Centre rejects 300% pay hike for Delhi MLAs

NEW DELHI: The Centre has nixed a demand from Delhi MLAs for a sharp 300 per cent salary hike.

The Union government sent back the proposal saying a pay revision isn't due in Delhi until 2012 and the proposed conveyance allowances are way over the top for a small state like Delhi.

Law and justice minister Mangatram Singhal confirmed that the Centre had indeed shot down the move.''The Centre has said a revision is not due until 2012. We will see how the matter can be sorted out. Inflation doesn't come in five-year cycles.''

Had the proposal gone through, Delhi MLAs would have drawn between Rs 80,000 and Rs 90,000 a month as against the present Rs 32,000.

The plan that wanted MLAs' basic pay to be doubled from Rs 6,000 to Rs 12,000 raised the hackles of the home ministry, sources said. The Centre also put its foot down on a move to give MLAs Rs 7 lakh in interest-free car loans against the present Rs 5 lakh at 5% interest. Among the spiked moves was one for 300 litres of petrol or diesel as conveyance allowance. The home ministry felt this was way too high for a state just 1,500-odd sq km in area and situated in the national capital.
The Centre's no has embarrassed the state government. Singhal, finance minister A K Walia and Congress chief whip in the assembly – author of the report that called for the raise – held strategy sessions. Though MLAs wouldn't say anything on record on the issue, off record they complained that the objections were not tenable as Rs 12,000 was a ''paltry amount'', less than a fourth of an MP's basic pay.

  DEEPAK KUMAR

PGDM 1 ST SEM

Iron ore exports to China fall to 6.4%

BEIJING: India's share in Chinese imports of iron ore has fallen drastically to 6.4% in October, the latest Customs data showed. The slowdown began last year when India met only 20% of Chinese requirement. Chinese buyers have now begun to source this crucial steel making component in larger quantities from other markets.

"It is a wake-up call. There is still a lot of demand for Indian iron ore among hundreds of small and medium steel makers in China who find it more economical as compared to ores from Brazil and Australia. India should make efforts to preserve this traditional market," said B Goswami, an iron ore expert and president of International Inspection and Consultancy.

Customs data showed that India exported 2.91 milliPon tonne of iron ore to China in October, a fall of 44% as compared to the same period last year. October exports were also down a sharp 39% from supplies in September. It appears that the Karnataka government's decision to ban iron ore supplies, which was upheld by the court last Friday, was an important reason behind the fall. Karnataka accounts for one-fourth of Indian supplies to China.

Chinese buyers have begun to buy more from Brazil with imports from the country rising 3.3% to 11.78 tonne in October. Another reason for importing less Indian ore is the overall reduction in Chinese buying, which fell 13% in October compared to the previous month.

DEEPAK KUMAR

PGDM 1 ST SEM

 

Now, transfer funds to any bank via mobile

MUMBAI: In a new service that is set to revolutionize the retail money payment sector in India, consumers will now be able to transfer money from their accounts to any other account in the country using their cellphones via the National Payment Corporation of India's (NPCI) Inter-bank Mobile Payment Service (IMPS).

The NPCI is the umbrella organization for all retail payment systems in the country owned and operated by banks. The system is as secure as the net-banking facility. The major advantage of IMPS is that a customer does not have to use a computer or an internet-enabled phone to transfer funds.

Till now, the transfer of money through mobile phones was only allowed if both the sender and the receiver held accounts with the same bank. NPCI managing director and chief executive officer A P Hota said, ''It is India's first instant, real-time, 24x7 fund transfer facility in the retail payment sector.''

As of now, seven banks including HDFC, ICICI, AXIS and SBI have gone live with the system. Seven more banks are in the process of activating the service and 22 others are expected to join the network soon. Explaining how the system works, Hota said, ''Both the receiver and sender of the money should have mobile numbers and hold accounts with their banks. They will both have to register with their bank(s) to secure a seven-digit mobile money transfer identifier number (MMID). With the help of these two numbers, the payer will be able to transfer the amount in the payee's account in real time.

Mobile Payment Forum of India (MPFI) executive secretary V N Sastry said, ''The mobile phone user will have to download the mobile banking application on his instrument to remit money. Even low-end phones will be able to undertake this transfer either through download, bluetooth or even by making a simple application at the nearest branch of the bank.''

