Spaash

A more, Diplomatic version of "about me"

2010-04-11T14:54:00.000+05:30

This might be little difficult for non-believers to Digest:

But, I am a typical Cancerian. I live up to the sign of my sun-sign i.e. crab. When you see a crab from a distance, it might look calm, serene and roaming around happily,. But when you go close to it, it will be hard for you to escape getting hurt because of its sting. My personality is typical of that... :)

Good Friday Weekend - to Rishikesh..

2010-04-11T14:40:00.001+05:30

So, me and my roommates went off to Rishikesh for the extended weekend holiday of Good Friday. It was really great fun. We really had a great time..
First day, we "tried" Rock climbing... yes, climbing in quotes bcos we couldn't finish the task. We had to stop it half the way..
Next day. we did trekking, waterfall bath and the most expected - White Water Rafting. Man, this was something awesome.. We really enjoyed this and had a great time..
and thats it all about...

April 1st week - back to New Delhi..

2010-04-11T14:39:00.003+05:30

So, the unexpected happened.. I was transferred back to New Delhi, to some other Dept.. Till now, its going on fine, except for the extremely high temperatures, owing to the hot Sun. I will try to keep this blog updated.

March - Back to normal..

2010-04-11T14:36:00.002+05:30

March was again the usual thing in this company. Some work here and there and the rest of the time sitting idle and wasting time. and I got a new Laptop in this month. and that had helped in passing time effectively. Som downloads, som games and stuff.. and a new staff had joined. So, I dint hav much job to do. Sitting before the computer for more than half the time. and I also learnt how to play Farmville on Facebook... lol... :)

February - a really busy month..

2010-04-11T14:33:00.002+05:30

Cant really beleive the title, right... But u will have to, bcos its the reality. I was busy as hell in February.. U know, i was put into HRD and had som work to do. If not for the work, I had to travel between Faridabad and Delhi atleast 2-3 times in a typical week. Very very hectic.. This phase of my life, I had never expected to happen. Such busy I was... Assissting my superiors in their Job, going around with them, etc.,...

Home-run and My room mate's marriage (21-24 Jan)

2010-01-25T11:08:00.002+05:30

Yep people.. the three month long wait was finally over and i went home..rather, to TN.. First, to attend my Roommate's marriage. So, I set out to start on a foggy day in a Jet Airways Konnect (yaa, the spelling is right) Flight...

21 Jan: Oops... Nightmare after Nightmare... In order to avoid any traffic congestions on the road due to fog, i started from my room very early. And reached airport in about half an hour time!!! The flight was scheduled for a 10.25 AM departure...and what happened? the flight got delayed.. initially by 35 mins.. When I boarded the flight, it was well about an hour past the scheduled departure time. and then came the pilot's "courteous" announcement that owing to some blah-blah related to the republic day, and the flight being 8th on the take-off "queue", it may be well past 1 o' clock in the afternoon when he actually starts the engine f that flight... hmmmmmmmmmmm... So we began to wait to see some light at the end of the tunnel... and who is this we?? Yep, I got introduced to a co-passenger, who happened to be a Malaysian Government official!!! and we had a chat on some general terms.. At 40 minutes past one, the pilot at last turned on the engine and we set off to fly... and i don't know why, i was fast asleep in more than 3/4s of the journey.. SO, i reached CHennai at around 4 pm...
and thats not all, once I reached chennai, i had to get a gift for my room mate. I decided to keep my luggage somewhere and go and get the gift. and this exercise ended at nothing less than 8.50 in the evening.. Then we had a nice chat and everything went fine...

22 Jan: Well, the D-Day for my room-mate.. and Thank God... He got married without any major problems.. SO, after that, i set off to fly to Home by Kingfisher Airlines.. There weren't many problems, except for a half an hour delay, which became nearly 45 minutes and another half an hour extended flying time... So, i reached home at around 6.30 in the evening that day and the rest of the time, i spent in taking rest... and the unexpected happened... my ex-GF called me and we had a brief chat, with a plan to meet the next day..

23 Jan: SO, what happened to our plan?? it simply didn't happen... Me and mom went to Madurai Meenakshi Temple and local Ayyappan Temple in the evening. Rest of the day, i spent simply sitting before the TV.

24 Jan: SO, the last day, and rituals as usual.. i went to every relative's home and bid them adieu... and ate non-veg, as a token of my mom's love... and left for Delhi... I set out to fly on a Paramount Airways flight, business as unusual... (THanks to a HT cutting they had put up in an in-flight magazine... lol....) Without much big instances, i returned delhi, except for a half an hour delay in arrival of the Delhi Jet Airways flight... again business as usual.... and i reached home at aroud 9 PM...

Happy New Year!!!

2010-01-25T10:47:00.002+05:30

Guys... 25 days into this new year.. and I am feeling really good... Something is great about this new year... I am really cool, this new year is really cool, things around me are really cool... and the best... I am doing some work for the Company... So days are moving cool and fast...
But u see, life doesn't always give good things.. and i wont call this as bad, i would call this as slightly not good, especially for me... because, my room mate has got married!!! Yep, I went to his marriage around the previous weekend...
Apart from that, my ex-girlfriend called me... and i also met the 3rd friend mentioned in the "about me" blog... I talked with the 4th friend over phone... What a co-incidence, no???
Lets hope that this year will bring some good in my life...

October 27 2009 - The Golden day of my career...

2009-10-29T20:48:00.002+05:30

Yaa guys... the unexpected happen.. I still was sitting simply, looking into the day's newspapers, getting to know who killed whom in what part of the country.. It was at about 11 AM that my senior sprung surprise to us all by handing over a file and asking us to do something out of it.. Though what he wanted us to do doesn't matter, we were simply surprised... we were very happy that atlast we got some work to do... though we could complete the work in a very small time, before lunch break... we were very satisfied that at last we have some work for the company.. It was a gud feeling.. I was really happy on that day... I wanted to run out to the window and shout "I GOT WORK TO DO" hahahah... that was the excitement I had...

update-october 3rd week, 2009, extended into october 4th week, upto 26th october 2009

2009-10-29T20:45:00.002+05:30

Nothing much happened after that home "run"... i had 3 days left in the week (work week)... so same... sitting and reading manuals, news papers and stuff.. chatting with colleagues.. doing non-value adding things...
But thats not it... read the next post..

Oct 16,2009 - Oct 20,2009

2009-10-29T11:30:00.001+05:30

Ya,guys.Home at last...
Yes people,i was back to Madurai during this diwali.And it was really great to go home after 3 months..
I got my air tickets booked,i packed things,and i setout to fly home.My onward journey was booked on Kingfisher Airlines..Man,what an experience I had..Simply one of the best.
16th Oct: I started at around 12.30pm from my room,the flight took off at around 3.30 pm,and i landed in Madurai 5 hrs later,obviosly having changed flight at Bangalore (The domestic carriers aren't courageous enough to introduce a direct Delhi-Madurai flight,due to obvious reasons) and reached home at around 9.30 pm.. Wat a feeling it was.. to be back home after 3 months... Simply amazing...
17th Oct: Diwali day yar... Morning spent in Temples... Afternoon in small nap... and come evening... i burst crackers... sounds a way childish?? i dont know, but i had this urge to burst crackers this diwali.. so i went ahead.. it made me happy also... weird things in life, u never understand...
18th oct: I dont know wat i was doing this day... It was a sunday.. i was in home after 3 months.. supposed to be the most happening day... but didnt happen so.. half the time i sopent on TV.. and my sis was leaving to her place of study in the late evening.. so went to see her off at the bus stand.. jus that..
yaa.. here comes the twist.. i had booked my return on Paramount airways.. and i recieved a call from one of their "sweet" representatives stating that out of the two flight i had booked for, one had been cancelled, and they had no options to offer.. that was the worst i expected.. anyways, some of my sis's friend came in handy, and i booked a ticket on Air India.. No, no, No Thank Gods... wait...
19th oct: again temple visit day.. afternoon went without much happening.. and evening i went to print the tickets.. and there came the next shock.. my sis's friend told that the flight i had booked was supposed to land in Delhi art 8.30 pm.. but the ticket said that it would land at 10.30 pm (which means that instead of a 3 hour wait at the Chennai airport, i will have to wait for 6 long hours..). but i had no choice, but to accept it..
20th oct: morning went in packing and things like that.. started from home at around 12 pm..flight supposed to take off at 1.40 pm.. still wondering wat to do in those 6 hours.. Though i had to meet my sis there.. luckily or unluckily, flight was delayed by 20 minutes.. reached chennai at 3 pm.. still, i had 5 hours to go.. out of which, atleast 4 hours i can spend outside the airport.. and then some plan came up in my mind.. i called up all my friends at chennai.. now, Thank God, I got one of my friends in PG, whom i could meet and spend some time.. I jus did that, then, i met my sis.. somehow, i spent the time.. and i reached delhi at around 11.15 pm (yaa, damn that flight.. it was late...) and i reached home at 12 pm... this Air India... i will never opt it for flying again...
But overall, i was very happy about this trip... Home, sweet home.....

Update -october 2nd week, 2009

2009-10-13T19:33:00.003+05:30

A little History: By God's grace I got placed in PowerGrid Corporation of India Limited, a PSU. I joined the company on 15th July, 2009 and have been undergoing Classroom training. That was bull-s***. Dont ask me about that.
The classroom training got over on some stupid date, 2 weeks before. We had our appraisal on 6th of October, 2009. I hoped, begged, pleaded, prayed and what not.... I did whatever i can to get Bangalore posting in On-the-Job Training (Still in training. Hope this is not the same as the classroom training). But as fate would have it, I got my posting in Delhi.
THe first two days have passed by now. And till now I am sitting idle doing nothing. A schedule has been drawn up after 2 days and we have been given the same. Lets see if I get to do something atleast from tomorrow.
Will keep on updating, atleast once in a week.
C ya...

About me.. (The real Suriya prakaash unvieled..)

2009-09-20T13:08:00.004+05:30

For people who have got interested and wanted to know more about me... First of all my many thanks... Some part of what is here will be a repetition of what is in orkut... but that is to bring this post to the fullest meaning...

So, where it all started... I had a mis conception about myself, and can u believe it??? for as many as 22 years of my life... In 5 weeks i was able to make out that it was a misconception... and i started on a mission... a mission to find out who i am... to dig into me... though i had found out who i am a couple of months earlier, just now that i got the courage to publish it..

This,u can take it as a personal testi-a testi of me abt myself. I strongly recommend that people harden their mind before reading this, and also that weak hearted persons not to read this...

I am,i admit,i am a stupid person,with the stupidest of brains,the most stupidest of hearts..

I think that i am special, a one of a kind of person... and i need a steady,if not constant attention...
I told no, i am stupid...

