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Contents
Simplifying knowledge dissemination
Managing Editor
Sandeep Manudhane
Manisha Manudhane
Major news story:
q
A test of Japan’s ‘stoicism’ ....................................................
05
Senior Editor
Mitesh Sanghvi
Kapil Dev Upadhyay
Executive Editor
Manish Saraf
Editorial Correspondents
Vinay Goyal
Correspondents
Cover story:
q
India is the new champion ....................................................
09
Current events
Tarin Mehta
Nimesh Upadhyay
Marketing and Sales :
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Manish Saraf - 97555-99509
q
World ......................................................................................
19
Volume 9. Edition 09. March 2011
q
Business and economy ..........................................................
24
India ........................................................................................
14
Editorial Office
PT education Headquarters,
Yeshwant Plaza,
Opp. Railway Station Indore - 452001
Ph : 0731-307 00 00
Fax : 0731-3070099
E-mail : [email protected]
PT Panorama
q
Trademark in India ................................................................
30
q
Writing a Business Plan .......................................................
36
© 2008 All rights reserved.
Reproduction or translation in any language in whole or in
parts without permission is prohibited.
Articles and contributions – courier or emails – should be
addressed to
PREP-TALK DEPT., c/o Mr. B. S. Supekar.
Unaccepted articles may not be returned.
Published by Manish Saraf on behalf of PTETSL,
Yeshwant Plaza,
Opp. Railway Station, Indore 452001.
Disclaimer :
The information given in this magazine is true to the best of
our knowledge. However, PT or any of its associates will not
be responsible in any manner for inadvertent errors that may
have crept into this publication. PT does not take
responsibility for returning unsolicited publication material.
“To be a world class training and education organisation
shaping careers through innovative products and
services & the use of human technologies.”
Profiles
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Warren E. Buffett ...................................................................
46
q
Col Gaddafi ............................................................................
52
Regulars
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Brand story: Harley Devidson...............................................
39
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Galileo: Astronomer and Physicist.......................................
40
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Thanjavur ...............................................................................
43
q
Brand icon: Verizon. ..............................................................
50
q
General knowledge ...............................................................
54
q
Logo story...............................................................................
65
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Business Trivia.......................................................................
66
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Brand icon: Britannia ............................................................
70
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Book review: Angels and Demons ........................................
72
Take Quote
Dear Readers,
The inviolable law “Change is the only thing that does not change” was upheld
this month, shaking mankind from the state of smugness, alerting him to dangers
that lay ahead.
Japan's catastrophe was painful on account of both the nature's fury, over which
man has no control, and disasters which have resulted from his own doings. Lessons
get learnt at a heavy price. Yet, it is to the glory of the Japanese that normalay has come
to be restored in an appreciably short time, aided of course by acts of
humanitarianism from individuals and organizations alike, globally.
Back home, the euphoria over India clinching the coveted World Cup for the
second time, after 28 years, is yet to die down. The nation was glued to the spectacle
of India outplaying SriLanka. People from all walks of life and of all hues and colours
revelled in celebrations to hail Team India's performance. The rewards and
accolades that followed beggar description. The event brought one thing to the fore:
people from small towns can make big presence through their skills, dedication and
devotion.
Persons who have made headlines find coverage in this issue. Warren Buffett at
one end and Colonel Gaddifi at the other, depict the extremes of human acts. Both
have their own charisma to affect those connected to them.
Brands like Verizon, Britania and Harley Davidson are dealt with to create
awareness among the readers, as to their origin and rise.
The usual fare of book review, news and happenings in the spheres of business
and politics, both nationally and internationally and general knowledge find place.
Some thoughts are spared for Galileo, who was both an astronomer and a physicist,
whose works have paved way for progress and breakthroughs in science.
Sustain and exude the spirit of Kar Ke Dikhayenge!
“Ideals are like stars: you will
not succeed in touching them with
your hands, but like the seafaring
man on the ocean desert of waters,
you choose them as your guides,
and following them, you reach your
destiny.”
– Carl Schurz
“The secret of joy in work is
contained in just one word,
excellence. To know how to do
somethingwellistosimplyenjoyit.”
– Pearl Buck
“A small body of determined
spirits fired by an unquenchable
faith in their mission can alter the
course of history.”
– Mahatma Gandhi
“The value of a human being's
life is the well-spending of it, and
not the length.”