Hota said, ''As soon as the transaction is complete, the payer and payee soon receive SMS confirmations on their mobile phones. The technology is simple and it can be used to even pay your taxi fare.'' The facility was inaugurated by Shyamala Gopinath, deputy governor, RBI. According to Reserve Bank of India guidelines, using this service, a consumer is allowed to carry out a transaction of not more than Rs 50,000 per day. India is the world's fastest-growing mobile market and adds 15 to 20 million new cellular users every month. The country, with a population of over 1.2 billion, already has over 600 million mobile connections.

''Nowhere in the world is a facility of this magnitude present. India has nearly 300 million bank accounts, with a huge number of banks as well as cellular operators and a wide subscriber base. It is a challenging task, but the technology is equipped to deal with such a wide subscriber base,'' said anofficial. 

 

 

DEEPAK KUMAR

PGDM 1 ST SEM

CAG names top business tycoon in telecom scam

New Delhi: The report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG),which lent an edge to the clamour for A Rajas ouster as telecom minister,has also come down hard on the corporates who benefited from the controversial 2G spectrum allocation.
The report,which may be tabled in Parliament on Tuesday,specifically focuses on how facts about a top industrialists substantial stake in Swan Telecom it far exceeded 10% were concealed while applying for the 2G spectrum licence.
According to the guidelines,no entity can hold more than 10% stake in two telecom service providers operating in the same circle.Since a telecom company controlled by the industrialist who also has interests in energy and entertainment has a pan-Indian presence,Swan should have been disqualified.Yet,it stayed in the ring and went on to pip several established contenders.The industrialist,one of Indias richest,has denied any link with Swan.
CAGs indictment of corporates for use of fraudulent means to qualify runs into several pages.The report lists not just companies but also the violations the auditor has found them guilty of.The licences issued to various companies floated by corporates such as Swan,Unitech,Loop and Datacom Allianz Infra involved several violations,the auditor has pointed out.As many as 85 of the 122 licences were illegal,the CAG has said.
The auditor has held Raja guilty of favouring a select group of companies in the way he went about issuing a press release on January 10,2008 at 2.47pm,giving companies just 45 minutes to assemble at DoT to collect response letters to their applications.Rajas favourites,who knew of the press release in advance,were able to be ready with performance bank guarantees and other requirements in time.Whats more,the auditor found that 13 applicants were ready with demand drafts drawn on dates prior to the press release being issued,proof that they were aware of the ministers move.

Damning Report

Industrialist,who already had a telecom company,did not disclose his equity holding in Swan when it applied for a licence 85 of the 122 licences are illegal Raja issued a release at 2:47pm on Jan 10,2008,giving just 45 minutes notice to companies to assemble at DoTs office to collect response letters and furnish various guarantees.It was clear that some had been given prior warning

CBI to question Raja soon on 2G row

With the decks cleared for questioning A Raja,the CBI is working hard to frame questions on the basis of sensitive information it has gathered following scrutiny of files it had taken from DoT in October last year.The CBI appears to have established that the cut-off date for applications for allotment of spectrum was advanced from October 1,2007 to September 25,2007 by a notification dated October 10,2007 to benefit some companies
PRABHAKAR MANI
PGDM 1 SEM

CBI raids CWG office, registers two corruption cases

NEW DELHI: The CBI on Monday registered two cases in connection with alleged irregularities during the Queen's Baton's Relay in London and carried out searches at CWG Organising Committee's office and at residences of some of its former officials.

The two cases were registered against London-based AM Films and AM Car, which had been given contracts for the Baton Relay, official sources said.

The searches were conducted at the residence of T S Darbari, joint director general of the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee, Sanjay Mahendroo, OC deputy director-general, and Raj Singh, a Director level officer in the OC, they said.

name-deepak kumar jha

pgdm(2010-12)

Full scale domestic operations commence at T3

Updated on Sunday, November 14, 2010, 21:20  Print  Email  Buzz up!