And i am haywired... I dont speak much when people are around me... But i need people to talk to when no one is around me...
I told no, i am stupid...

My friendship with the opposite sex have always been clumsy... I could have remained as i was a few years before... (Its like i avoided talking with the opposite sex..,and i think it was in my own interest...)But somehow i chose to try to be other wise... and had many expectations,which i now come to know that were not fair on my part...
I told no, i am stupid...

And i have a great super-ego... I want to become this,that,what not... name it,anything from President,Prime Minister,IAS officer,PhD........The list is big...
I told no, i am stupid...

but at the same time, i have a low self-esteem... I am weak, not strong... I depend more on others to assure me rather than me assuring myself... My friends, thanks to them, have in a great way helped me in this... I have been a great nuisance to a few of them...
I told no, i am stupid...

And dont ask me, being so stupid, how i got a reasonably fair, good job... U know, the height of stupidity can tie some loose ends together and somehow u make it in the interview panel that u look as a great candidate to them... and they take u... but my stupidity has infact helped me in finding the basics i need to prepare for an interview, i worked hard, i succedded... Powergrid was my 11th interview, and NTPC my 12th..(for a job) i had taken some lessons from the previous interviews...
but still, i say that i am stupid...

Now,after a long struggle,i have really found who i am, how i can cope up with myself... Now i wont disturb my friends so often... i know my preferences, what to do, when to do and how to do... Owing to this,i have even shifted my choice of posting from somewhere near my home to somewhere as far away as i can, so that i can explore more of myself... its actually fun, even if u come across some pain... u get to know who u r...
and i found that i am stupid...

In all this journey, this 10-11 months of finding myself, this soul searching, i would like to sincerely thank and heartfully apologise to 5 people--- the people who made this possible,the people who were with me... who gave the fuel...
I have maintained strict confidentiality in terms of their names... But those people and a couple of others know who i am mentioning to... I have enlisted them in an order,the chronology which i would like them to be enlisted...

1st is my roomie in my PG... he was a great guy... he was a miracle in my life... the lesson i learnt from him was how to show love... how to radiate ur love... but u know, owing to my stupidity, i tortured him a lot... i demanded a lot from him... he obviously had his own set of things to do... one day he stopped talking with me... ya, u guessed it right, the fault was mine... i was shattered into pieces... that day, i went to bed earlier... he didn't... i laid on bed, cudnt sleep... i was observing his every moment, though with eyes closed... he might have known that i am observing him... he didnt sleep as well for along time... he had high hopes on me... he must have been shattered as well, due to what i did to him... he called every possible person he can and was talking -- he never does that when he knows that i am sleeping... the next day, i gave him his space... he then started talking with me... but as u know, hurts cannot be healed, and now-a-days, he isn't talking with me much... he obviosly has his own line of duties to do... he will have a happy life... May God please give him a happy life...

2nd is my 1st and only girlfriend... my 1st love... She declared it... I declared it... She was great... She was one of a kind... I cant forget her in my life... She was with me for 4, at the mx 5 months... those days i will cherish in my memory... Wat a fwwling it is... to be in love... to be loved... to give love... But again owing to my stupidity, she left... no, no, correction, i forced her to leave... she didnt have any option... Again i was shattered... That day, when i knew that she wont come back to me with her love, i had myself to blame for it... She still speaks with me... of course, at times, not always.... If it was from my roomie i learnt how to show love,it was from her i learnt how much to show love.. She will also have a happy life... I pray to God that she should...

3rd is another girl... She is a nice girl... a very nice girl... u should be gifted to have such a person as ur friend... from her experiences i learnt that u will get wat u want,when u need them... no need to always chase for it... chase for it, no issues, but u will get it only when u r destined to get it... remember that... i also learnt not to fight over yesterday's problems today from her... she is such a forgiving character... i have never seen such a person in my whole life... here also my stupidity came into play... but this time, thanks to some external situations and factors, she continue to be a good friend of mine... i dont say that my PG roomie and my ex-girl friend are not good friends... they are, of course.... but they have seen my fulest stupidity... this girl has't... that makes the difference...

4th was yet another girl,my school days friend... man, she is a very sweet girl... she knows how to deal with me, exat... i feel fulfilled when i speak to her, because, even before i ask her the questions that come out of my stupifdity, she answers them... the lesson from her is that how to deal with different types of people, empathetically... thats the word... empathetic... she still thinks that i am still a child at heart... (might be owing to my stupid behaviour...)how funny..

5th is me myself, for having beared with me, for having coming with me so long... U dont know people, i have inflicted lot of injuries and discomforts to myself, again owing to my stupidity... but still, i am lucky to have myself up and going everyday morning... without me, this would have been not possible...

People, here are a couple of positives too about me... I am great perseverer... i do
things repeatedly, i dont give up easily... i fight until the last... winning or losing doesnt matter to me... though i will be down if i dont win, i shall get up again and give my fullest to the next fight... fighting sprit type... secondly, i have a great deal of adaptability... i can easily adapt to any situation, any condition, any contingency... this has helped me a lot... believe me or not, i have slept on variety of surfaces, ranging from platforms to 5 star hotels... i can adpat myself to wat the situation in hand demands...

And there is one thing, forgetability... i cant say whether it is a blessing or a curse... it's a blessing, because i am able to easily forget unfavourable events... it's a cursing because i forget some important things as well... particularly, the smaller details i forget easily...

now its upto u guys to decide,to be or not to be a frnd of mine... i hav 200+ friends in orkut, 150+ contacts in my mobile... lets c how many can really accept me with such a mindset...

but as now i have fully understood myself, i think i might behave myself... lets c... time has to decide things...

So this is what i am, Suriya Prakaash...

PSU jobs back in fashion!

2008-12-29T12:18:00.000+05:30

At a time when most private sector firms are freezing recruitments and cutting frills, many PSU firms are doing exactly the opposite. Moreover, many people are now getting attracted to these PSUs as they are offering great opportunities

From hiring in full swing to giving ESOPs to employees (a very recent trend), most PSU firms are offering excellent career opportunities even in the current downtrend. What’s more interesting is the fact that this trend is not confined to any one sector. PSU firms across sectors – banking, insurance, petroleum & energy are on a hiring spree, undeterred by the global recession. “Stability and robustness of organisations is an area where the PSUs score even in such times of crisis,” comments Pramod Sadarjoshi, executive director, HRD, IDBI Bank.

Citing her firm’s case, Dipti Sanzgiri, executive director (HRD), Bharat Petroleum says, “We have certain projects which we go ahead with regardless of the market conditions.” Given that, it becomes imperative for these firms to build their talent pipeline. “The PSUs are on a growth path, especially in terms of expanding talent pool,” confirms Sadarjoshi. “This is a great time to expand, to consolidate and really build the ‘bench-strength’ of the ‘best and brightest’ talent,” adds Sadarjoshi.

Job-cuts in private firms are turning out to be a blessing in disguise. It is clearly a win-win situation for the PSUs having the ‘appetite’ to absorb good people, and for good people who are wanting to be part of more stable, assured ‘career-zones’. “What is also giving impetus to this trend is that PSUs like IDBI Bank are competing in the marketplace by becoming nimble-footed, efficient and progressive,” reasons Sadarjoshi.

Life Insurance Corporation (India’s largest Insurer) is reportedly planning to hire 45,000 this fiscal. Similarly, State Bank of India is reportedly planning to hire about 25,000 by the fiscal-end. Bharat Petroleum which has hired over 70 people in the last quarter too has aggressive hiring plans. “We’ll hire 20-30 in the next quarter for roles of Sales or engineering officers,” informs Sanzgiri.

However, hiring is just one part of the PSU growth story. The other part is the pro-active measures these public sector firms are undertaking to retain their talent.

IDBI is one such example of a PSU that is taking many steps to retain employees including giving ESOPs. “Apart from it becoming a major wealth-creating option, ESOPs, inherently bring in the concept of accountability,” Sadarjoshi points out. “This in turn promotes ownership for excellence, and a direct and tangible equation between performance culture and share-holder value,” he explains further.

All these factors are leading many to look at PSUs with a renewed interest including those in the private sector. “Many want to have a fulfilling, balanced career which the PSUs provide, and hence there is a plenty of interest in the private sector employees to explore opportunities in PSUs,” opines Sadarjoshi. “We certainly are enjoying a plethora of interest on part of the talent-pool in the market. While I cannot put a percentage, I must say it is very encouraging,” he adds.

So, in a nutshell, PSUs are today having the DNA which comprises the ‘best of both worlds’. Thus, there’s a paradigm shift in the way Indian workforce is looking at PSU jobs. Many are embracing work opportunities in these firms with a new enthusiasm.

Extract from: http://www.timesascent.in/index.aspx?page=article§id=21&contentid=200812282008122822241871984096396

Manmohan Singh has ensured that it is still advantage India

2008-12-27T15:39:00.001+05:30

A month after the terror attacks on Mumbai, India looks different.
This day last month, India's incompetence was on display. Pakistan-based terrorists or Pakistan army-backed groups or whatever you call them, had hit India so badly that every Indian found it humiliating. And when facts nailed the simultaneous failure of all its systems, India was truly humbled.

On the one hand India was a victim of the evil designs of evil minds. On the other hand, it was also a victim of criminal negligence; of its failure to react to terror warnings; of the lethargy of its bureaucracy in taking preventive measures to ensure at least minimum safety; of the corroded and out-of-date infrastructure of its external and internal security system.

After the initial shock came a second jolt when it was found that it was just 10 terrorists who had held India's finest forces at bay for 60 hours.

It was an embarrassment for a country that is one of the biggest victims of terrorism in the world and yet does not have a strategy to seize the initiative from the enemy in the first few hours of the attack. The so-called emerging world power looked so vulnerable that the world watched the events unfold in dazed silence.

The third setback was at a different level. The ambitious India-China hyphenation vanished from the public eye and was again replaced with the hackneyed and wicked India-Pakistan hyphenation.

Now, India is seen as an unsafe destination for outsiders, at least in the short-term due to its response. This is also because of the coming unpredictable general election and of the difficult-to-ignore internal differences of all shades.

Against these setbacks in last 30 days, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has behaved with extra caution; slow and responsibly.

He can be criticised for being slow and may be accused of being out-of-tune with Mumbai's anger and humiliation, but he has ensured that it is still advantage India.

Just one look at what is happening from Iran to Thailand will show India has to tread slowly and carefully. Surely, Dr Singh's words fall short, but his decision to go slow in first month has suited his party, government and country. "If our Sardarji means business we don't mind him taking a little more time," one senior Congress leader, who is among those who believe that Pakistan has to be taught a lesson.

The prime minister's meeting on Friday with the three defence chiefs is an important development. A senior serving diplomat said of it: "The government is moving from inaction to action."

