behavioral changes in them,” said Dubey.
But in the next few months, all that will change. For, in the not too distant a future, it will be possible for the victim of a crime to send an e-mail to the higher police authorities, giving details of the crime committed against him/her. This would be treated as an FIR and follow-up action initiated forthwith. Lodging FIRs through e-mail will become a reality, once the government accepts the Administrative Reforms Commission’s (ARC) recommendations for police reforms. The ARC will submit its report by October-end.
ARC Chairman VS Dubey said the Commission would suggest ‘foolproof’ measures to ensure that commoners did not face difficulty in lodging FIRs and the cops were held to account if they refused to accept complaints.
The ARC is sparing no efforts to curtail the sweeping powers of the police so that the cops shed their ‘brute’ image and act friendly with commoners. The draft report makes a strong recommendation for taking away from the police the power to arrest anybody on mere suspicion that he/she might commit a crime (as per Section 151 of the Cr PC) or on the suspicion that a person holds stolen goods or if a person fails to give his/her correct address to the police.
“We feel that the sweeping powers given in the criminal procedure code to the police is the core reason why cops misuse their authority. This is why people perceive the police as tyrants and despots,” said Dubey. He also said that the ARC was intent on paving the way for civil control on the police so that the cops, especially at the police station-level did not act in an arbitrary or prejudicial manner. There will be recommendation to give powers to citizens groups, NGOs and ward committees to review pending cases in each police station of their area and also give suggestions to the police on important cases. “ We want an element of civil control on the police force,” said Dubey.
The ARC is of the strong view that shoddy investigation of incidents of crime is one of the core factors responsible for the spurt in crime in the State. So, the ARC is going to recommend a separation between the law and order duty and investigation work to avoid any overlapping of work. The ARC is also going to suggest strong measures to tackle organised crime and economic offenses by suggesting to the government to equip the investigation wing with sub-inspectors having professional knowledge of computers, law, commerce and economics.
“The poor training and knowledge of sub-inspectors vital for tackling professional crime is one reason why there has been an increase in white-collared crime. We will also suggest raising the eligibility bar for appointment as sub-inspectors requiring the candidates to be graduates besides reserving a certain percentage of seats for people with professional degrees. This will be a great help to better investigation of crimes,” said Dubey.
Besides, the ARC is also keen to suggest that the government bring in amendments in the IPC to make more offenses bailable so that those committing petty crimes could get bail at the police station itself and was not sent to jail.
The ARC Chairman said that the idea behind bringing more offenses (other than serious crimes like rape, dacoity, sedition, terror acts, murder) under bailable clauses so that petty offenders were not pushed into jail to live among hardened criminals.
Lastly, the ARC is also looking at ways to lessen the work pressure on police personnel, especially those on field duty, including sub-inspectors and constables. “Constables behave rudely with the people as they are overstressed and less educated. Once they are de-stressed, there could be behavioral changes in them,” said Dubey.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Five eventful years for President of India,A.P.J.Abdul Kalam-THANKS GIVING ADDRESS TO THE NATION
Five eventful years
"When you wish upon a star,
Makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires
Will come to you"
Friends, I am delighted to address you all, in the country and those living abroad, after working with you and completing five beautiful and eventful years in Rashtrapati Bhavan. Today, it is indeed a thanks giving occasion. I would like to narrate, how I enjoyed every minute of my tenure enriched by the wonderful association from each one of you, hailing from different walks of life, be it politics, science and technology, academics, arts, literature, business, judiciary, administration, local bodies, farming, home makers, special children, media and above all from the youth and student community who are the future wealth of our country. During my interaction at Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi and at every state and union territory as well as through my online interactions, I have many unique experiences to share with you, which signify the following important messages:
1. Accelerate development : Aspiration of the youth,
2. Empower villages,
3. Mobilize rural core competence for competitiveness,
4. Seed to Food: Backbone for agricultural growth
5. Defeat problems and succeed,
6. Overcome problems through partnership,
7. Courage in combating calamities,
8. Connectivity for societal transformation,
9. Defending the nation: Our pride and
10. Youth movement for Developed India 2020.
Now let me share with you each of the messages.