– Plutarch
“Having once decided to
achieve a certain task, achieve it at
all costs of tedium and distaste.
The gain in self-confidence of
having accomplished a tiresome
labour is immense.”
– Arnold Bennett
With best wishes for each one of you,
Manish Saraf
COO, PT education
“If I have lost confidence in
myself, I have the universe against
me.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Laziness may appear attractive,
but work gives satisfaction.”
– Anne Frankk
PT’s PrepTalk – March 2010 02
Letters to the editor
selected since their general
awareness is not up to the mark. This
is because reading newspapers and
magazines is not developed. However,
there is hope. PrepTalk is a good
substitute. Every issue has some
interesting article to add to one's
knowledge. Last issue contained the
description of the disturbances in
Egypt which resulted in the monarch
Hosni Mubarak being thrown out of
power. It showed the courage, unity,
determination and will power of the
people. The description of the
functioning of cement industries was
interesting. The profile of Pandit
Bhimsen Joshi was inspiring.
Power of democracy is
sustaining
People cannot be taken for a ride.
Their silence and tolerance should
not be underestimated. The ruler
should keep them happy, satisfied and
progressive. Otherwise, the ruler's
days are numbered. The Egypt story
(PrepTalk Feb-March issue) is a
lesson for all rulers. A person could be
ruling for a long time, he cannot
ignore the conditions of his subjects.
The ruler himself is responsible for
this state of affairs. No other cause
can be traced. The issue dealt with the
subject vividly. I could appreciate the
power of the masses in unseating a
regime. The issue gave good coverage
to the celebrated classical singer
Pandit BHimsen Joshi. I had just
heard of him but was ignorant of his
stature.
– Sheryl Dasgupta, Bilaspur
With skills, problem can be
tackled
Like all human beings, I would
become weak before problems. I
would not show normal behaviour
towards my family members and
others, I would do injustice to my
food, sleep and other activities. When
I read the problem- solving matter in
the last issue of PrepTalk, there were
some changes. Many of the skills
described and illustrated are not
difficult. They can be acquired and
03 PT’s PrepTalk – March 2011
– Praful Shringi, Surat
sharpened, with patience courage and
experience. I benefited from reading
the article. Another article which I liked
was on cement industries. We come
across cement in our daily life. But not
many of us are aware of how it is
processed. PrepTalk comes out with
good topics to increase our general
awareness. There were other
interesting articles on famous
personalities.
–Huzefa Baig, Ajmer
Reading promotes general
awareness
In today's fast paced living, keeping
in touch with what is going on has
become necessary in competition.
Many good candidates do not become
FEEDBACK !
Your comments and
views on PrepTalk
are needed to help
Us make it better.
Which articles did you like?
Which columns do you
like to read regularly?
Which are the best parts of
the magazine?
Which are not?
How to improve?
Send feedback to:
[email protected]
Major news story
A test of Japan's 'stoicism’
J
apan's most powerful earthquake since
records began struck the north-east
coast, triggering a massive tsunami.
Cars, ships and buildings were swept
away by a wall of water after the 8.9magnitude tremor, which struck about
400km (250 miles) north-east of Tokyo.
The quake was the fifth-largest in the
world since 1900 and nearly 8,000 times
stronger than the one which devastated
Christchurch, New Zealand, (February
month), said scientists.
Measured at 8.9 by the US Geological
Survey, it struck at 1446 local time (0546
GMT) at a depth of about 24km.
The tsunami rolled across the Pacific at 800km/h (500mph) as fast as a jetliner - before hitting Hawaii and the US West
Coast, but there were no reports of major damage from those
regions.
Japan's NHK television showed a massive surge of debrisfilled water reaching far inland, consuming houses, cars and ships.
Many people in the Japanese capital said that they had never
felt such a powerful earthquake.
Thousands of people were ordered to evacuate coastal areas
in the states of California, Oregon and Washington.
In central Tokyo, a number of office workers spent the night
in their offices because the lifts had stopped working.
The biggest waves of more than 6-7ft (about 2m) were
recorded near California's Crescent City, said the Pacific
Tsunami Warning Centre.
Train services were suspended, stranding millions of
commuters in the Japanese capital.
A tsunami warning extended across the Pacific to North and
South America, where many other coastal regions were
evacuated, but the alert was later lifted in most parts, including
the Philippines, Australia and China.