New Delhi: Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines Sunday shifted their domestic operations to Terminal-3 (T3) of the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) here, thus commencing the full scale domestic operations of the swanky new terminal.  "Effective today, all domestic flights of Kingfisher Airlines, including flights operating Kingfisher RED class of service, will depart from and arrive at Terminal 3," a Kingfisher Airline statement said. Flag carrier Air India had shifted its domestic operations to the new terminal Oct 31. Only these three airlines, and their subsidiaries, can use T3 for their domestic flights. Other airlines will continue to use the old T-1D terminal at Palam. Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) confirmed that Kingfisher Airlines, Jet Airways and its subsidiary Jetlite had shifted to T3 from the old domestic terminal at Palam. According to Kingfisher Airlines, the transition went off smoothly. "By and large, the transition of operations for our domestic flights to T3 went off smoothly, thanks to the well coordinated advance planning by all stakeholders involved," the statement added. The airline also said it will notify all its passengers through SMS till Nov 30. "Besides notifying them of the change in terminal, guests are also being requested to report well in time for their flights," the statement said. T3's domestic operations got off to a bad start due to delays and baggage problems faced by Air India passengers. Many passengers had protested the inefficiency, raising doubts about the success of the transition. DEEPAK KUMAR PGDM 1ST SEM

Pyongyang says US man arrested for illegal entry

A day after US authorities voiced concern that North Korea may have detained a Christian activist, Pyongyang said on Tuesday it had detained a US citizen who illegally entered its territory from across the Chinese border.

By News Wires (text)

 

AFP - An American has been detained for illegal entry into North Korea, Pyongyang's state media said Tuesday, in an apparent reference to a Christian rights activist who crossed the border last week.
 
"An American was detained after illegally entering the DPRK (North Korea) through the DPRK-China border on December 24," the Korean Central News Agency said in a one-paragraph report.
 
"He is now under investigation by a relevant organ."
 
Activist Robert Park was reported by colleagues to have crossed into the North on December 25, Christmas Day, in a one-man protest against repression in the hardline communist state.
 
They said he walked across the frozen Tumen River from China.
 
Park, a US citizen of Korean ancestry, claimed he had seen a vision from God of North Korea's liberation and redemption, his colleagues said, adding that he crossed the border shouting "I came here to proclaim God's love". 
 
Park, from Tucson, Arizona, carried a letter calling for Pyongyang leader Kim Jong-Il to release political prisoners, shut concentration camps and take steps to improve rights and conditions, his colleagues said.
 
The US State Department Monday expressed concern that the North may have detained the activist.
 
It said Sweden, which represents US interests in Pyongyang in the absence of diplomatic relations, has offered to seek more information about Park's fate.
 
In March this year, two US journalists who crossed into North Korea from China while working on a story about human trafficking spent more than four months in jail for illegal entry.
 
Television journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee were sentenced to 12 years' hard labour but were freed as part of a diplomatic mission spearheaded by former US President Bill Clinton in August

DEEPAK KUMAR
PGDM 1ST SEM 

Bilateral engagements dominate runup to G20

AS THE leaders of the G20 assembled in Seoul for their fifth summit that begins with a formal dinner Thursday night,they spent their time meeting one another,cementing old ties,forging new ones,consolidating relationships.The big bilateral meeting of the day is,of course,the one between US president Barack Obama and his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao.While its outcome is not known at the time of writing this,the Indian delegation is clear that there is as yet no commonly shared diagnosis of the worlds economic ills and how to establish balance between surplus and deficit countries.This,of course,does not bode well for any dramatic solutions being thrown up by the Seoul summit. Not being a direct combatant in the ongoing wrestling match over currency valuations,Indias prime minister,Manmohan Singh,utilized the time to meet up with prime minister of Ethiopia Meles Zenawi,president of Mexico,Felipe Calderon and British premier David Cameron. Indias relations with Ethiopia go back thousands of years,with evidence of trade from the sixth century onwards.However,the present warmth in relations between India and Ethiopia has to do less with the glory of the past and more with the present race for Africas riches and goodwill by resource hungry countries such as China and India. India held an India-Africa summit in February 2009 and the next one is slated for 2011 in Africa.Setting its place and time figured in the meeting between Indias and Ethiopias leaders.Ethiopia is supportive of India on global issues,said foreign affairs ministry spokesperson Vishnu Prakash while briefing the media on the PMs bilaterals. India is doing quite a few things by way of capacity building in Africa.A pan-Africa e-network started rolling out last year from Addis Abbaba,capital of Ethiopia.India has a scheme called ITEC,India Technical and Economic Cooperation,which offers scholarship,training and various other forms of capacity building.Ethiopia has a commercial memorandum of understanding with the Indian Institutes of Technology at Delhi and Kanpur. With the Mexican leader,Dr Manmohan Singh discussed ways to raise bilateral trade to $5 billion from the current $3 billion.Another focus was the next Conference of Parties on Climate change kicking off late November in Cancun,Mexicos resort town on the Caribbean.Dr Singh stressed the importance of identifying doable things.Dr Singh had a good meeting with British prime minister David Cameron,picking up the threads from his high profile visit to India in July. A common characteristic of all the three leaders whom Dr Singh met t on Thursday is that they had all supported Indias election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. PM Manmohan Singh with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak in Seoul on Thursday