Accelerate Development: Aspiration of the youth
While there were many significant events during my tenure, a question from a little girl Anukriti of Sri Sathya Sai Jagriti Vidya Mandir School, of Darwa village from Haryana, during children’s visit to Rashtrapati Bhavan on May 22, 2006, rings in my mind ever after.
Anukriti asked me “why India cannot become a developed nation before the year 2020”. I appreciated the question and said it was indeed a thoughtful question and assured her that that her dream would be taken to the highest institution of the nation and we would work for it to achieve before 2020. This question reflects how the desire to live in developed India has entered into the minds of the youth. The same feelings are echoed by over fifteen lakh youth, whom I have met so far and who represent the dream of the 540 million youth of the nation. The aspirations of the young to live in a prosperous, safe and proud India should be the guiding factor in whatever profession we contribute.
Empower Villages
Friends, I recall my visit to Nagaland on 26th October 2002, soon after my assuming office as President. It was a unique experience for me at Khuzama village to meet tribal village council members and discuss with them the village progress and the dream of village citizens. I was very happy to see the empowered village council functioning with financial powers and taking decisions. I saw a prosperous village with fruits and vegetables production. However, there is a need for providing physical connectivity in Nagaland through quality roads for enabling faster movement of products from villages to the market. That meeting gave me a powerful message about the transformation which can take place to the 600,000 villages of India, if all the villages are empowered to deal with their development and are well connected among themselves and with the urban societies.
Mobilizing rural core competence for competitiveness
Now I would like to talk about the initiative of Periyar Maniammai College of Technology for Women, Vallam, Tanjore of Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas (PURA) complex involving 65 villages with a population of 3 lakhs. This includes provision of three connectivities - physical, electronic and knowledge - leading to economic connectivity. Periyar PURA has health care centers, primary to post graduate level education and vocational training centers. This has resulted in large-scale employment generation and creation of number of entrepreneurs with the active support of 1000 self-help groups. Two hundred acres of waste land has been developed into a cultivable land. The villagers are busy in cultivation, planting Jatropha, herbal and medicinal plants, power generation using bio-mass, food processing and above all running marketing centers. It provides a sustainable economic development model for the whole region.
During the last eight months, people of Periyar PURA villages technologically supported by Periyar Maniammai College of Engineering for Women have worked with experts from Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) on various products, for which core competence and raw material are available in Thanjavur district. They developed internationally competitive prototypes for 55 life style products with support of JETRO specialists and feedback from exhibitions at Delhi and Tokyo. This co-operative venture has enhanced the innovative ability of the people of all the 65 villages enabling them to develop and produce internationally acceptable products. I have seen similar type of PURA being established in many states. The whole country needs 7000 PURA to bridging the rural – urban divide.
Seed to Food: Backbone for agricultural growth
Let me now share with you, the enriching experience I had, while meeting more than 6000 farmers from different States and Union Territories visiting Rashtrapati Bhavan. They evinced keen interest in the Mughal Gardens, the Herbal Gardens, the Spiritual Garden, the Musical Garden, the Bio-diesel garden and the Nutrition Garden and interact with the Horticultural specialists. Recently, during my address to the agricultural scientists while participating in a National Symposium on “Agriculture Cannot Wait”, I summarized the many practical suggestions given by farmers. We have to double the agricultural production with reduced land, reduced water resources and reduced manpower and improve the economic conditions of the nation through the principle of “Seed to Food” since agriculture is the backbone of the nation. We should empower the farmers to protect and nurture the fertile land for second green revolution. Meeting the Scientists and the Farmers has given me the confidence that the nation is poised to increase the agricultural GDP growth by atleast 4% per annum through the partnership of farmers and agricultural scientists and industries particularly for value addition.