Strong waves hit Japan's Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures,
damaging dozens of coastal communities.
A 10m wave struck Sendai, deluging farmland and sweeping
cars across the airport's runway. Fires broke out in the centre of
the city.
Hundreds of thousands of Japanese remained homeless,
sheltering in evacuation centers, as the death toll from the
disaster continued to rise.
Thousands of Japanese and U.S. soldiers conducted a
massive search for bodies, using dozens of ships and helicopters
to sweep across land still underwater along the northeast coast.
The teams hoped when a large spring tide receded it would
make spotting bodies easier .
About four million homes in and around Tokyo suffered
power cuts.
Assistance teams came from China and South Korea, two of
Japan's most bitter rivals.
Tokyo's acceptance of help – along with a parade of senior
officials who offered updates at televised news conferences– was
in marked contrast to the government's policies after the 1995
Kobe earthquake, which killed more than 6,000 people. Japan
refused most offers of aid at that time, restricted foreign aid
operations and offered little information about the disaster.
Ø
The death toll was certain to climb as searchers began to
reach coastal villages that essentially vanished under the first
muddy surge of the tsunami, which struck the nation's northern
Pacific coast near the port city of Sendai. In one town alone, the
port of Minamisanriku, a senior police official said that the
number of dead would “certainly be more than 10,000.” That is
more than half the town's population of 17,000.
The government ordered 100,000 troops – nearly half the
country's active military force and the largest mobilization in
postwar Japan – to take part in the relief effort. An American
naval strike group led by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier
Ronald Reagan also arrived off Japan to help with refueling,
supply and rescue duties.
The quake was the strongest to hit Japan, which sits astride
the “ring of fire” that designates the most violent seismic activity
in the Pacific Basin.
The power company had said that the blackouts would affect
three million customers, including homes and factories.
The Japan Railways Group cut operations at six of its
commuters lines and two bullet trains to 20 percent of normal, to
conserve electricity.
Search teams from more than a dozen nations were bound
for Japan, including a unit from New Zealand, which suffered a
devastating quake last month in Christchurch. A Japanese team
that had been working in New Zealand was called home.
A combined search squad from Los Angeles County and
Fairfax County, Va., arrived from the United States, with 150
people and a dozen dogs that would help in the search for
bodies.
In other developments:
Four trains were missing along the coast, said Japan
Railways; and a ship carrying 100 people was swept away
Ø
Fire engulfed swathes of the coast in Miyagi prefecture's
Kesennuma city, one-third of which was reportedly under
water
Ø
A major explosion hit a petrochemical plant in Sendai;
further south, a huge blaze swept an oil refinery in Ichihara
city, Chiba prefecture
Ø
Some 1,800 homes were reported to have been destroyed in
the city of Minamisoma, Fukushima prefecture
Ø
A dam burst in north-eastern Fukushima prefecture,
sweeping away homes, Kyodo news agency reported
Ø
At least 20 people were injured in Tokyo when the roof of a
hall collapsed on to a graduation ceremony
QUAKE MOVED JAPAN COAST 8 FEET
The powerful earthquake that unleashed a devastating
tsunami, March 11, appeared to have moved the main island of
Japan by 8 feet (2.4 meters) and shifted the Earth on its axis.
Reports from the National Institute of Geophysics and
Volcanology in Italy estimated that the 8.9-magnitude quake
shifted the planet on its axis by nearly 4 inches (10 centimeters).
DEADLIEST EARTHQUAKES
31 May 1970 Chimbote, Peru: 70,000
killed, 7.9
27 July 1976, Tangshan, China: est
655,000 killed, 7.5
8 Oct 2005, Pakistan: 80,361 killed, 7.6
12 Jan 2010, Haiti: 222,570 killed, 7.0
HOW A TSUNAMI IS CAUSED
Tsunami is a Japanese word with the English translation "harbour wave". It is a series of ocean and water waves caused
when a large body of water is displaced in an ocean or a large lake.
It is usually triggered by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and
other underwater explosions.
The wavelength of a tsunami can
range from 10 to 500 km and wave
periods up to an hour. In the deep
ocean, where the typical water depth is
around 4000 m, a tsunami will
therefore travel at around 700
kilometer per hour.
The amplitude (i.e wave height) of tsunamis that are
generated by underwater earthquakes is determined by the
amount by which the sea-floor is displaced. Similarly, the
wavelength and period of the tsunami are determined by the size
and shape of the underwater disturbance.