PRABHAKAR MANI
PGDM 1 SEM

Will pursue currency reform, says Hu

— PHOTO: AFP

Fiery protest: Anti-globalisation activists clash with police in Seoul on Thursday.

SEOUL: Chinese President Hu Jintao told his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama Thursday that Beijing had an “unswerving” resolve to pursue currency reform, but needs a sound world economy to do it, said an official.
“President Hu also stressed that China's resolve to push forward foreign exchange reform is unswerving,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu after Mr. Hu and Mr. Obama met just prior to the start of a G20 summit in Seoul.
“The reform will need a very sound external environment and can only be implemented in an incremental process,” Mr. Ma told reporters, throwing the onus on the United States to avoid any instability in the world economy

deepak kumar
pgdm 1st sem

Centre to decide on sugar exports by month-end

Gargi Parsai

NEW DELHI: The Centre will take a decision on allowing export of sugar under the Open General Licence after it assessed the sugarcane crushing towards the end of the month. Cane crushing has been delayed in parts of the sugar-growing States of Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat, owing to rainfall.
Speaking to journalists here on Thursday, Union Agriculture and Food Minister Sharad Pawar said that he would take a call after November 21, by when he would get a report on sugar crushing.

DEEPAK KUMAR
PGDM
1ST SEM

SC grants bail to SPS Rathore in Ruchika molestation case

NEW DELHI/CHANDIGARH: The Supreme Court granted bail to former Haryana DGP S P S Rathore in Ruchika Girhotra molestation case. The apex court took into account CBI's closure report against Rathore as well as the fact that he had already served six months of his punishment. The court has asked him not to leave Chandigarh without prior permission of the chief judicial magistrate.

Rathore was convicted by trial court and sentenced for six months. The Punjab and Haryana High Court had enhanced the prison term to one and half years. Rathore's plea against conviction is pending in the Supreme Court.

Reacting to the Supreme Court's decision, Ruchika's father SC Girhotra said that it was very unfortunate that Rathore was granted bail. He added that the family's lawyer would study the Supreme Court order and then decide future course of action.

ROHIT KALIA

PGDM 1ST SEM

Tendulkar named ICC's ambassador for 2011 World Cup

DUBAI: The International Cricket Council on Thursday announced the appointment of Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar as the official event ambassador for the 2011 Cricket World Cup.

With exactly 100 days to go, Tendulkar in his role as ambassador will be called upon to promote and support a variety of ICC initiatives for the World Cup, which will take place in Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka from February 19 to April 2 next year.

"There are just 100 days to go and I am really looking forward to playing in another Cricket World Cup," said Tendulkar, who will join Pakistan's Javed Miandad as the only other player to take part in six World Cups.

"In terms of limited-overs cricket, the ICC Cricket World Cup is the highest level you can play so it is always a thrill to take part in such an important and widely followed event," he said.

"The fact that the 2011 event will be staged here in the sub-continent makes it even more special for me and I am keen to ensure we play well. As a team we would be doing everything we can to win the world cup on home soil," Tendulkar added.

ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said: "We are very lucky to have such an extraordinary player as Sachin supporting our flagship event.

"I don't think any other player has inspired a nation like he has and the respect and affection he enjoys goes way beyond his native India. Many other athletes and sports fans around the globe admire what he consistently achieves and what he does for cricket."