Defeat the problems and succeed
On the evening of February 24, 2007, at Coimbatore, I had a very beautiful experience. As I got ready for meeting the first person out of twenty appointments, a wheel chair was in sight with a smiling person probably in his late fifties; unfortunately he has no hands and legs. His radiant face was revealing his happy state of mind. He introduced himself as Vidwan Coimbatore SR Krishna Murthy. I greeted him and asked him how this had happened. He smilingly said that it was from by birth. He thanked God, his parents, teachers and many others for giving him confidence, training and help. I asked him, what I could do for him? He said, “I don’t need anything from you. I would like to sing in front of you”. I readily agreed. He sang melodiously the Saint Thyagraja’s pancha ratna kriti entharo mahanubavulu in Sriragam giving me a glimpse of his talent. I was quite touched. What is the message? Despite being physically challenged, the latent talent of music could blossom in this person with his positive attitude and perseverance, encouraged by the parents, teachers, academics and rasikas. Now he wants to give, give and give his art to inspire others. Of course, by his merit of music, in July 2007, he performed in the Rashtrapati Bhavan art theatre.
Overcome the impact of disaster through partnership
I had the opportunity to experience the Indomitable Spirit of the people and children of Jammu & Kashmir even as they were just recovering from the devastating earthquake in 2005. I visited Urusa village on 26th November 2005 which has been adopted by the Western Air Command, Air Force for providing relief and medical aid to the residents of that area. When I went there, I found that the school building had been severely damaged. I met all the school children and the village citizen of Urusa. The villagers apprised me of their losses and had all praise for Army and Air Force role in rescue and relief operations along with state government. I appreciate the courage of the people of Urusa in defeating their problems. They have actually become the master of the problem rather than allowing problems to become their master. Despite the severe loss due to the earthquake, the children and the members of the village participated in the relief operation with the Armed Forces bravely and were smiling when I went to meet them. They interacted with me and said that the school was functional in the temporary tents. Here, I also witnessed the participation of acting Chief Justice of Jammu & Kashmir along with State Government authorities in on-the-spot settlement of relief grants to be provided to the victims whose houses had been damaged in the earth quake. I have experienced many such acts of courage from our citizens when faced with severe challenges.
Courage in combating calamities
In 2005, I met the Tribal Council Leaders, Students, Children of Chuckchucha village during my visit to Car Nicobar Islands. While various reconstruction and rehabilitation activities were in progress, during the discussions with the members of tribal council, I realized the unique trait among the Car-Nicobar islanders. Even though there were many human losses due to the Tsunami of 26 Dec 2004, the tribal islanders had taken possession of affected victims as their children and there is nothing like orphanage in Car-Nicobar Islands. Touched by their courage, I composed few verses called “Sea Waves” which reads as follows:
Sea Waves
We are the children of Sea waves,
Sea waves are my friends.
When they become angry,
Sea waves give the challenges.
God has given the courage,
To challenge the sea waves.
And we will succeed,
We will succeed
With Almighty’s grace.
All the members who were gathered in the village sang the poem with me and exhibited lots of courage and enthusiasm even though they had gone through severe suffering during the Tsunami.
Connectivity for societal transformation
I addressed the Pan African Parliament on 16 September 2004, at Johannesburg, South Africa. This was attended by 53 member countries of the African Union, where I proposed the concept of Pan African e-Network for providing seamless and integrated satellite, fiber optics and wireless network connecting 53 African countries at an estimated cost of US $ 100 million.
As part of the project 12 universities (7 from India and 5 from Africa), 17 Super Specialty Hospitals (12 from India and 5 from Africa), 53 tele-medicine centers and 53 tele-education centres in Africa will be connected. The pilot project on tele-education and tele-medicine in Ethiopia has already been commissioned. Indira Gandhi National Open University has taken up the MBA Course for 34 Ethiopian students of Addis Ababa and Harmaya Universities. As regards, tele-medicine, the specialists from CARE Hospital, Hyderabad are providing one-hour live tele-consultation to doctors in Black Lion Hospital, Addis Ababa in Cardiology and Radiology since November 2006. Using the Pan African network the Heads of the State in all the 53 countries will be connected for instant communication. I am extremely happy that Indian experience in bringing the benefits of technology to the people has enabled us to work with Africa to bring societal transformation in the African continent.