Travelling at high speeds, tsunamis can cover a large
distance, causing huge human and material loss to the country.
JAPAN PM VISIT TSUNAMI-DEVASTATED VILLAGE
Japan's Prime Minister made his visit to the country's
tsunami-devastated region and entered a nuclear exclusion zone
to meet workers grappling to end the worst nuclear crisis since
Chernobyl.
Prime Minister Naoto Kan spoke with refugees living in a
makeshift camp in the fishing village of Rikuzentakata,
decimated by the tsunamis which struck on March 11, when
Japan was rocked by a massive earthquake, leaving 28,000 dead
and missing.
"It will be kind of a long battle, but the government will be
working hard together with you until the end. I want everyone to
do their best, too," Kan told one survivor in a school that was now
an evacuation shelter.
Despite its tsunami-seawalls, Rikuzentaka was flattened
into a wasteland of mud and debris and most of its 23,000
population killed or injured, many swept away by the waves.
"A person that used to have a house near the coast told me
'Where am I supposed to build a house after this?', so I
encouraged this person and said that the government will
provide support until the end," Kan told reporters.
Unpopular and under pressure to quit or call a snap poll
before the disaster, Kan has been criticized for his management
of Japan's humanitarian and nuclear crisis and his leadership
remains in question.
"There are some evacuation centers that lack electricity and
water. There are people who can't even go to look for the dead. I
want him to pay attention to them," said Kazuo Sato, a 45-yearold fisherman.
Kan later entered the 20 km (12 mile) evacuation zone and
visited J-village just inside the zone, a sports facility serving as
the headquarters for emergency teams trying to cool the sixreactor Fukushima Daiichi plant.
Prime Minister Naoto Kan told a news conference in Tokyo,
“I think that the earthquake, tsunami and the situation at our
nuclear reactors makes up the worst crisis in the 65 years since
the war. If the nation works together, we will overcome.”
ECONOMIC FALLOUT
Japan's $5 trillion economy, the
third largest in the world, was
threatened with severe disruptions
and partial paralysis, as many
industries shut down and the
armed forces and volunteers
mobilized for the far more urgent effort of finding survivors,
evacuating residents near the stricken power plants and caring
for the victims of the 8.9 magnitude quake.
The economic fallout in the world's third largest economy
saw manufacturing slump to a two-year low, with power outages
and quake damage hitting supply chains and production.
The disaster left more than 10,000 people dead, many
thousands homeless and millions without water, power, heat or
transportation.
Japan is facing a damages bill which may top $300 billion –
the world's biggest from a natural disaster.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said that the
Japanese economy would take a short-term hit and it could not
rule out further intervention for the yen.
The quake and tsunami did not reach Japan's industrial
heartland, although economists said that the power blackouts
could affect industrial production – notably carmakers,
electronics manufacturers and steel plants – and interrupt the
nation's famously efficient supply chain.
Tourism was also bound to plummet, as the United States,
France and other nations urged citizens to avoid traveling to Japan.
AIR Worldwide, a risk consultant in Boston, said that its
disaster models estimated property damage to be as high as $35
billion. The company said that 70 percent of residential
construction in Japan was wood, and earthquake insurance was
not widely used.
Plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO), Asia's
largest power company, saw its shares lose 80 percent – $32
billion in market value – since the disaster.
The Tokyo Electric Power Company, which operates the
country's crippled nuclear power grid, announced a series of
rotating blackouts to conserve electricity – the first controlled
power cuts in Japan in 60 years.
The UN's nuclear agency said that four nuclear power plants
had shut down safely.
Worried about the severe strains on the banking and
financial systems, the Bank of Japan pumped about $86 billion
into the economy, and the government was discussing an
emergency tax increase to help finance relief and recovery work.
After more weeks, operators of the crippled Fukushima
Daiichi nuclear plant are no closer to regaining control of the
damaged reactors, as fuel rods were overheated and high levels
of radiation continued to flow into the sea.
The collective anxiety about Japan caused a rout in the
Japanese stock market, with the main index falling 5.5 percent,
the worst drop in three years.
Radiation, 4,000 times the legal limit, was detected in
seawater, near the Daiichi plant and a floating tanker was
scheduled to be towed to Fukushima to store contaminated
seawater, but until the plant's internal cooling system is
reconnected, radiation would continue flowing from the plant.