A few other major changes are visible in the reactions of the Prime Minister's Office and the external affairs ministry. India's first official reaction did not allege the direct involvement of Pakistan, its army or the Inter-Services Intelligence. At the official level, only in the last week has the tone changed. India surely has in its pocket some substantial evidence to indict the Pakistan army. Otherwise, Foreign Secretary Shiv Shanker Menon, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and now the prime minister would not start mentioning names beyond 'non-State actors'.

On December 23, Dr Singh said at the Heads of Missions meeting: 'India sought peace and stability in its neighbourhood. The situation was however worrisome. Non-State actors were practicing terrorism aided and abetted by State establishments. The Mumbai terrorist attacks were an attack on India's ambitions to emerge as an economic power.'

One does not need any more proof to know that the government is convinced about the Pakistan establishment's role after the PM's speech.

So, the government has actually moved forward in its response to the Mumbai attacks. And in that sense the patience of the past month and the PMO's go-slow attitude is understandable.

A lot may have been written about why a war with Pakistan is inevitable, but a senior diplomat said: "The media need not brand any action of the government as war or lack of action as India's limitations. India should do or not do certain things in its interests." An important thing to note is that nobody in New Delhi thinks that the attack will go without a response.

There are too many ifs and buts in the process of taking any decision and the government is under tremendous pressure.

First, India is looking to neutralise America's apprehensions about India's possible steps and options. At this moment, India will have to ensure that America's stand on the issue remains neutral and certainly does not lean towards Islamabad. That is the biggest challenge.

Second, the smooth transition of power in Jammu and Kashmir is a must and will have to be ensured in the next couple of days.

Three -- whether detractors of Dr Singh like it or not -- no country can respond to external factors effectively if it doesn't remain politically united or at least look united to outsiders. So, it is imperative to support and trust Dr Singh's decision-making ability if not the typical, conventional leadership qualities which he obviously lacks.

Agree with it or not, but Manmohan Singh is the man of the moment. And, he may even become a man of destiny. When history is in the making, personalities or individuals in power matter. For that matter, the three chiefs of services, Mukherjee and Menon along with United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi are no less important.

The fourth and most important factor is that the investigations into the attacks have just begun and the involvement of local elements has not been thoroughly probed yet. It may or may not turn out that there was local involvement like in the 1993 blasts, where Tiger Memon helped in the logistics. But it is necessary to ensure that such a revelation does not polarise the Hindu and Muslim communities.

As of today, the biggest gain of the Mumbai attacks is that the Muslim community leaders of India have shamed those critics who had cast doubts over the entire community on the issue of terrorism.

The Indian Muslim leadership have spoken out and shown the nation what India stands for them and what the true worth and meaning of India is. Except the A R Antulay episode, India has been immensely strengthened by the unexpected turn of events and Pakistan-based elements who sponsored the attack were given a fitting reply. Those who disagree with this should compare the situation with how it was a day after the Godhra incident.

Also, since the Mumbai attack was televised, peace-loving Pakistanis must be worried that the acts of a handful of their countrymen have set the clock back by many years. Old men are heard saying on television that the impact on the mass psyche is as deep as the attack by China in 1962.

The new urban generation of 2008 will never forget how in their childhood youngsters from Pakistan wearing casual clothes and wielding AK-47 rifles came to the shores of Mumbai and terrorised the city for three days. If you think more about the psychological impact, it seems like the hawks and radicals in Pakistan have already lost the battle because India has rediscovered the beauty of Hindu-Muslim unity and looks modern in its new avatar, at least in Mumbai.

And peaceniks on both sides must feel depressed because they have lost the middle ground, which was created after five decades of hostility has shrunken overnight.

Once, the state government in Jammu and Kashmir is formed, the most difficult time of Dr Singh's life will begin.

His actions will have to mirror the public anger and people's resolve to fight terrorism must reflect in his diplomacy. He has to make sure India emerges stronger out of crisis, morally and historically.

Extract from: http://www.rediff.com/rss/redirect.php?url=http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/dec/26mumterror-pm-ensured-it-is-still-advantage-india.htm

Chandrayaan sucessfully orbiting the moon

2008-11-09T10:34:00.000+05:30

India's first unmanned spacecraft Chandrayaan-1 entered the lunar orbit on Saturday after Indian Space Research Organisation scientists successfully carried out a highly complex and tricky manoeuvre crossing another historic milestone in the country's space programme.

ISRO scientists at the Mission Control Centre near Bengaluru [Images] fired the spacecraft's liquid engine at 1651 hours for a
duration of 817 seconds in a hit or miss Lunar Orbit Insertion operation in the maiden moon mission, 18 days
after it was launched from Sriharikota spaceport.

"For the first time in the history of India, an Indian-made satellite is circulating the Moon [Images]", a jubilant ISRO chairman G Madhavan Nair told PTI shortly after the home-grown satellite broke away from the Earth's gravitational field for the first time and reached the moon. India becomes the sixth country to put a satellite in lunar orbit.

The engine was fired when the spacecraft passed at a distance of about 500 km from the moon to reduce its velocity
to enable lunar gravity to capture it into an intended orbit around the moon.

The spacecraft is now orbiting the moon in an elliptical orbit that passes over the polar regions of the moon. The nearest point of this orbit (perilune) lies at a distance of about 504 kms from the moon's surface, while the farthest poin(apolune) lies at about 7,502 km.

A relieved Nair said today's operation was the "most crucial moment" in the mission."We have done it," he declared.
"For the last 20 minutes, almost all our hearts were at a standstill," Nair said immediately after the the challenging manoeuvre was carried out.

"Nobody else in the world perhaps would have got such a precise lunar orbit as India did in the first attempt," Nair said.

Extract from: http://www.rediff.com/rss/redirect.php?url=http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/nov/08imoon-chandrayaan-orbiting-moon.htm

Future remains uncertain for India: McKinsey

2008-11-07T09:37:00.001+05:30

A McKinsey & Company report on Indian banking released on Thursday notes that despite the Indian credit market experiencing healthy growth in the past, the future remains uncertain.

The report, titled "Towards superior risk management in Indian banking", highlights the fact that that credit has grown at about 29% over the past few years. This has been possible owing to variety of factors: GDP growth ranging 8-9%, increased urbanisation, and a rise in the number of affluent and mass affluent households. The growth in credit is also accompanied by a robust deposit growth rate of 21%. However, recent indicators suggest that the future will be more challenging, the report notes.

"The global financial system has been hit hard by the current crisis, with a slowdown in credit across developed markets. Though the current half-yearly numbers do not show signs of a slowdown, there are indicators of tough market conditions. The real estate sector is already facing the impact of a slowdown in GDP, consumption and investments and tightening liquidity situation. This has led to higher funding costs; NPAs have started rising over the last two years and the real estate index has shrunk 82% in 2008, compared to 50% shrinkage for the sensex," the research team of McKinsey & Company notes in the report. Talking about priorities for Indian banks, the report says that they need to adopt "end-to-end portfolio management perspective" to the credit book, starting from segmental focus determination to post-NPL management and workouts.

The report also notes that risk awareness should be extended out of the risk unit to the mid-office, back-office, systematic risk education, training and cultural change programs for banks.

The report highlights the fact that traditional banks should balance a "judgment-based lending" philosophy with scientific score-card or model-driven approaches, particularly in retail segments. New generation banks should continue to refine their models and risk-adjusted pricing tools.

"Traditional banks should further build adequate risk-related capabilities like scoring models and portfolio workouts before exploring more attractive segments," it notes.

Extract from: http://in.biz.yahoo.com/081106/203/6yzqm.html

Keep an eye on PSUs: Plan panel to govt

2008-11-07T09:35:00.000+05:30

Notwithstanding the profitability of some of the revived public sector units, the Planning Commission has asked the Department of Heavy Industries (DHI) to keep a close watch on them in the wake of global economic meltdown.

"In a meeting yesterday with the DHI top brass, the Commission appreciated their (PSUs) profitability, but asked DHI to closely monitor them to eliminate any scope for complacency especially in the backdrop of the current global economic meltdown," official sources said. The state-run behemoths include Bridge and Roof Corporation (B&R), Heavy Engineering Corporation and Braithwaite Burn and Jessop.

The UPA government had approved revival/ restructuring of 13 PSUs at a cost of Rs 7,936 crore. This included cash support of Rs 1,498 crore, non-cash support including waivers and conversions of Rs 4,266 crore, capex of Rs 674 crore and other expenditures of Rs 824 crore. Interestingly, of the 13 PSUs, only 10 have begun registering profits while three remain loss-making units.

Those making profits include, B&R, Hindustan Salts Ltd, BBJ Construction Co, Braithwaite and Co and Andrew Yule and Co Ltd. Those which have met their respective targets are Cement Corporation of India, Heavy Engineering Corporation and Bharat Pumps and Compressors Ltd.

In the case of Bharat Heavy Plates and Vessels, the revival process began only this fiscal, while Bharat Wagon and Engineering Co Ltd has now been handed over to the Railways.

PSUs like HMT (Machine Tools), Praga Tools Ltd and HMT (Bearings) remain loss-making units. In fact, the Commission's caution is believed to have stemmed from the fact that despite the cash infusion these PSUs were not able to sustain themselves.

What is more, banks are understood to have expressed their reluctance to fund bailouts of more PSUs in the queue for revival through interest waiver and infusion of fresh capital. The UPA dispensation has recommended 26 PSUs to the Board for Reconstruction of PSUs, which subsequently examines them and gives its recommendations.

However, the government decided to revive 13 PSUs while remaining indecisive on four of them. The revival has, of course, led to the number of PSUs defaulting on payment of salaries coming down to 10 from 24 in 2003-04.

Extract from: http://in.biz.yahoo.com/081106/203/6yzr2.html

Output cut, 3-day week at Ashok Leyland

2008-11-07T09:32:00.000+05:30

Demand slowdown has started taking a toll on India Inc. Close on the heels of Tata Motors' decision to close the Jamshedpur plant for three days, Hinduja-owned Ashok Leyland today said it would cut the production of its commercial vehicles in the next two months and its manufacturing plants will work only three days a week till December on account of decrease in demand.

"Taking into account the inventory in pipeline and the suppressed market demand, Ashok Leyland has decided to moderate the production plan for the next two months," the company said. Its manufacturing facilities would also reduce the number of working days to three a week till December this year, it added. "This decision has also been partially influenced by the problems encountered by the suppliers as a result of power shortage in some parts of the country," the company said.

Lately, medium and heavy commercial vehicles market had been facing problems of inadequate funding and high interest costs resulting in reduction of market demand, it added. Meanwhile, the company today reported a 50.23 per cent decline in vehicles sales in October.