Defending the nation: Our pride
I visited KUMAR in Siachen Glacier located at 17,000 feet altitude held by the Indian Army, had a memorable underwater journey in INS Sindhurakshak and flew in a Sukhoi-30 fighter experiencing 2.5 g. In these three experiences, I personally felt proud of our ever vigilant Soldiers, Sailors and Air Warriors performing their tasks beyond the call of their duty even in the most adverse circumstances natural and man made. During the last five years, I had an opportunity to present colours to many regiments, participate in number of passing out parades, meet the troops who were going to undertake peace missions and interact with the family members of our Defence Forces. Our Defence Forces are in a beautiful mission. When the nation sleeps during night, Members of our Defence teams are awake to guard us and remain vigilant to counter any threat. The Nation cherishes the valour, commitment and devotion to duty of our Defence Forces. Similarly, I had opportunities to interact with members of our para-military forces, central and state police personnel including internal security forces who are making immense contribution in augmenting the safety and security of our citizens under difficult conditions.
Youth movement for Developed India 2020
Recently, in Hyderabad, I met a group of citizens who are putting into practice the motto of transforming of our youth into enlightened citizen. The Lead India 2020 Foundation created by Dr. N.B. Sudershan at Hyderabad is training thousands of students in many districts of Andhra Pradesh in partnership with the District Administration. Particularly, I happened to know the transformation which has taken place among the students of Medak district. As per the district authorities the impact of the training on the students is visible in terms of self-discipline, love for their parents and teachers shedding of stage fear and recognition of their duties towards the nation. I talked to Ms. Padma, a student leader from Andhra Pradesh Tribal Welfare School, Nalgonda who related how she weaned her father away from smoking after imbibing the spirit of the 10 point oath from the Lead India Training Camp. This gives me an assurance that the youth of our country are on the right path through this mission oriented programme. With the ignited minds of the 540 million youth below the age of 25, which I consider is the most powerful resource on the earth, under the earth and above the earth, we have to empower the youth through value based education and leadership.
Conclusion
I was touched by the variety of Indian panorama, emotional content of the tune, cultural diversity and unity of minds in the vast land of ours. I have cited these examples just to give a glimpse of the richness of our tradition and effort being taken by different agencies to preserve it. There are also many new adventures by institutions and individuals. I have experienced many of them and learnt a lot about my country and our people. Even while pursuing our economic growth, we need to do a lot to preserve the rich and diverse treasures of our culture and civilization. It is our duty for our future generations. This has to be done in a much larger scale through countrywide participation of multiple institutions. Our country is blessed with natural resources, has shown considerable progress in the last sixty years, and above all we have hard working people particularly the power of the 540 million youth of the country. Every sector of our country has given me the confidence that India can become a developed nation well before 2020. Whomsoever, I met they constantly ask what they can give to the nation. We should constantly strive to empower such members of the society. With this spirit, I am extremely happy that we are on the right path. Here I am reminded of a famous poem:
"When you wish upon a star,This poem is true to all of us, and particularly for our youth and if they aim great, I am sure they will reach close to the target or the target.
Makes no difference who you are,
Anything your heart desires,
Will come to you”
My dear citizens, let us resolve to continue to work for realizing the missions of developed India 2020 with the following distinctive profile.
1. A Nation where the rural and urban divide has reduced to a thin line.Finally let me thank each one of you for showering your love and affection on me throughout the last five years by your cooperation and support.
2. A Nation where there is an equitable distribution and adequate access to energy and quality water.
3. A Nation where agriculture, industry and service sector work together in symphony.
4. A Nation where education with value system is not denied to any meritorious candidates because of societal or economic discrimination.
5. A Nation which is the best destination for the most talented scholars, scientists, and investors.
6. A Nation where the best of health care is available to all.
7. A Nation where the governance is responsive, transparent and corruption free.
8. A Nation where poverty has been totally eradicated, illiteracy removed and crimes against women and children are absent and none in the society feels alienated.
9. A Nation that is prosperous, healthy, secure, peaceful and happy and continues with a sustainable growth path.
10. A Nation that is one of the best places to live in and is proud of its leadership.
Dear Citizens, I conclude my address by sharing with you my mission in life which is to bring connectivity between billion hearts and minds of the people of India in our multicultural society and to embed the self confidence that "we can do it". I will be always with you, dear citizens, in the great mission of making India a developed nation before 2020.