Japan reeled from a rapidly unfolding disaster of epic scale,
pummeled by the death toll, destruction and homelessness
caused by the earthquake and tsunami and new hazards from
damaged nuclear reactors that were leaking radiation. The
prime minister called it Japan's worst crisis since World War II.
RADIATION BATTLE CONTINUES
The most urgent worries
concerned the failures at two
reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi
nuclear power plant, where
engineers were still struggling to
avert meltdowns and where some
radiation had already leaked.
Fukushima Daiichi and another power station, Fukushima
Daiini, about 10 miles away, were under a state of emergency
since the quake.
Japanese nuclear officials said that pressure inside a boiling
water reactor at the plant was running much higher than normal
after the cooling system failed.
Officials said that they might need to deliberately release
some radioactive steam to relieve pressure, but that there would
be no health risk.
"We are trying to employ as many measures as possible (to
put the plant under control). We are holding high hopes (for this
storage)," said a TEPCO official.
In its attempt to bring the plant under control, TEPCO is
looking for "jumpers" – workers who, for payment of up to $5,000
a shift, will rush into highly radioactive areas to do a quick task
before racing out as quickly as possible.
It could take years, possibly decades, to make safe the area
around the plant, 240 km (150 miles) north of Tokyo.
With its president, Masataka Shimizu, in hospital, an
enormous compensation bill looming and mounting criticism of
both its handling of the crisis and prior safety preparations,
TEPCO may need state help, according to media reports.
About 80,000 people were ordered to evacuate danger
zones around the two compromised atomic facilities in
Fukushima Prefecture. Japanese officials reported that 22
people showed signs of radiation exposure and as many as 170
were feared to have been exposed, including some who had
been outside one of the plants waiting to be evacuated. Three
workers suffered what officials described as full-blown
radiation sickness.
=
Cover story
India is the new Champion
n inspired India on the night of April 2, 2011 regained the
coveted World Cup after 28 years as they suppressed Sri
Lanka with a six-wicket victory in a nerve-wrecking final
to script a gloriousnew chapter in their cricketing history.
A
Chasing 275 for a historic win, the Indians held their nerves
as they rode on Gautam Gambhir's 97 and Mahendra Singh
Dhoni's unbeaten 91 to overhaul the target, with 10 balls to spare
and send the cricket-crazy nation into frenzy.
The vociferous, jam-packed crowd at the Wankhede stadium
erupted in wild celebrations as Dhoni hit the winning six runs to
give India their biggest cricketing moment and crown
themselves the ODI world champions, in addition to being the
number one Test team.
nearly 15 years, lost wickets at regular intervals against the
Indians,who were spurred on by a vociferous jam-packed crowd.
The World Cup title triumph, coming as it did after more
than two decades, was doubly special for Sachin Tendulkar,
since it was the only silverware missing from his collection.
The Indian bowlers were disciplined in the first half of the
innings but conceded as many as 63 runs in the batting
PowerPlayto undo all the good work.
It was also a fitting farewell to coach Gary Kirsten, for whom
it was the last day in office as the Indian coach.
Apart from Jayawardene's 88-ball knock, Captain Kumar
Sangakkara (48) Tillakaratne Dilshan (33) and Nuwan
Kulasekara(32) were the other notable performers.
It was a momentousSaturday night, marked by high emotion
and poignant scenes as India, for long the game's financial
power, stamped their supremacy on the field as well; eight years
after Sourav Ganguly's team had made an abortive attempt to
scale the pinnacle.
The Indian innings began on a disastrous note as the
destructive Virender Sehwag was dismissed in the very second
ball of the innings with paceman Lasith Malinga scalping the
prized wicket.
The players, many of them with tears in their eyes, rushed to
the ground to hug each other as Dhoni finished it off in style by
hitting a six, as fire crackers lit up the evening sky to mark the
moment.
Sehwag was hit on the pads by an incoming delivery by
Malinga as he went for a flick. Umpire Aleem Dar ruled him out
before he asked for review but television replays showed that the
ball would have hit the stumps.
The highlight of the Lankan innings was Mahela
Jayawardene's rollicking 103, as Sri Lanka capitalised on the
batting PowerPlayto post a decent 274 for six.
Tendulkar, playing in what probably is his last World Cup
game, entertained his home crowd with a couple of delightful
boundarieswhile Gambhiralso looked for runs at the other end.