Extract from: http://in.biz.yahoo.com/081106/203/6yzr4.html

Slowdown ahead: Tata Motors shuts unit for 3 days

2008-11-06T21:17:00.000+05:30

In what could be termed as a clear signal of the slowdown in the automobile sector, Tata Motors will shut its Jamshedpur plant for three days from November 6 to 8. The commercial heavy vehicles major has said in a notice to its 4,500 employees that the unit would remain closed to maintain a demand-supply equilibrium.

The company has seen a slump in demand in recent times as it revised its production output from 225 vehicles per day to 160 vehicles per day. For financial year FY09, the company has reviewed its target of producing 1,03,000 vehicles to 90,000 vehicles, said a source in Tata Motors. Officers would undergo leave without-pay during the period that the plant will remain closed.

"Tata Motor's block closure is expected to match production with demand of vehicles produced at the Jamshedpur plant to avoid build-up of inventory either in the company or with our dealers," a company spokesperson said.

In a notice to employees, Tata Motors said that bargainable employees (plant workers, non-officers) would get 50 per cent of their salary during the period of the shutdown while non-bargainable employees (officer level) will not be paid for the 3 days.

He said that lack of financing for commercial vehicles has affected sales as most of the vehicles are fincnaced by institutions. It has four units -- Jamshedpur, Pune, Lucknow and Uttaranchal.

Tata Motors manufactures only commercial heavy vehicles (tractor-trailers, MAVs and tippers) in its Jamshedpur unit. The company's shares fell 4.9 per cent to close at Rs 313.85 at the Bombay Stock Exchange on Wednesday.

Standard & Poor's Ratings Services today affirmed its BB corporate credit rating on Tata Motors Ltd. The rating was lowered in April from BB+ after Tata Motors announced its agreement with Ford Motor Co to purchase Jaguar and Land Rover (JLR).

Extract from: http://in.biz.yahoo.com/081105/203/6yzee.html

Tired of Vista??? "Windows 7"... to the rescue...

2008-10-30T12:49:00.001+05:30

Microsoft Corp is betting its next Windows operating system will be faster and easier to use and avoid the missteps of Windows Vista that alienated many users of the software that powers 90 percent of the world's PCs.

Windows 7, which was previewed on Tuesday, is set to be introduced in a test version early next year with features including touch screen technology and the ability to more easily personalize the system.

Windows Vista was so heavily criticized due to poor compatibility with devices and slow start speeds that it became the target of an effective marketing campaign by rival Apple Inc.

In addition, the usefulness of a traditional Windows desktop operating system, the world's largest software maker's most profitable product, is being challenged as more software applications move online, highlighting the central role of Internet browsers in a world centered on the Web.

Microsoft decided to measure success by a positive user experience versus technical superiority -- often overlooked by ordinary consumers.

The company also adopted a 'simple is better' philosophy, looking to remove complexity from an operating system that incorporated 50 million lines of programming code in Vista.

"The general perception is that Vista is a damaged brand, so it behooves Microsoft to move on to sell something new even if it's not a quantum leap in terms of technology," said Toan Tran, analyst at Morningstar.

SUCCESS DEFINED BY USERS

Microsoft plans to introduce more user-friendly features, such as a new taskbar that previews all the open windows from a single application by hovering over the program's icon.

Another new feature is called "Jump Lists," which provides updated lists of recently worked-on documents or often visited Web sites without first having to open Microsoft Word or an Internet browser.

"People aren't coming to Windows to use Windows. People are coming to Windows to get to what they want to do. Helping them get to what they want to do is the goal of the operating system," said Larson-Green.

Larson-Green came over from the Office group with Steven Sinofsky, who took over Windows development with a reputation as a disciplined task master with a focus on simplifying the user interface.

To keep the team focused, every Windows 7 engineer was handed a pamphlet of core principles with Zen-like slogans such as "reduce concepts, increase confidence," and "small bad and good things matter."

The new philosophy at Windows is a nod to the success of Apple, which has seen its U.S. market share double since 2005 due in part to an advertising campaign that has portrayed Vista as clunky and harder to use.

Microsoft has countered with a $300 million marketing blitz featuring comedian Jerry Seinfeld, rapper Pharrell Williams, writer Deepak Chopra and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, looking to emphasize the reach and diversity of Windows users.

Windows Vista has sold more than 180 million licenses since its launch in January 2007, but Microsoft executives have said privately that the software over-promised and under-delivered, a problem that they say will not be repeated with Windows 7.

Windows 7 aims to keep hardware requirements in line with that of Vista so that companies do not need to buy special machines to run the new operating system.

Microsoft said it has also solved the compatibility problem with devices that plagued Vista at its launch with a new feature called Device Stage, a one-stop point to manage and gather information for devices from mobile phones to printers to digital music players.

Extract from: http://in.biz.yahoo.com/081028/137/6yx3z.html

Now, scroll in thin air to control your cell phone

2008-10-30T11:00:00.000+05:30

Microsoft researchers have developed a system called SideSight that can allow a mobile phone user to control a handset placed on a table by wiggling his/her fingers in the space around it.

The technology was unveiled last week at the User Interface in Software and Technology symposium in Monterey, California.

Alex Butler, a researcher from the Sensors and Devices Group at Microsoft Research Cambridge in the UK, has revealed that the system derives its exceptional ability from infrared sensors that can pick up the movement of fingers up to 10 centimetres away.

"The big advantage of our prototype is the finger does not block any of the screen space," New Scientist magazine quoted Butler as saying.

While making a demonstration about the new system, Butler used his index finger as a mouse and controlled the on-screen cursor of a modified HTC Touch cellphone by tracing a path along the table to the right of the phone.

A tap from his left index finger registered as a mouse click.

The researcher said that the settings could be modified so that the right hand could use a stylus to interact directly with the screen, while the left finger would scroll the text up and down.

By coordinating fingers on either side, the user can drag, rotate and change the size of images on the display.

The team expects to boost the speed and smoothness of the system in later versions, and to make it less power hungry to minimise the effect of the sensors on battery life. (ANI)

Extract from: http://in.news.yahoo.com/139/20081028/868/ttc-now-scroll-in-thin-air-to-control-yo.html

World salutes ISRO for launch of maiden lunar mission

2008-10-25T16:04:00.000+05:30

The US and Europe on Wednesday led the world in hailing the successful launch of India's maiden unmanned mission to Moon saying New Delhi has demonstrated its technological prowess and was emerging as an "ever stronger space power."

Shortly after the Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft began its historic space odyssey, the scientists of the Indian Space Research Organisation(ISRO) were congratulated and applauded for their achievement that catapulted India into an exclusive club of six moon-faring nations. Instruments from the US and Europe are on-board the unmanned spacecraft.

"The US congratulates India on the successful launch.

This is a proud moment in India history and demonstrates India's technological prowess by joining the international community in the peaceful exploration of space," American Ambassador to India David C Mulford said.

Mulford said the US was proud to participate in the mission as the country had provided two instruments for it.

"Ahead of today's launch, scientists from the United States worked closely with their Indian partners to prepare the US contribution to the Chandrayan spacecraft, exemplifying the ideals of our bilateral partnership," he said.

David Southwood, director of science at the Paris-based European Space Agency (ESA), said the European-made instruments aboard India's moon probe were the hallmark of closer cooperation between the two space powers.

"In an era of renewed interest for the Moon on a worldwide scale, the ESA-ISRO collaboration on Chandrayaan-1 is a new opportunity for Europe to expand its competence in lunar science while tightening the long-standing relationship with India -- an ever stronger space power," Southwood said in a statement from Paris.

"The entire world is looking at us," said ISRO Chief G Madhavan Nair of the global interest in the mission

Extract from Yahoo news

'Operationalise 123 pact, have deals with France, Russia'

2008-09-22T20:45:00.000+05:30

Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) has been more in the news over the last two years for uranium shortage plaguing the country's reactors. However, NPCIL chairman Shreyans Kumar Jain told Y P Rajesh that the company has been working to prepare nuclear sanctions on India to be lifted. Excerpts:

The NSG waiver must have come as big relief

We are euphoric as we have limited uranium. A programme based on this can only take us to 10,000 MW. We are half way through and the remaining 5,600 MW is on the cards. There was no other way to go unless mining efforts hit a jackpot by finding new uranium deposits. If anybody imagined the ban would be lifted overnight, it could have been described as daydreaming.

Why has domestic uranium supply not been able to keep up with demand?

Mining efforts were started to match requirements of the nuclear power programme. Unfortunately, in the last five-six years we have seen some legislations introduced involving the environment and forests ministry concerning coastal regulation, pollution control and other issues. We were not even half way through our development when these were introduced. The irony is that efforts made in 2000 have not yet yielded results in opening any new mines even though we have good deposits in Meghalaya and Andhra Pradesh. Unprecedented rain has also affected production.

How did this hurt your plans?

We are in a situation that, in spite of uranium available, we are operating our reactors at an average plant load factor (PLF) of 40 per cent. NPCIL today has a cash surplus of Rs 12,000 crore. In 2005 we were to start working on four 700-MW reactors which would have got commissioned in one or two years. But recognising that the installed capacity is already starving of fuel, we decided it was not ethical to start new projects without ensuring fuel linkages.

Have you started talking to suppliers, now that the NSG waiver has come through?

We have identified likely vendors and shortlisted Westinghouse, GE, Areva and Atomstroy Export, two from USA, one from France and one from Russia. They are both equipment and fuel suppliers. We had very extensive exploratory but preparatory talks.

How soon will NPCIL get imported uranium?

Today, the first requirement is to operationalise the 123 agreement with the US and have similar pacts with France and Russia. It should be possible to get natural uranium within a month to two months after the green signal has been given.

How do you plan to build lifetime uranium supply guarantees with international suppliers?

It will be very essential to have legal contracts where provisions are there of uninterrupted fuel supply. The vendor himself or through some other mechanism has to give us confidence that the mechanism will work unhindered, uninterrupted, insulated from future legislation.

How is NPCIL's expansion being planned with the expected approval of the nuclear deal?

Right from 2005 we had taken a policy decision that we will maximise the potential of our existing sites. All sites will be converted into multi-unit sites. For instance, Narora and Kakrapa, which have two stations each, will now have six. Our plan is to open four sites out of which one is already open in Koodankulam, where we would like Russian cooperation to expand. In all, at four sites it will be possible to install 35,000-40,000 MW capacity.

Extract from: http://in.biz.yahoo.com/080921/203/6xsbl.html

Job portals to lose business if economic slowdown continues

2008-09-22T20:40:00.002+05:30

If India did not overcome the present economic slowdown soon, some of the country's job portal players may have to look for other business options as the industry would be hit badly.

The job portal industry, dependent on economic boom that increased job opportunities, is already under pressure as the IT companies slowed their campus placement, said industry leaders.