May God bless you.
Jai hind.
Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
Bosnia bets big on tourism
Perched on the rocky southern ridges of Mount Bjelasnica, the Bosnian village of Umoljani is both new and ancient. Destroyed during the 1992-95 war, its stone-and-wood huts have been rebuilt, as good as old. Its welcoming people, handmade artefacts and organic food are a window into the past, and a hit with tourists seeking a different sort of holiday.
Bosnia’s tourist arrivals in the first four months of 2007 were almost 20% higher than the same period last year, and the World Tourism Organisation study predicted the Balkan nation would have the third highest growth rate in the world by 2020. The pristine landscape around Umoljani is one of the many natural gems featured in a new series of adverts promoting Bosnia as a travel destination under the slogan ‘Enjoy Life’.
The television spots are infused with a feeling of serenity and laid-back, unassuming fun. Tanned young people ride horses, kayak in the great outdoors, eat and drink in the shadow of ancient monuments under clear blue skies. The images challenge western perceptions of a war-ravaged, brutal and hostile land, projecting instead peaceful beauty and generous hospitality.
“The ‘Enjoy Life’ campaign is already giving results and one of its main achievements is that people do not associate Bosnia with the war any more,” said Haris Basic, the head of Foreign Investment Promotion Agency which stands behind the campaign. When he opened his Umoljani guesthouse in 2005, Emin Fatic did not expect to begin turning a profit for a couple of years.
Instead, within three months, the money was rolling in, as hundreds of nature-lovers began arriving, some from as far away as Australia and New Zealand. “My idea was not to have a hotel or restaurant but rather to keep in touch with the traditional life and promote our natural beauty,” he said.
Bosnia’s central bank said tourism generated close to 900 million Bosnian marka ($625 million) last year, when according to official statistics 5,00,000 tourists visited the country. The foreign trade chamber said tourism’s share of 2006 GDP was 1.3%. Life in Umoljani, some 1,300 metres up Mount Bjelasnica is deeply connected to the traditional pursuits of farming and sheep-breeding. Several households grow organic produce while women sell woollen socks and jumpers, bragging their knitting talent is unmatched.
The wild beauty around the village is striking. Steep hiking tracks, accessible only on snow shoes in the winter, lead to the remnants of ancient settlements, and medieval tombstones, called stecci, are perched on the rugged, high mountain ridges characteristic of the Dinaric Alps. In the valley below, the Studeni creek zigzags through the fields, ending up in a large waterfall in the Rakitnica canyon.
Tim Clansy, who runs eco-tourism group Green Visions, said Umoljani could serve as an example of how a Bosnian village can make a living without betraying tradition. “But Bosnia is not a destination for mass tourism, for those seeking luxury and five star hotels. It’s the right place for active tourists, for the middle class, for professionals eager to hike and see something new, something interesting.”
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
A person acting as judge, jury needs to know the truth
During the trial of Jesus Christ with Pontius Pilate acting as Judge and Jury, a question arose about the nature of truth. “What is Truth?” said Jesting Pilate and, as the Bible reports, paused not for an answer. He knew that he was going to sentence Jesus totally unjustly. He did not have to know the truth.
Out of a billion and quarter people in India, the Congress has knowingly chosen Pratibha Patil as its candidate for the presidentship of India; nobody had heard of her before. Overnight, as it were, there were inquiries about her past and Indian Express carried three brilliantly analytical articles by Arun Shourie on Pratibha’s past. Arun Shourie made his name as an investigative reporter when he was editor of The Indian Express; He is a scholar of distinction and a journalist committed to the highest standards of journalism. One can’t imagine him attacking Pratibha out of any personal grudge or party purposes.
The life of a presidential candidate should be an open book. Pratibha is a human being like all the rest of us and susceptible to errors. But the charges levelled against her are not ordinary charges and it is open to Pratibha—and the party she represents—to sue Arun Shourie in a court of law for damages. That she hasn’t done. Instead, the Congress is now finding out the shortcomings of Shekhavat in an act of vengeance. India’s reputation is being dragged in the mud. Pratibha can be tried in a court of law and wait for judgment.