Electing to bat after winning the toss, Jayawardene used his
vast experience to good effect and anchored the Lankan innings
together.
The Indians suffered a huge jolt went Malinga struck again
by dismissing the champion batsman as he snicked an awaygoing delivery and captain Sangakkara latched on to a low catch.
A hushed silence descended on the Wankhede stadium as he
started his walk back to the pavilion.
The islanders, desperate to regain the coveted cup after
Gambhir drove Kulasekara for a boundary in the extra cover
region to notch up 4000 ODI runs while Virat Kohli also pulled
the bowler to the boundary in the same over.
Tharanga looked completely out of sorts at the other end, as
he found it difficult to find the gaps as Zaheer bowled a
searching length right through his openingspell.
Gambhir was lucky to get a reprieve in spinner Suraj
Randiv's first over when Kulasekara dropped him at the long off
region.
Zaheer drew first blood in his fourth over by evicting
Tharanga with an outgoing delivery and Virender Sehwag
holding on to diving catch at first slip, much to the delight of a
capacity crowd at the stadium. Tharanga scored just two runs off
20 balls.
The third-wicket pair of Gambhir and Kohli put on 83 runs
before Dilshan broke the partnership by taking a brilliant
acrobatic return catch.
The out-of-form Dhoni came ahead of Yuvraj to keep the
left-right combination going and was immediately given two
'lives' by the Lankans -- first Sangakkara messing up a stumping
chance off Muralitharan and then Dilshan dropping a return
catch as he collided with nonstriker Gambhir.
The Lankans could manage just 31 runs in the first ten
overs, their lowest in the tournament. That was largely because
of Zaheer's excellentfirst spell of 5-3-6-1.
Dilshan and Sangakkaraput on 43 runs for the second wicket
before Harbhajan Singh struck for his team by getting rid of
Dilshan (33), who scored 500 runs
in the tournament.
Dhoni, however, made the
most of the Sri Lankan lapses to
rediscover his form which had
desertedhim in the mega event.
Dilshan went for a sweep but
the ball hit his gloves and lobbed
onto his stumps to trigger off wild
celebrationsin the galleries.
Dhoni and Gambhir scored at
a brisk pace to keep India in the
hunt.
Sangakkara and Jayawardene
then took upon themselves the task
of rebuilding the innings and the
duo scored at a decent pace to steer
the team to a comfortableposition.
The pair stitched 109 runs for
the fourth wicket before Gambhir
paid the price for a horrendous
stroke, just three runs short of
what would have been a welldeserved century.
Gambhir made room to cut the
ball but missed it completely to see
his stumps dislodged.
Earlier, both the Indian new ball bowlers bowled a tidy line
and length and did not allow the Sri Lankan openers to get off to
a flying start while the fielding was also sharp.
Pace spearhead Zaheer's first three overs were maidens and
that put some pressure on the two Lankan openers who were not
being able to capitaliseon the PowerPlayovers.
Dilshan broke the stranglehold by hitting the first boundary
of the innings in the 5th over by pulling Sreesanth to the square
leg fence.
In the same over, he produced a delightful cut to the point for
his second boundary.
Yuvraj Singh, who had a dream
tournament with both the bat and
the ball, was introduced into the
attack in the 22nd over but the two
experienced batsmen were not
really troubled by his left arm spin.
It was Yuvraj who finally broke
the 62-run third wicket partnership which was assuming
dangerous proportions by dismissing Sangakkara who tried to
cut a wide ball outside the off stump but only succeeded in
edging the ball to Dhoni behind the stump. His knock of 48 came
off 67 balls and containedfive boundaries.
It was left to the well-settled Jayawardene to hold the innings
together and he found an able ally in Thilan Samaraweerato take
the Sri Lankan total close to the 180 mark.
Yuvraj was again instrumental in breaking the fourth- wicket
partnership by accounting for Samaraweera. Umpire Simon
Taufel turned down the leg before appeal but the Indians went
for the referral and television replays showed that the ball would
have hit the stumps.
New batsman Chamara Kapugedera did not survive long as
he offered a simple
catch to Suresh
Raina at extra cover
off a slower delivery
from Zaheer, leaving
the visitors in a spot
of bother at 182 for
five.