ROHIT KALIA

PGDM 1ST SEM

Not afraid of K-word but talks only if Pak cuts terror link Tough Stand Full Departure From PM At Sharm el-Sheikh TIMES NEWS NETWORK New Delhi: PM Manmohan Singh ruled out talks with Pakistan till it cracked down on terror groups operating from its soil,fending off US President Barack Obamas push for steps to reduce tensions and resolve the Kashmir dispute. The PM,who was speaking at a press conference he addressed with Obama,said India was neither afraid of word K nor opposed to holding talks.But it is our request that Pakistan cannot talk with India while the terrorist machinery is still active on its soil, he said. Singh agreed with Obamas position that a stable and prosperous Pakistan suited all,but asserted that Islamabad ought to move away from terror-induced coercion. Coming from a PM who delinked terrorism from resumption of talks in Sharm el-Sheikh last year,the toughness appeared unusual.That Singh was speaking in Obamas presence made it seem more so. Answering a question at the press conference after official talks with India,Obama stuck to his line that the US had no role in Kashmir or any desire to impose a solution. The US cannot impose solutions to these problems.I have indicated to the prime minister that we are happy to play any role the parties think is appropriate in reducing tensions.It is in the interest of the two countries,the region and the US, Obama said.But reflecting his own evidently deep convictions,he added that the US would be happy to play any role in reducing tension in Kashmir that the two sides consider appropriate. This is a sentiment that has never had any takers in India. Before the US president spoke about the safe havens terrorists enjoy in Pakistan in his address to members of Parliament in the evening,he had studiously avoided naming Pakistan or even indicating in any obscure way that it could be responsible for terrorism.At the Taj Hotel in Mumbai,where he made his first statement on terrorism,there was no mention of the terrorists who came from Pakistan and who were trained and supported by Pakistans officialdom.He famously prevaricated on a direct question by a college student in Mumbai. In a veiled nudge to India to heed Pakistans desire to start talks,Obama said that in the coming months and years,India and Pakistan could find appropriate mechanisms to work out Kashmir and other issues.He apparently backed Indias calibrated approach.They could start with other issues,with confidence building measures, he said. Meanwhile,Pakistan weighed in on the entire India-Pakistan debate in India during the Obama visit.On Sunday,Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari blamed India for the breakdown of talks in July.The democratic civil government went out of the way in our peace overtures towards India, Zardari said in a speech to a South Asian journalists association.It would have been most helpful if our initiatives had been welcomed and responded to in a positive manner. Zardari admitted the attacks by Pakistani gunmen on Mumbai had hurt efforts to normalise relations. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: The partners raise a toast at the Rashtrapati Bhavan dinner .: SANCHITA GUPTA PGDM 1ST SEM .

.

DUBAI: The International Cricket Council on Thursday announced the appointment of Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar as the official event ambassador for the 2011 Cricket World Cup.

With exactly 100 days to go, Tendulkar in his role as ambassador will be called upon to promote and support a variety of ICC initiatives for the World Cup, which will take place in Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka from February 19 to April 2 next year.

"There are just 100 days to go and I am really looking forward to playing in another Cricket World Cup," said Tendulkar, who will join Pakistan's Javed Miandad as the only other player to take part in six World Cups.

"In terms of limited-overs cricket, the ICC Cricket World Cup is the highest level you can play so it is always a thrill to take part in such an important and widely followed event," he said.

"The fact that the 2011 event will be staged here in the sub-continent makes it even more special for me and I am keen to ensure we play well. As a team we would be doing everything we can to win the world cup on home soil," Tendulkar added.

ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said: "We are very lucky to have such an extraordinary player as Sachin supporting our flagship event.

"I don't think any other player has inspired a nation like he has and the respect and affection he enjoys goes way beyond his native India. Many other athletes and sports fans around the globe admire what he consistently achieves and what he does for cricket." 