'I feel there will be a period of slightly slower growth for the industry due to the softness in the economy. This could lead to a shakeout if the slowdown lasts for a year or two,' Sanjeev Bikchandani, co-founder and chief executive of Info Edge (India) Ltd, told IANS.

The Rs.2.39 billion Info Edge owns the country's leading job site www.naukri.com and commands 50 percent of the Rs.3.5 billion job portal market share.

According to him, the economic slowdown and inflation have resulted in lower job growth and pay hikes.

'In my view three general job sites can make money when the economy is growing at nine percent and two can make money when the economic growth rate is seven percent. If the growth is four percent then only one will make money,' Bikchandani said.

The major job portals in India are naukri.com, monsterindia.com, timesjobs.com, jobsahead.com, jobsdb.com, jobstreet.com, shine.com and some others.

All job sites other than the top three would be hit badly if economic slowdown stayed, Bikchandani warned.

India's online recruiting industry has seen many buyouts since 2004 when the US-based Monster Worldwide Inc acquired jobsahead.com for Rs.400 million. Two years later, Television Eighteen India Ltd (TV18) acquired 50 percent stake in jobStreet.com for an undisclosed sum.

In August this year, Times Business Solutions Ltd, the owner of timesjobs.com bought the database of CyberMediaDice.com, owned by Cyber Media Careers Ltd.

Besides, Consim Info Pvt Ltd, in which Yahoo! Inc, Canaan Partners and Mayfield Fund have invested around $20.25 million, is now looking for a strategic partner for its job portal clickjobs.com.

Timesjobs.com chief operating officer Rajeev Gaur is optimistic about the prospects of the industry.

'I don't think consolidation is happening in the industry. More and more players are entering the sector like yellojobs.com and shine.com,' he said.

According to Gaur, the sector is set to attract overseas players as India has a vast technical pool.

At present, the major revenue streams for job portals are job listing, employer branding and resume access. Other revenue streams are job fairs, job seeker services, Google ad sense, resume short listing, screening and advertising.

Gaur predicted that newer sources like referrals and mobile services would contribute to revenue in a big way.

Yellojobs.com has already started a referral scheme under which a person who is registered with the portal can also refer his friend to a suitable job and earn incentives on successful placements.

Referral schemes not only give additional revenue to the portals but also increase its resume data bank.

The job portal segment is now attracting many media groups, a trend started by the Times group with timesjobs.com.

It was followed by Cyber Media, NDTV with ndtvjobs.com. The the latest entrant is HT Media Ltd that owns Hindustan Times and Mint with shine.com.

'Job portal is mainly a media business as there are lots of synergies between these two activities,' Gaur said.

Extract from: http://in.news.yahoo.com/43/20080909/812/tnl-job-portals-to-lose-business-if-econ.html

The $700 billion question: Can bailout fix economy?

2008-09-22T20:31:00.000+05:30

The best test of whether the government's $700 billion check will be enough to save the U.S. economy is how much of that money flows back to consumers and companies.

Even if the government gets Congressional approval this week to buy bad debts off banks' books, satisfying some of their cash needs, the financial sector will still need to raise money -- and investors haven't exactly been lining up to help. Unless banks can find funding somewhere, they won't be eager to resume lending, and that will leave the economy sputtering.

The good news is, outside of the financial sector, Corporate America is remarkably cash-rich with some $620 billion sitting on the books of large firms, so companies should be primed to spend once confidence is restored.

But household wealth has taken an unprecedented double hit from the real estate and stock market shocks, and it could be years before consumers feel flush again -- particularly if credit conditions remain tight.

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson argued on Sunday that opening up federal coffers to Wall Street would benefit Main Street by preventing a deeper economic downturn.

"Last week as the credit markets were frozen, the capital markets were frozen, we had a situation where American companies weren't able to borrow money," Paulson said on ABC's "This Week". "This could ultimately affect small banks, loans to businesses, loans to farmers, jobs, people's retirement."

U.S. companies have cut more than 550,000 jobs this year, sending the unemployment rate up to a five-year high of 6.1 percent in August. Those figures are likely to worsen in the coming months, with or without a bailout.

The housing market is at the root of the year-long financial crisis, and some members of Congress -- expressing concern that Paulson was taking a roundabout route to helping homeowners -- are expected to push for more direct mortgage assistance when they hammer out terms of the bailout legislation this week.

"I've talked to Secretary Paulson, and I've told him that while his plan is a foundation and we certainly have to do something, we need changes in it relating to housing," New York Sen. Charles Schumer said on Fox News Sunday.

Federal Reserve "Chairman (Ben) Bernanke -- no less than he -- said if you don't solve the mortgage crisis, you're not going to solve the financial crisis. We need to put the taxpayers first, ahead of bondholders, shareholders, executives," Schumer said.

Lawmakers and the administration will get the latest readings on the housing market this week as they hash out the Paulson proposal. Sales of both new and existing homes likely fell in August, according to Reuters polling data, and the pace of transactions remains near the slowest in more than a decade.

HOUSE REPAIRS

Shoring up the housing market means ensuring that would-be buyers can get mortgages, and that means banks will have to find a way to keep lending. Even before this latest bout of financial market unrest, a Federal Reserve survey of senior loan officers showed that credit conditions were tightening, even for borrowers with good credit histories.

"The U.S. banking system needs a lot more capital," said Jan Hatzius, chief U.S. economist at Goldman Sachs. "Capital infusions are needed to avert a sharp contraction in lending."

Hatzius said three things needed to happen in order to resolve the crisis. First, banks must figure out the true value of assets on their balances sheets; then they must raise more capital; and finally, home loans needed to be restructured.

The government's bailout plan in effect addresses the first point by establishing a price for hard-to-value assets, and Congress may tackle the third issue this week. Raising more capital won't be easy.

Lehman Brothers failed last week because it couldn't find investors. Getting $700 billion in bad debts off banks' books will certainly help, but it remains to be seen whether that will be enough to convince investors that it is safe to put their money in financial firms.

If the government's money succeeds in helping Wall Street strike a healthy balance between fear and greed, U.S. companies are well-positioned to fund a strong recovery once they are confident that the economy is on the mend.

The Standard & Poor's industrials, a group of 368 large companies that excludes banks, insurers, utilities and transportation firms, held about $620 billion in cash and short-term securities as of June 30, according to data compiled by S&P analyst Howard Silverblatt.

That was roughly the same amount that they had in March 2007, before the financial market crisis mushroomed. Since then, companies have cut back on dividend increases, share repurchases and expansion, essentially hoarding cash because of concern about the state of the economy.

"They've got money," Silverblatt said. "They're not spending it yet."

Extract from: http://in.news.yahoo.com/137/20080922/371/tbs-the-700-billion-question-can-bailout.html

Indian IT workers not needed in Britain: government panel

2008-09-09T23:15:00.000+05:30

Information Technology (IT) technicians from India and other countries outside Europe are no longer needed in Britain, a British government panel said Tuesday.

IT workers are in a list of 353 occupations published by the government's Migration Advisory Committee detailing what kinds of workers and skills are needed in Britain - and what are not.

According to the so-called 'shortage occupation list', social workers, midwives and care workers from outside Europe are no longer needed.

Racehorse trainers, on the other hand, are needed, as are ship and hovercraft officers.

Teachers, in general, are not needed - except for those teaching mathematics and science, of whom there is a shortage in Britain.

The IT sector is a well-known Indian-dominated sector, but care workers and racehorse trainers are also areas where Indians have a substantial presence.

The Migration Advisory Committee was set up last year to help the government implement a new points-based immigration system, under which would-be migrants are awarded points according to their skills, experience, income and qualifications.

For the system to be effective, Britain would have to have an idea of which sectors had a skills gap and which didn't - and the Committee is expected to meet periodically to draw up such lists.

In what was described by its chair Prof. David Metcalf as the largest such exercise in the world, the Committee evaluated each sector through 12 indicators - including pay levels, which controversially assumes that people on higher pay are necessarily more skilled.

Using the pay-level indicator, the Committee concluded that only care workers who earned 8.80 pounds or more per hour were needed in Britain, drawing a strong protest from the sector, which said the average pay for care workers was between 6 and 7 pounds per hour.

A representative of care homes said the sector 'tries hard' to recruit from Britain and Europe, but has not succeeded, with a 2006 study showing 68 percent of care workers in the London area came from outside Europe.

There is a rising demand for care workers in Britain, fuelled in particular by the needs of the elderly, whose ranks have swollen because more and more Britons are living longer.

Across the country, some 60 percent of care workers are said to come from outside Europe, mainly the Philippines, India and Zimbabwe.

Care home representatives say the sector has invested millions of pounds into training their staff and that those earning less than 8.80 pounds are not necessarily unskilled.

However, Prof Metcalf said the list would help create a situation where 'the labour supply will be more skilled than previously.'

On Sunday an all-party group of MPs called for 'balanced migration' and four-year limits for foreign workers, saying Britain will not be able to cope with an estimated seven million additional migrants forecast to arrive by 2031.

Extract from: http://in.news.yahoo.com/43/20080909/838/tbs-indian-it-workers-not-needed-in-brit.html

Trai asks telcos to bring down SMS charges

2008-09-09T22:50:00.000+05:30

n a move that could halve SMS charges, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has asked mobile operators to slash tariffs voluntarily. Unlike the voice traffic, the cost component in SMS is negligible-around 2 paise. Still, SMS tariffs are either higher than voice rates or at best comparable.

Sources say Trai has held two rounds of negotiations with the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), the apex of body of GSM mobile operators, convincing them to voluntarily bring down the tariffs, failing which it would intervene through regulation. In fact, two years back also Trai had urged the operators to bring down SMS rates.

The average tariff for local calls is Re 1, the same as the local SMS rate, while for STD calls, the average tariff is Rs 1.50 and the SMS rate is higher at Rs 2.

The operators, however, are resisting the move, as SMS makes up 50% revenue of their value added services. T hey feel this move would imply micro-managing of their operations by the regulator and argue that the rates be best left to market forces. Further, operators say that facing low average revenue per user (Arpu), revenue from value-added services (VAS) is critical to their profitability.

According to Trai, while service providers have to pay termination charges and carriage costs for voice calls, no such cost is involved in SMS traffic, apart from negligible capital expenditure.

For voice call, for instance, service providers pay a termination charge of 30 paise per minute---in cases where a call originates from one operator's network and terminates in another's. In cases where service providers do not possess a long distance network they pay a carriage charge, with a ceiling of.60 paise per minute to the ILD/NLD operator whose network is used for carrying the calls.

No termination charge is payable in the case of SMS traffic. For carrying SMS traffic, operators use a signalling channel, which is distinct from the channel used for carrying voice traffic. It is to bring parity between voice calls and SMS that the regulator has asked operators to bring down the SMS charges sharply.