There is a saying in Kannada: adige kaddaru kalla, aane kaddaru kalla thereby meaning: It does not matter whether you have stolen an elephant or just a piece of areca nut, you are still a thief. But few papers have dared to attack Pratibha; among those who have dared is the Free Press Journal which cannot, under any circumstances, be called a BJP paper. It carried two strong editorial. In the first one (June 25) it pointed out that “the string of scandals which have begun to swirl around in the public space after her (Pratibha’s) nomination in the eyes of her hackers do not diminish her usefulness as the tenant of Rashtrapati Bhavan. Indeed they might enhance her value since the allegations would make her more dependent on them in the face of attacks from critics.”
The paper said that “at least Rashtrapati Bhavan should not be tenanted by a tainted person.” It was a damning indictment of Pratibha. In the second editorial (June 27) the paper said that “from what has already surfaced about the sordid past of Pratibha Patil it is clear as daylight that she will only sully the high constitutional office” and it added for good measure: “Even though her success in the presidential poll is more or less assured, Sonia Gandhi and others should ponder the question whether the office of the President of India should be occupied by someone facing grave charges of fraud, defalcation of accounts, theft of public resources and profiteering from avowedly charitable institutions”.
It is not that the Congress was unaware of Pratibha’s past. In his third and final column in The Indian Express Arun Shourie made it plain that Sonia Gandhi was fully aware of Pratibha’s past and that Pratibha was not chosen at random. What is shocking is that except for The Indian Express and the Free Press Journal, the latter with a great reputation for ‘calling a spade a spade” and never shying away from doing its duty by the people, hardly any other paper of repute has dared to take on the Congress.
Fear prevails in editorial dens. The Indian Express (July 2) carried an article by Shekhar Gupta, weak in spirit but nevertheless one that noted that “the Congress guilt is not so much about who they chose for the job as it is about how it trivialised the job.” Gupta condemned the Left (a despicable group of people anyway) by saying that when all the chosen candidates of the Congress had been rejected by the Left “after its Home Minister had been publicly humiliated and his secular commitment questioned, it produced Pratibha Patil”.
Gupta said while Pratibha will surely be ‘elected’ President “let there be no doubt at the same time that her tenure as President will be the most controversy ridden in the history of Rashtrapati Bhavan.” Gupta argued that “Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Chief Election Commissioner and the President are three positions where incumbents must not carry any baggage of the past that could raise any question about their judgement.”
A. B. Bardhan, CPI General Secretary showed the CPI in its true colours when he was interviewed by Kiran Thapar on TV. It was a disgraceful and disgusting performance and one of the founders of the CPI, Comrade Dange would have been ashamed of him. Thapar was merciless and one could see that Bardhan was wilting and all he could say was that the charges were made by the BJP, as if truth and objectivity is the sole virtue of the communists. Whatever else the BJP may have done wrong, it did not sell the country to the British or betray patriots as the CPI did, during the Quite India movement. But one can’t argue with a man who cannot distinguish between right and wrong.
It has been said that F.D.Roosevelt had a mistress, so had Eisenhower, that John Kennedy was a womaniser as was Bill Clinton. But they did not pilfer peoples’ money but even if we concede that the Americans have their own sense of right and wrong, India must elect to the Presidentship someone who can at least hold a candle to Rajendra Prasad, Dr Radhakrishnan, V.V. Giri and Dr. A.P.J.Kalam. It is significant that when the notorious Pentagon Papers were first published by the New York Times, the matter was considered of such vital importance, that many papers like Washington Post and Los Angeles Times reproduced the papers. In India our newspapers are keeping away from The Indian Express as if it is poison.
The revelations that Shourie has made are frightening. If the Congress thinks he had indulged in defamation, he should be taken to court. Otherwise what he has stated, quoting chapter and verse, would remain as truth and an eternal black mark against not just Congress or the UPA but India with its 1.2 billion people.
Is this country so poor that the Congress not only had to humiliate three of its own leading partymen, but had to push Pratibha Patil into the Rashtrapathi Bhavan? What sort of people does the Congress think we are? And what sort of media do we have that cannot stand up for decency in public life?
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