PRABHAKAR MANI

PGDM 1 SEM

Post-RTE,confusion over nursery admissions With DoE Yet To Release Guidelines,Schools In The Dark About New Admission Criteria Neha Pushkarna | TNN New Delhi: Anjali Rajput has been preparing her three-year-old daughter for getting admission into nursery for a few months now.However,she is not sure if her daughter will be eligible at all for nursery admissions this year. Worse still,even the schools do not have a clue.With the directorate of education (DoE) yet to release guidelines for the implementation of Right To Education Act,parents and schools are reeling under confusion. From the minimum age required to the basic process of admission everything is subject to change when the right to education is pushed into practice.According to DoE sources,they are still framing the guidelines for admission under RTE which may be issued by the end of this month. We do not know about the admission criteria as of now.Hopefully we will get some information from the DoE soon.The criterion for age will also be clear only then, said Usha Ram,principal,Laxman Public School. According to schools,they have been getting a lot of queries from anxious parents but they can only advise them to wait-and-watch for now.Jyoti Bose,principal,Springdales School,Dhaula Kuan,said, Since we havent received any instructions or notices from the DoE yet,we are not sure if the admissions will be done through a lottery or in some other way. As per RTE,a child cannot be screened in any way for admission till class VIII.Bose added that it would be difficult for schools to carry out the lottery system because of the large number of registrations every year. Its definitely going to be tough if we have 5,000 applications for 128 seats to be filled up by lottery.Then there are a lot of overlapping categories too like alumni ward,girl child,etc.We are just waiting as of now, she said. For the last two years,the DoE has been instructing schools to begin the nursery admission process only from December 15.That leaves them with over a month to prepare for the admission process and inform the parents. Parents have started making enquiries but we are confused about the age too.We do not know if the minimum age required for nursery will be 3+ as per the high court direction or 4+ under RTE.Its time the DoE issued the directives for this year, said D K Bedi,principal,Apeejay School,Pitampura. NO CLARITY Minimum age for admission to nursery in Delhi is 3 years or older but government and schools have been keen on 4 years or older Current admission procedure is based on parameters like distance,ward of alumni,siblings,and even parents qualification that add up to 100 points The new system under RTE will do away with screening of any kind.Schools are likely to switch to lottery system DoE is still in the process of framing new guidelines ORDEAL IN MAKING: With mismatch in number of seats and candidates,parents go through a harrowing time every year

SANCHITA GUPTA
PGDM 1ST SEM

India's first advanced radar system to roll out 2011-end

NEW DELHI: India's first indigenously-developed Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) system is ready and is being sent to Brazil shortly to be integrated with an Embraer 145 jet .

The development is a major milestone in India's quest for self-reliance in advanced radars and, based on the success of this system, both the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Indian Navy (IN) could acquire a number of them over the coming years. For the present though, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is developing three of them for the IAF, and has accordingly ordered three Embraer 145 long-range jets.

DRDO's Chief Controller (SI) Prahlada, one of India's most distinghished military technology scientists, told India Strategic defence magazine that the first Embraer is due to roll out in Jan 2011, and the Indian AEW&C radar will be integrated on it by 2011-end.

It should take a couple of years to fully certify the system.

Notably, the IAF and the IN need varying levels of radar capabilities, from short- to long-range and wide area coverage. The IAF has already taken possession of two Israeli Phalcon AWACs fixed on Russian IL 76 aircraft and the third is due early next year. Two more have been ordered. The IAF is also looking at the Boeing 737-700 AEW&C equipped with Northrop Grumman's Multi-Role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) radar, the type already sold to Australia.

The Indian Navy is ordering 12 Boeing P8-I Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft (MMAs) but it will also need some indigenous capability to complement this capability. It is also considering Northrop Grumman's carrier-borne Hawkeye 2D, an advanced version Hawkeye 2C now being used by the US Navy.

The AWACS and AEW&C systems are advanced radars, absolutely essential in contemporary defence requirements for long-range and precision engagement to neutralize hostile targets.

Both the Indian Navy and the IAF should require at least 20 each of them, although on different platforms and different capabilities.

According to Prahlada, the Indian AEW&C is an Active Phased Array Radar, derived from indigenous effort to "look some few hundred km" 360 degrees by rapidly scanning the area around it for airborne and ground threats.

The system is to be equipped with Identification Friend and Foe (IFF), Missile Atack Warning, Electronic Support Measures (ESM), Communication Support Measures (CSM) and secure satellite and wireless datalinks with Air Force Net (AFNET) and IAF and Navy fighters as well as the AWACS platforms.

The Embraer aircraft will be modified for mid-air refueling to extend their 3,000 km-plus range. Its sophisticated mission computers, already installed on aircraft like the IAF's Sukhoi SU-30MKIs, are indigenous.

DRDO's Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS) has designed the indigenous radar, partly perhaps learning from Israel's Greenpine radar, one or two of which were sold to India some years ago without software.