For a telecom company, around 14% revenue comes from VAS, with SMS constituting almost half of it. Over the next five years, VAS could contribute 30% revenues to a telecom company.

Extract from: http://in.biz.yahoo.com/080908/50/6xbqs.html

Will the world end tomorrow?

2008-09-09T22:23:00.000+05:30

As physicists get set to recreate the Big Bang, German chemistry professor Otto Rossler predicts that their experiment will actually create a mini black hole that will suck all life and light into it and lead to the end of the world. On Wednesday, somewhere below the French-Swiss border, scientists at CERN (a European organisation for nuclear research) are getting ready to drive two beams of particles into each other at close to the speed of light in a machine called the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).

This will recreate the Big Bang and answer questions about the origins of life, the universe and everything. Black hole creation Though no one really knows what 'will' happen, all sorts of theories of sudden annihilation abound.

CERN's strongest opponent Otto R and #246;ssler, a German chemistry professor, argues that just as with the Big Bang, this experiment too will create a mini-black-hole, an intense gravitational field that will keep sucking in matter until the entire world, and all its light, is gone. To counter the bad press, a rap video on CERN is doing the rounds on YouTube.

Presumably made by the young scientists of the organisation, the video explains everything related to the project in a fun, literally off-beat way. The hugely popular video reiterates a statement made by CERN Director General Robert Aymar: "The LHC will enable us to study in detail what nature is doing all around us.

The LHC is safe, and any suggestion that it might present a risk is pure fiction." If Thursday comes And in case you wake up Thursday morning and wonder why doomsday didn't arrive, the Mayans might have an answer for you.

Hold on for 21-12-2012, which is when the Mayan Calendar comes to an end, because of a presumably catastrophic change. One theory even ties in the R and #246;ssler black hole theory with the end of the Mayan calendar -according to it, the black hole will suck in everything on earth over four-and-a-half years, which is 21-12-2012.

Many websites are dedicated to the Mayan theory, including one called Doomsdayguide.org where a countdown declares 1564 days to go.

If you're scared stiff, don't hesitate to check out Survive2012.com.

Extract from: http://in.news.yahoo.com/32/20080909/1072/ten-will-the-world-end-tomorrow.html

Expect good house deals this Diwali

2008-09-08T14:24:00.000+05:30

Builders across the country see the approaching festive season as an opportunity to boost their sales despite the slowdown in the sector. Real estate developers are gearing up to promote sales by offering discounts, freebies and new launches.

With the government announcing the payment of two-fifths of the accumulated arrears for central government employees around Diwali, builders are sitting up and taking notice of this chunk of money. Recently, Delhi-based developer Amrapali Group issued an advertisement in a leading newspaper in Delhi, claiming to offer special package for government employees.

The advertisement reads, "convert your arrears into your dream home" - directly targeting the government payout of salary arrears in implementatiing the sixth pay commission recommendations! With inventory levels piling up and demand shrinking due to rise in interest rates and lack of affordability, property sales have reportedly come down by 50 to 75 per cent since January. "In case the developers fail to create demand this Diwali, the downturn would continue for a longer period," said Pankaj Jaju, vice president (real estate), Enam Securities.

Several builders in Delhi and Mumbai are planning offers varying from discounted prices to freebies and EMI holidays on property sales. For instance, Orbit Corporation, a Mumbai-based developer, is offering a 15 per cent price discount on its residential projects in central Mumbai.

"We are willing to bring down prices by 15 per cent for bookings in Diwali and it can go up further depending on upfront payment by the buyer," said Ram Yadav, CFO, Orbit Corporation. North India-based Ansal API is planning a sequence of project launches in the national capital region, UP, Rajasthan and Punjab in the festive season.

The company plans to offer EMI holiday till possession is taken, in the case of some of these projects. "We will only take the initial booking amount and the EMIs will start after possession," said a company spokesperson.

Many builders are unwilling to come on record that they will offer price discounts this Diwali, but do admit to offering freebies such as free parking, furnishing and even sharing stamp duty and registration fees. Sunil Manrti Realty, developing a housing project Goregaon in Mumbai, is offering to bear 50 per cent of the stamp duty cost, "We will soon be offering this and hope for a good response as the benefits are substantial," said Manish Grover, vice president (sales and amp; marketing).

ERA Landmark, a Delhi-based developer, is offering some freebies with bookings in the festive period that starts with Navratri and ends with Diwali. "We have also lowered the upfront booking amount from 10-15 per cent earlier to five per cent," disclosed Deepak Aggarwal, chief operating officer, ERA Landmark.

While they plan to bring these deals to you, watch out to make the most of it.

Extract from: http://in.news.yahoo.com/32/20080908/1059/tbs-expect-good-house-deals-this-diwali.html

Has the inflation slide show begun?

2008-09-05T22:13:00.000+05:30

Inflation inched down yet again for the second week in a row to settle at 12.34 per cent in the week ended 23 August down from 12.4 per cent in the previous week. The wholesale price index, which is the basis of measuring headline inflation, stood at 240.3, marginally up from 240.2 in the previous week. The provisional rate of inflation for the week ended June 28, however, was revised upwards to 12.03 per cent from the earlier figure of 11.89 per cent.

The 6-basis-points decline was primarily led by lower food prices, compared with the previous week. The index for this group of commodities declined by 0.8 per cent, while that for all other group - fuel and fuel products, non-food articles, etc - either increased or remained unchanged. Following the downward correction of the fuel index in the previous week, it remained unchanged this week.

Reacting to the new data at a Siam convention, commerce and industry minister Kamal Nath, said, "There is movement downwards. The government has tried to look at the supply-side stress and what (price and liquidity control measures) has been put in place in the last couple of months appears to be taking effect. And will continue to take effect in the coming several weeks and months." The finance ministry, too, said that inflation had been moderating for two weeks now and that prices of a majority of the commodities in the WPI basket had either remained unchanged or declined.

Extract from:http://in.biz.yahoo.com/080904/203/6x7n1.html

Abhinav Bindra creates history

2008-08-12T19:27:00.000+05:30

India's 23-year-old Abhinav Bindra created history today in Beijing, by wining the first gold medal in any individual category for India in the 108-year Olympics history.
He won the gold medal in men's 10-meter air rifle event after earning a total of 700.5 points.
Earlier, Abhinav, who became the first Indian individual gold medallist at the Olympics, had qualified for the men's 10m air rifle event finals. He finished the qualifying event joint fourth with Romania's George Alin Moldoveanu after the duo shot a score of 596/600. He scored a series of 100,99,100,98,100 and 99 in the qualifiers.
However, India's other medal hope Gagan Narang failed to make the final cut in the same event finishing ninth with a score of 595/600. He shot a series of 97, 100, 100, 100, 98 and 100.
Abhinav, who was the youngest Indian participant at the 2000 Olympic Games, won six gold medals at various international meets in 2001. In the Air rifle event at the 2002 Commonwealth Games, Manchester, he won gold in the Pairs event and silver in the individual event. At the 2004 Olympic Games, he broke the Olympic record but failed to win a medal.
He is a recipient of the Arjuna award in 2001 and the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award for the year 2001-2002.

Extract from: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080811/jsp/frontpage/story_9676425.jsp

30pc of U.S. Army may be robotic by 2020

2008-08-06T22:18:00.000+05:30

U.S. technologists have revealed that the country's military has plans to have about 30 per cent of the Army comprised of robotic forces by approximately 2020.
Doug Few and Bill Smart of Washington University in St. Louis say that robots are increasingly taking over more soldier duties in Iraq and Afghanistan, and that the U.S. Army wants to make further additions to its robotic fleet.
They, however, also point out that the machines still need the human touch.
"When the military says 'robot' they mean everything from self-driving trucks up to what you would conventionally think of as a robot. You would more accurately call them autonomous systems rather than robots," says Smart, assistant professor of computer science and engineering.
All of the Army's robots are teleoperated, meaning there is someone operating the robot from a remote location, perhaps often with a joystick and a computer screen.
While this may seem like a caveat in plans to add robots to the military, it is actually very important to keep humans involved in the robotic operations.
"It's a chain of command thing. You don't want to give autonomy to a weapons delivery system. You want to have a human hit the button. You don't want the robot to make the wrong decision. You want to have a human to make all of the important decisions," says Smart.
The technologist duo says that researchers are not necessarily looking for intelligent decision-making in their robots. Instead, they are working to develop an improved, "intelligent" functioning of the robot.
"It's oftentimes like the difference between the adverb and noun. You can act intelligently or you can be intelligent. I'm much more interested in the adverb for my robots," says Few, a Ph.D. student who is interested in the delicate relationship between robot and human.
He says that there are many issues that may require "a graceful intervention" by humans, and these need to be thought of from the ground up.
"When I envision the future of robots, I always think of the Jetsons. George Jetson never sat down at a computer to task Rosie to clean the house. Somehow, they had this local exchange of information. So what we've been working on is how we can use the local environment rather than a computer as a tasking medium to the robot," he says.
Few has incorporated a toy into robotic programming, and with the aid of a Wii controller, he capitalizes on natural human movements to communicate with the robot.
According to the researchers, focussing on a joystick and screen rather than carting around a heavy laptop would help soldiers in battle to stay alert, and engage in their surroundings while performing operations with the robot.
"We forget that when we're controlling robots in the lab it's really pretty safe and no one's trying to kill us. But if you are in a war zone and you're hunched over a laptop, that's not a good place to be. You want to be able to use your eyes in one place and use your hand to control the robot without tying up all of your attention," says Smart.
Devices like unmanned aerial vehicles, ground robots for explosives detection, and Packbots have already been inducted in the military.
"When I stood there and looked at that Packbot, I realized that if that robot hadn't been there, it would have been some kid," says Few

Extract from: http://in.news.yahoo.com/139/20080805/981/tsc-30pc-of-u-s-army-may-be-robotic-by20.html

Keep your cell number, even if you dump your operator

2008-08-02T17:27:00.000+05:30

Disgusted with your telecom service provider? Dump him and move on without having to fret over losing your unique number. The government today set a six-month deadline for telecom firms in metros and Category A circles to implement mobile number portability (MNP) that allows users to keep the number even if they change operators.
While in metros, users will be able to change their service providers by December-January, in the rest of the country portability will be a reality by mid-June. While MNP will force all telecom companies to deliver quality service, it will immediately benefit new players who can offer great deals to lure subscribers of entrenched players. According to the guidelines announced by IT and Communications Minister A Raja, the country has been divided into two MNP zones, with two metros in each for managing the porting exercise. There would be one licence for each zone, which would manage the entire porting exercise.
To avoid conflict of interest, existing telecom service providers cannot directly or indirectly have any stake in the MNP clearing agent and vice-versa. The licence holders must rope in overseas experienced players by offering them a minimum of 26 per cent stake. The foreign partner should have been in the business for two years having served at least 25 million users.
India will adopt the all-query method, meaning consumer queries regarding portability will be handled by these two agencies in the country. The time to port from one service provider to another will not exceed two days initially, and will only be faster going forward. The user will have to approach the recipient operator for porting his/her number.
The eligibility criterion for the applicant specifies that the company must have a minimum paid-up capital of Rs 10 crore and a combined net worth of Rs 100 crore (in proportion to their direct equity). The overseas partner can have a maximum 74 per cent stake in line with the FDI limit for the sector. A lock-in period of three years has been specified for shareholders with 26 per cent or more.
A one-time entry fee of Rs 1 crore has been specified for the MNP licence. Subsequently, a 1 per cent charge on the adjusted gross revenue (AGR) will be levied as the annual licence fee. However, there will be a two-year moratorium on the license fee from the effective date of licence.