Many European countries are keen for collaboration with DRDO, and with the US also now lifting sanctions on DRDO during the Obama visit, the development of the indigenous AEW&C is likely to pick up in terms of both capability and speed.

name-deepak kumar jha

1st sem

2010-2012

Dell forays into mobile handsets

NDIA'S largest PC seller Dell Inc,on Wednesday forayed into the countrys.30,000-crore mobile handset market,thus increasing competition for firms like Nokia,Micromax and Samsung. The US based firm launched two 3G smartphones,based on Googles Android operating system.The smartphones are priced around.11,000 and.17,000,respectively. Dell is the first PC maker to cash in on the yet-to-be launched 3G services by private players in India,the worlds fastest growing telecom market.This XCD range has been launched first in India,as opposed to other Dell products that peter down to Indian markets, Dell India executive director Mahesh Bhalla said.India adds almost 20 million subscribers a month,to its 500 million mobile subscriber base. About 25% of the subscribers possess smartphones.Specifically targeting emerging markets with these handsets,Dell may launch the XCD range in other countries.The touch-screen phones have been customised for the Indian user with features such as FM radio and MS email. PRABHAKAR MANI  PGDM 1 SEM

Barack Obama Declares That Globalization Is Good And High U.S. Unemployment Is The “New Normal”On November 9, 2010, in Daily News Updates, by Admin

Barack Obama Declares That Globalization Is Good And High U.S. Unemployment Is The “New Normal”

On November 9, 2010, in Daily News Updates, by Admin

The latest headlines from The Most Important News....
Barack Obama made the following statement about globalization during his overseas trip: "There is going to be a tug-of-war within the US between those who see globalization as a threat and those who accept we live in a open integrated world, which has challenges and opportunities."
Implicitly acknowledging the decline of American dominance, Barack Obama on Sunday said the U.S. was no longer in a position to "meet the rest of the world economically on our terms".
Obama says that the U.S. could be entering "a new normal" where unemployment rates stay high.
Dependence on foreign oil continues to cripple the U.S. economy.
The price of oil and the price of gold continue to move up briskly.
Sarah Palin is publicly criticizing the Federal Reserve for the new quantitative easing program that they have initiated.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell says that he does not have “an opinion at this point” on whether Republicans should try to stop or restrict the Federal Reserve from buying $600 billion in federal government debt.
Will the competitive devaluation of world currencies result in the collapse of the global financial system?
Dallas Fed’s Dick Fisher recently made the following statement: “For the next eight months, the nation’s central bank will be monetizing the federal debt.”
China's leading credit rating agency downgraded U.S. debt to 'A' following last week’s announcement of a second round of quantitative easing.
Citibank officials are warning that central banks around the globe are going to start dumping dollars in the coming weeks.
Is the head of the World Bank actually suggesting that we should adopt a gold standard?
The government of Ireland is now essentially insolvent.
U.S. banks are failing at the fastest rate in two decades.
U.S. mortgage delinquencies increased once again during the third quarter of 2010.
The vending machine industry is up in arms following a new report by the Food and Drug Administration that estimates the industry will need to spend 14 million hours annually to comply with new calorie disclosure laws.
As of October 8th, America's strategic grain stockpile had shrunk to an unsettling 53 days.
Wall Street is still having problems with "mini flash crashes".
The Palestinian Authority is strengthening its grip on eastern Jerusalem, carrying out a policy of “creeping annexation” right under Israel's nose, a prominent activist for Jerusalem has discovered.
Anger at Israel expressed this week during Jordan's parliamentary election campaign stems from the fear that the Hashemite Kingdom may be forced to accept back the Palestinian Arabs that came under Israel's sovereignty following the 1967 Six Day War.
The Pentagon said Tuesday that a missile launch off the southern coast of California remained “unexplained” and that its mysterious origins meant that it was not possible to rule out any threat to the homeland.
U.S. officials on Monday extended a ban on air cargo from Yemen to include Somalia and slapped new restrictions on passenger goods on U.S.-bound international flights after a foiled parcel bomb plot.
The TSA has reacted to the burgeoning backlash against airport oppression with a glib response that does nothing to address the multitude of complaints put forward by some of the most prominent travel and pilots associations in the world.
A “fun loving” security officer with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) at the Philadelphia International Airport recently pretended to find a bag of cocaine in at least two passengers’ bags.
Former President George W. Bush continues to be beyond shame. Those favored with an advance copy of his memoir, Decision Points, say it paints a picture of a totally unapologetic Bush bragging, for example, about authorizing the CIA to waterboard Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.