Extract from: http://in.biz.yahoo.com/080801/203/6w438.html

What The World's Wealthiest Buy

2008-07-30T19:49:00.001+05:30

U.S. consumer confidence may be at its lowest in 16 years, but the world's ultra-rich who like to spend their money on things or experiences that will enhance their lifestyle, such as travel or jewelry, aren't deterred by the shaky economy.
That's according to the 2008 World Wealth Report, released today by financial management firm Merrill Lynch and consulting company Capgemini. It studied the 2007 spending habits of the world's richest people. Capgemini and Merrill Lynch define High Net Worth Individuals (HNWI) as those with at least $1 million in financial assets, excluding collectibles, consumables, consumer durables and primary residences. Ultra-High Net Worth Individuals (U-HNWI) hold at least $30 million in financial assets, excluding the same variables.
Unsurprisingly, what millionaires--and billionaires--buy is segmented by region. Those in Europe and Latin America spent the most money on art, while travel and luxury collectibles--such as yachts, jets or cars--were most important to Americans.
Those in Asia-Pacific indulged most in gems, jewelry and watches, while the Middle East's richest dabbled in a bit of everything: They allocated a similar percentage of their wealth to several categories of what the report calls "passion investments." (Or in laymen's terms, money spent on luxuries, from travel to fashion to art.) From luxury collectibles to consumables--such as clothing, handbags and wine--to travel and accessories, those in the Middle East weren't partial to a specific passion.
The report also touched upon the fact that North America still has the most millionaires in the world: 3.3 million. But the percentage of growth from 2006-2007 was just 3%, whereas the Middle East saw a 33% growth--to 400,000 millionaires--during the same period. Asia-Pacific's number grew to 2.8 million, a 7.7% increase from 2006. Ileana van der Linde, a principal in Capgemini's wealth department, says that Asia will have the highest number of millionaires by 2012.
What are you buying? Weigh in. Post your thoughts in the Readers Comments section below.
These numbers represent a shift in global spending and market share. James Chung, president of Slingerlands, N.Y.-based Reach Advisors, a marketing strategy and research firm focused on the wealthiest half-percent of Americans, says that global companies that sell luxury goods and experiences must now focus their efforts on the East. Those that already have a hold on emerging markets, including Richemont and LVMH, are seeing better quarterly results as the U.S. market continues to weaken. Swiss luxury goods giant Richemont reported an 18% rise in its fiscal year profit to 1.57 billion euros ($2.4 billion) in May 2008. In April 2008, French conglomerate LVMH reported a first-quarter revenue of 4 billion euros ($6.2 billion) in the quarter, up from 3.8 billion ($5.1 billion at the then-current exchange rate) a year earlier.
"[In the U.S.], the personal luxury arms race is over," says Chung. "It's not that people aren't spending, but when they do it's because of its inherent value, not because it's a good investment that's going to make them money five years down the line. They're not trying to keep up with the Joneses as much. They're buying things because they want to enjoy them, or let their family enjoy them."
For companies that count the HNWI and U-HNWIs as their main client, the message is clear. Go East, or perish.
About the 2008 World Wealth Report The report covers 71 countries and accounts for more than 98% of the global gross national income and 99% of world stock market capitalization. The data on income distribution is provided by World Bank, Global Insight and by countries' national statistics.

Extract from: http://in.news.yahoo.com/240/20080626/1312/ten-5154775_1.html

Can't find a job? Groom your looks!

2008-07-28T13:48:00.000+05:30

Forget polishing resume to find a suitable job, for your looks are more than enough to do the trick, suggests a new study, which has found that a majority of jobseekers are not hired because of their "bad dress sense" and "poor appearance".
Experts have called for style makeovers to get the long-term unemployed into work.
The Scottish Centre for Employment Research believes that image problems are a very real barrier to interview success.
Their conclusions are based on a survey of 500 high-street retailers in which they found that the vast majority had not hired staff because of the way they looked.
They also found that more than four-fifths of employers had an appearance policy, with set standards on personal hygiene, tidiness and dress.
The majority of firms also frowned upon visible tattoos, piercings and excessive make-up and jewellery.
"Our findings show that you could have the right qualifications and yet fail to be employed because you don't look 'right'," the Scotsman quoted Professor Chris Warhurst of Strathclyde University, eth study's lead researcher, as saying.
"Retail jobs are being targeted by Government as appropriate work for the long-term unemployed so it is essential that this group are not excluded from the labour market because they lack the appropriate presentation skills."
"Many potential employees might ask why they can't have streaks in their hair, a tattoo or a body piercing, things which are a personal expression. But many employers won't accept that and the likelihood is they won't be able to express themselves in that way in the workplace," he added.
The research showed that for most employers the appearance of potential employers was considered more important than their knowledge of the products they sold.

Extract From: http://in.news.yahoo.com/139/20080727/385/ten-can-t-find-a-job-groom-your-looks_1.html

Draft employment policy points at skill deficit

2008-07-28T13:43:00.000+05:30

Taking note of acute shortage of skilled labour force that could severely impact country's productivity and GDP growth, the labour and employment ministry in collaboration with International Labour Organisation (ILO) has initiated the process for National Skills Development Policy.
The policy will set the skill development agenda, provide strategies and combine needs and perceptions of industry, labour force and other stakeholders. It will address demand and supply, equity related issues; and ensure access to skill development that is inclusive in terms of gender, social divide, schedule caste and schedule tribe and minorities and other backward classes.
According to the government estimates, included in the draft National Employment Policy, a copy of which is available with The Indian Express, around 457 million people in the labour force need to acquire new skills or upgrade their skills. The current capacity of the government-run technical and vocational education training (TVET) programmes is 2.5 million, while each year 12.8 million are added to the total workforce. Of these 12.8 million, almost 10 million of the workforce does not possess any skills. It is alarming to note that only 5 per cent of the youth between the age group of 20-24 possess vocational skills, while this figure is 28 per cent in Mexico, 78 per cent in Germany, 79 per cent in Canada, 80 per cent in Japan and 96 per cent in Korea. If the age limit is relaxed to include those between 15 and 29 years, the figure further falls to a mere 2 per cent.
The report is critical of the approach taken by government programmes which are focussed exclusively on organised sector. It notes that the available skill development opportunities, including those provided by government programmes, exclude the unorganised sector that employs over 90 per cent of the workforce.

Extract from: http://in.biz.yahoo.com/080727/203/6vxd9.html

Cars of the future: safer, cleaner, more comfortable

2008-07-24T20:48:00.000+05:30

Within a decade, most new cars will be equipped with clean-drive technology and a host of easy to serve technical gadgets that will make driving much more comfortable and safer than today.
Engineers are currently working on several technologies that were still fiction in the 1980s American television series 'Knight Rider' in which David Hasselhoff is partnered by an autonomous car called KITT with artificial intelligence.
Like KITT, the car of the future recognises its owner with a mini iris-recognition camera.
The front-mounted 'scan bar' in KITT is similar to the mini cameras currently being tested that perceive the car surroundings, informing the driver of possible danger zones. It even brakes automatically if the driver does not react.
Some of the gadgets such as night vision and brake-assist are already available in premium cars such as the new BMW 7-Series but will become the norm in a few years time.
Once the driver sits into the car, the vehicle automatically adjusts the seat and steering wheel settings to the ideal position. The car entertainment system meanwhile plays his/her favourite music while the navigation system begins to choose the best route.
Like KITT, the car could theoretically drive itself, drop its driver outside the office and choose the next available parking space.
Cars will be in contact with other cars and traffic information centres picking up information on accidents, traffic jams or parking areas.
Many of the functions presently in use have complicated menu programmes, switches or buttons. In future you will be able to speak to your car like Hasselhoff to KITT, telling it what to do.
German automaker Volkswagen's head of future research and trend transfer, Wolfgang Mueller-Pietralla, says that the car of the future will be a 'lot more fun, evolving from purely a vehicle to a living space' where we can do most of the things we do at home or in the office like phoning, shopping, watching television or surfing the internet.
Car assistance systems will eliminate most of the risks we have on the road today. Camera-assisted fatigue recognition systems tell the driver when to rest.
The mini cameras with night vision monitor the vehicle surroundings by 180 degrees, picking up possible dangers from any angle, informing the vehicle information system on what action to take.
The car will not be able to fly or jump over objects with rocket boosters, but a lot of the fiction we saw in 'Knight Rider' will have merged into everyday reality.

Extract from: http://in.news.yahoo.com/43/20080724/860/ttc-cars-of-the-future-safer-cleaner-mor_1.html

Delhi to host 2010 hockey world cup

2008-07-20T13:07:00.000+05:30

Delhi has been named as the official host of the 2010 Men's Hockey World Cup.Battling to wash off stains of a bribery scandal and recovering from its absence from the Olympics, the sport has got a much-needed boost. Ending a long period of uncertainty, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) finally gave the hosting rights of the Men's World Cup to India.
The FIH had provisionally given the rights to Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) last year pending fulfillment of some conditions. "Delhi has officially been given the rights to host the Men's World Cup. We hope this will help revive Indian hockey," FIH president Els van Breda Viersman told a press conference here. The tournament would be organised at the city's National Stadium, currently being renovated in the run-up to the 2010 Commonwealth Games

Extract from: http://in.sports.yahoo.com/071107/211/6myc0.html

How green is your car? Soon, it will get a mileage rating

2008-07-20T13:01:00.000+05:30

Your new set of wheels is going to get its stars.
In a first of its kind venture, the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) is embarking on a fuel efficiency labelling programme, in which cars will be assigned star-rating according to fuel efficiency.
A voluntary start will be made this year. A similar programme of star-ratings is currently on for marking energy saving efficiency in electrical goods like refrigerators.
Working under the Energy Conservation Act, 2001, the BEE, a statutory body under the Power Ministry, along with the Petroleum Conservation Research Association studied trends driving fuel economy programmes globally. Working with nine weight categories for four-wheel passenger vehicles, the stars will be awarded depending on fuel economy values, obtained by standardised tests conducted for emissions testing.
While a five-star will mean fuel economy more than 25.6 kilometres per litre, a one-star will mean fuel economy above 10 kilometres per litre.
The BEE estimates that three-fourth of the vehicle model variants will receive a three- or four-star rating. Its study also anticipates that the combination of fuel economy standards will provide a "necessary impetus" for development of five-star rated vehicles. The BEE also estimates that fuel economy compliant with labelling programme will result in as much as 20 per cent reduction in oil use in 2030-saving around 10 million tones of oil.
As a start, the labelling programme will be implemented on a voluntary basis in 2008, and the BEE will make it mandatory for all new cars subsequently. A set of fuel economy standards will be phased in from 2010 to 2012.
Till now, customers only had 'mileage' and word-of-mouth reviews in order to choose their car purchase. Bharat I and II emission norms too were mainly concerns for the manufacturer. The star labelling system is likely to help the customer make an informed choice not only regarding pollution, but also better value for money.
For non-petrol vehicles which use diesel, LPG or CNG, values will be converted to petrol equivalent fuel consumption per litre. For vehicles which have dual use, each fuel consumption will be calculated separately and the lower fuel consumption value will be used for the label.
The BEE is currently working on a mechanism to ensure compliance to the labelling system.
Counting the stars
Each label will have stars, the vehicle model, brand, model year, vehicle class/ weight, engine size, transmission and type of fuel
One: more than 10 kmpl
Two: 10.1- 12.5 kmpl
Three: 12.6-16.8 kmpl
Four: 16.9- 25.5 kmpl
Five: more than 25.6 kmpl

Extract from: Yahoo India News

Why do HR professionals leave the organisation?

2008-07-10T17:07:00.002+05:30

We don’t get the talent in market easily. You have to search it. The same is with HR talent. The role of HR is critical in every organization. Service and retail industry is growing and also the employment in various sectors and positions. The HR has become a key to control the total Human Capital.
Hence the market demand for HR professionals is also high. The job hopping is increasing across the positions in all sectors. I have seen senior level professionals leaving the organizations due to some reasons within 6 months or one year. I tried to find the reasons from one survey.
This survey is not absolute survey and needs to work more. The sample size for the survey was 150 HR professionals from various Industries and having the experience of 2-10 years.
Why HR professionals leave the organization? What are the key reasons for leaving?
Following are top 7 reasons.
1) Compensation and benefits: 49 percent HR professionals leave the organization for increased compensation. This reason is more dominant over any other reason.
2) Challenging job Profile and Learning new HR concepts: around 40% HR professionals responded that they see challenges in new profile and also the new learning in HR.
3) Freedom to take decisions: 34% Professionals leave the organization because they were not authorized to take the decisions. The decision was dominated by the superior. They feel that they were playing the role of just co-ordinator. These people may be ambitious people.
4) Politics in the organization: 32 % professional were fade up with the politics played in the organization. The definition of politics is person specific but still important to decide the career move.
5) Lack of HR vision: Professionals are not aware about the HR vision of the organizations. 29% professionals say that they leave the organization due to lack of clarity about HR vision of the organization.
6) Good employer brand: Around 25% professionals think that Employer Brand is also important factor while deciding the career move from one organization to other organization.
7) Relations with superior: Employees leave their superior and not the organization. This is true here. 21% professionals think this.

Extract from: http://www.citehr.com/111059-why-hr-professionals-leave-organization.html

Why do employees leave - by Azim Premji

2008-07-10T15:21:00.003+05:30

Every company normally faces one common problem of high employee turnout atio. People are leaving the company for better pay, better profile or simply for just one reason' pak gaya '. This article might just throw some light on the matter......

Early this year, Arun, an old friend who is a senior software designer, got an offer from a prestigious international firm to work in its India operations developing specialized software. He was thrilled by the offer. He had heard a lot about the CEO of this company, charismatic man often quoted in the business press for his visionary attitude. The salary was great. The company had all the right systems in place employee-friendly human resources (HR) policies, a spanking new office, and the very best technology, even a canteen that served superb food. Twice Arun was sent abroad for training. "My learning curve is the sharpest it's ever been," he said soon after he joined. "It's a real high working with such cutting edge technology." Last week, less than eight months after he joined, Arun walked out of the job. He has no other offer in hand but he said he couldn't take it anymore. Nor, apparently, could several other people in his department who have also quit recently.

The CEO is distressed about the high employee turnover. He's distressed about the money he's spent in training them. He's distressed because he can't figure out what happened. Why did this talented employee leave despite a top salary? Arun quit for the same reason that drives many good people away. The answer lies in one of the largest studies undertaken by the Gallup Organization. The study surveyed over a million employees and 80,000 managers and was published in a book called First Break All The Rules.

It came up with this surprising finding:

If you're losing good people, look to their immediate supervisor. More than any other single reason, he is the reason people stay and thrive in an organization. And he's the reason why they quit, taking their knowledge, experience and contacts with them. Often, straight to the competition. "People leave managers not companies," write the authors Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman. "So much money has been thrown at the challenge of keeping good people - in the form of better pay, better perks and better training - when, in the end, turnover is mostly manager issue." If you have a turnover problem, look first to your managers. Are they driving people away? Beyond a point, an employee's primary need has less to do with money, and more to do with how he's treated and how valued he feels. Much of this depends directly on the immediate manager. And yet, bad bosses seem to happen to good people everywhere.. A Fortune magazine survey some years ago found that nearly 75 per cent of employees have suffered at the hands of difficult superiors. You can leave one job to find - you guessed it, another wolf in a pin-stripe suit in the next one. Of all the workplace stressors, a bad boss is possibly the worst, directly impacting the emotional health and productivity of employees. HR experts say that of all the abuses, employees find public humiliation the most intolerable. The first time, an employee may not leave, but a thought has been planted.. The second time, that thought gets strengthened. The third time, he starts looking for another job. When people cannot retort openly in anger, they do so by passive aggression. By digging their heels in and slowing down. By doing only what they are told to do and no more. By omitting to give the boss crucial information.

Dev says: "If you work for a jerk, you basically want to get him into trouble. You don't have your heart and soul in the job." Different managers can stress out employees in different ways - by being too controlling, too suspicious, too pushy, too critical, but they forget that workers are not fixed assets, they are free agents. When this goes on too long, an employee will quit - often over seemingly trivial issue. It isn't the 100th blow that knocks a good man down. It's the 99 that went before. And while it's true that people leave jobs for all kinds of reasons- for better opportunities or for circumstantial reasons, many who leave would have stayed - had it not been for one man constantly telling them, as Arun's boss did: "You are dispensable. I can find dozens like you." While it seems like there are plenty of other fish especially in today's waters, consider for a moment the cost of losing a talented employee.There's the cost of finding a replacement. The cost of training the replacement. The cost of not having someone to do the job in the meantime. The loss of clients and contacts the person had with the industry. The loss of morale in co-workers. The loss of trade secrets this person may now share with others. Plus, of course, the loss of the company's reputation. Every person who leaves a corporation then becomes its ambassador, for better or for worse. We all know of large IT companies that people would love to join and large television companies few want to go near. In both cases, former employees have left to tell their tales.

"Any company trying to compete must figure out a way to engage the mind of every employee," Jack Welch of GE once said. Much of a company's value lies "between the ears of its employees". If it's bleeding talent, it's bleeding value. Unfortunately, many senior executives busy travelling the world, signing new deals and developing a vision for the company, have little idea of what may be going on at home.That deep within an organization that otherwise does all the right things, one man could be driving its best people away.

Extract from: http://www.citehr.com/1333-why-employees-leave-organisations-azim-premji.html

Are We Indians a race of petty and jealous people?

2008-07-09T15:14:00.001+05:30

Are we Indians a race of petty people who are very jealous of the successful amongst us? I would like to be corrected if I am wrong in my belief. India's long history is a witness to this in as much as her epics. Each time the country or any of its myriad kingdoms of the past fell, it was invariably a jealous hand that guided the enemies from within to pull us down.
In the epic Ramayana, Lord Rama goes into fourteen years exile just because one of the queens of his father did not like the idea of him succeeding to the throne. Was this not extreme jealousy on the part of Queen Kaikeyi? The hatred that Duryodhanaersonifies in the Mahabharata is yet another instance of our cultural mores being deep rooted in pettiness?
Is there no way out of all this? Will we as a race never learn to say "well done" to people who do well and rejoice with them? Wherever you turn, you only hear of the strange complaints of "office politics" which in fact is nothing more than each guy working against the other to pull him or her down.
There is a classic story of Indian crabs in a bottle. One of these is trying to reach the top of the bottle. People around get worried in case the crabs get out and start crawling in the room. No way, said someone -- for these are Indian crabs-each is pulling the other down and not letting it go up. Sure enough what looked like an effort to move up was in fact crabs pulling each other down.
Look around and see the state of our general life around today. Two of India's largest industrial houses are in battle because neither likes the other to grow for very personal reasons. It makes little difference to them if in the process the nation becomes a laughing stock abroad.
On a more serious note, look at the state of our Parliamentary democracy. Our multi party system is really not that - it is today no more than few families or coteries controlling each political party. What we have is a sham multi party democracy. Those who "own" and "control" these parties will never permit a genuine leader, a visionary to move up and lead a party. his pettiness towards each other and extreme jealousy pulls India down. Any organisation or area where talent is encouraged, we notice prospers and blooms. Our agricultural research establishments are in poor shape because there are one too many reports of 'office politics' wherein the supervising scientists want all the credit for the work done by others. Space science seems to be doing well for ISRO is said to encourage talent and has a culture for that.
The civil services and the armed forces that the British left behind were said to be talent based. This cannot be said of the civil service of today. The politicians have manipulated it to the extent that, today, it seems each civil servant lives for his own self, and not for the nation, even though the contract for the service is with the President of India.
As for the armed forces, blessed as they are with some highly patriotic people, the rot will set in if politicians and civil servants are allowed to mess around with them. We need to do a lot more to ensure that our armed forces remain the beacon of unity and competence in a sea of pettiness and jealousy. Whether by special dispensation or otherwise, the armed forces need to be insulated from the petty civil servants, who are today no more than the errand boys of the politicians.
Thus, the problem lies at the very root of our culture as a people. Will Indians be ever able to rise above self and rejoice in the success of other fellow Indians? That alone will lead to greater success of India.

Extract from: http://in.news.yahoo.com/139/20080708/882/twl-are-we-indians-a-race-of-petty-and-j.html

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