DEEPAK KUMAR
PGDM
1ST
SEM

Prithviraj Chavan to be next Maharashtra chief minister

NEW DELHI: Union minister Prithviraj Chavan will be the next chief minister of Maharashtra succeeding Ashok Chavan who resigned in the wake of the Adarsh Housing Society scam.

The announcement was made by Union finance minister and senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee, a day after Chavan's resignation.

"Congress president Sonia Gandhi has chosen Prithviraj Chavan as the Maharashtra Congress Legislature Party leader," senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee told reporters after meeting Gandhi.

Mukherjee said Gandhi's decision to choose Chavan as the CLP leader has been communicated to Maharashtra Congress chief Manikrao Thakre.

He said the Maharashtra CLP had on Tuesday night authorized Gandhi to name its new leader and the Congress chief chose 64-year-old Chavan on Wednesday morning.

According to Raj Bhavan sources, swearing in ceremony will be held on Thursday.

"Swearing in today is a remote possibility...If Chavan, accompanied by leader of the NCP Legislature party, meets Governor K Sankaranarayanan this evening, swearing-in may take place tomorrow," the sources said.

Earlier in the morning, Chavan, the minister of state in the PMO, met Gandhi at her 10, Janpath residence in New Delhi and the two are believed to have discussed the political situation in Maharashtra in the wake of chief minister Ashok Chavan's resignation.

Chavan has won three Lok Sabha elections and his base in Karad in the heart of western Maharashtra is a battlefield between Congress and Sharad Pawar's NCP with whom it shares an uneasy alliance.

Chavan is a currently Member of the Rajya Sabha and is a loyalist of the Gandhi family.

Mahatma fan takes back a charkha from Rajghat

New Delhi: He has a portrait of the Mahatma hanging in his senate office.And today,US President Barack Obama visited the memorial of the man he has often cited as his inspiration. We will always remember the great soul who changed the world with his message of peace,tolerance and love.More than 60 years after his passing,his light continues to inspire the world, Obama wrote in the visitors book at Rajghat on Monday. Obama along with wife Michelle landed up at the memorial at 10.15 am and spent about 20 minutes there.While the President was dressed in a formal black suit,the first lady was elegantly dressed in a black and sea-green dress.They entered the Gandhi samadhi from the VIP entry after taking off their footwear as is the protocol.They laid a wreath of white carnations and lilies tied with a ribbon the colour of the US flag on the samadhi and observed a minutes silence.Obama and his wife were struck by the simplicity of the memorial, said Rajnish Kumar,secretary of the Rajghat Samadhi Committee who took them around. Obama also asked about footfalls to the site and enquired whether the memorial would open to the public after his visit. The Rajghat Samadhi committee gifted him three books on Gandhi My Experiments with Truth,The mind of Mahatma Gandhi and Mahatma Gandhi in 100 years.A khadi scroll printed with the seven social sins Gandhi wrote about in Young India in 1925,a Mahatma Gandhi bust and a spinning wheel (charkha) was also gifted to the first couple.The charkha is a rare gift, said Kumar.It had been especially ordered from the Kerala emporium for Obama as it symbolises the freedom movement. The Obamas didnt come emptyhanded.They gifted the committee a white stone from the memorial of Martin Luther King Jr,which is being built in Washington DC.The gift is very special and symbolic.Martin Luther King Jr is an iconic figure in the civil rights movement, said Kumar who has escorted former US presidents,including Bill Clinton and George W Bush earlier.But this visit of the Obama was special indeed.There was warmth and curiosity to know more about Bapu, said Kumar. To welcome the Obamas,Rajghat was decked with marigold and rose petals.Workers were up since 4am to decorate the memorial though they werent around later to catch a glimpse of him. durgesh.jha@timesgroup.com HOMAGE TO THE MAHATMA: President Barack Obama and wife Michelle spend a few solemn moments at the samadhi

PRABHAKAR MANI
PGDM 1 SEM