Jayawardene and
Nuwan Kulasekara
then teamed up to
ensure that Sri
Lanka had a competitive total on the board, as they went about
accumulating runs in the batting PowerPlay, which was taken in
the last five overs.
India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Virender Sehwag,
Gautam Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh,
Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan,
Shanthakumaran Sreesanth,Munaf Patel.
Sri Lanka: Kumar Sangakkara (capt), Mahela Jayawardene,
Upul Tharanga, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Thilan Samaraweera,
Chamara Kapugedera, Suraj Randiv, Thisara Perera, Nuwan
Kulasekara,Lasith Malinga,MuttiahMuralitharan.
Umpires: Simon Taufel (AUS) and Aleem Dar (PAK)
TV umpire: Ian Gould (ENG)
Match referee: Jeff Crowe (NZL)
MUNAF, YUSUF TO GET GUJ'S HIGHEST SPORTS AWARD
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi announced the
state's highest sports honour - Eklavya Award - for Munaf Patel
and Yusuf Pathan, members of the Indian squad that won the
2011 Cricket World Cup.
"I congratulate all players for the feat. In this team there are
two youths from Gujarat, bhai Yusuf Pathan and Munaf Patel. My
special congratulationsto them," Modi said.
"Gujaratgovernmenthas decided that both Munaf and Yusuf
would be awarded with the highest sports honours of the state Eklavya Award," he said.
He said honouring Munaf and Yusuf would be in a way
honouringthe strength of the youths of the country.
The Eklavya award includes a cash prize of Rs one lakh, a
mementoand a certificateof honour.
SACHIN, ZAHEER, YUVRAJ MAKE IT TO ICC'S TEAM OF THE
TOURNAMENT
Their crucial contribution in guiding India to their first
World Cup title in 28 years fetched the trio of Sachin Tendulkar,
Yuvraj Singh and Zaheer Khan a place in the International
Cricket Council's Team of the Tournament.
Kumar Sangakkara has been named the captain of this team
of 12 that also features three Sri Lankans -- Mahela
Jayawardene, TillakaratneDilshan and MuttiahMuralitharan.
Indian captain
Mahendra Singh
Dhoni, who won the
man of the match
a w a r d , h o w e v e r,
didn't make it as his
performancewith the
bat wasn't upto the
mark before the
summit clash.
According to a
media release by ICC, the team was chosen by a select group of
experts who were given the task of picking a balanced side for
sub-continental conditions on the basis of performances in the
tournament. Statistics were used but were not the sole basis for
selections.
Pakistan has only one representative in captain Shahid Afridi
while South Africa's AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn also found a
berth in the side.
Shane Watson was the only Australian representative while
New Zealand pacer Tim Southee was named the 12th man. No
Englandplayer featured in the team.
Some of the other names that were discussed included Ross
Taylor and Jacob Oram of New Zealand, Jonathan Trott and
Graeme Swann of England, Irelands Kevin O'Brien, Kemar
Roach and Kieron Pollard of the West Indies, Imran Tahir of
South Africa, Upal Tharanga and Lasith Malinga of Sri Lanka
and the NetherlandsRyan ten Doeschate.
Team of the Tournament (in batting order): Sachin
Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan (all from India), Kumar
Sangakkara (WK and captain), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mahela
Jayawardena, Muttiah Muralitharan (all from Sri Lanka), AB de
Villiers, Dale Steyn (both South Africa), Shane Watson
(Australia), Shahid Afridi (Pakistan), Dale Steyn (South Africa).
12th man: Tim Southee(New Zealand).
WINDFALL FOR VICTORIOUS INDIAN TEAM
It is raining money for the World Cup-winningIndian cricket
team, with the BCCI and the Delhi government announcing
massive cash rewards for the victoriousplayers.
Each member of the Indian cricket team would be given Rs
one crore by the BCCI.
Coach Gary Kirsten and other support staff will get Rs 50
lakh each as reward for their contribution, while the selectors
will be given Rs 25 lakh each, Shashank Manohar, President of
BCCI, said.
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit also announced an
award of Rs two crore for Indian cricket team captain M S Dhoni
and Rs one crore each for four Delhi players after their historic
victory in the World Cup.
"The Chief Minister has decided to honour the Indian
captain M S Dhoni by awarding him Rs 2 crore and also decided
to give one crore each to Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir,
Virat Kohli and Ashish Nehra for winning the coveted World Cup
after 28 years," a Delhi governmentofficial said.
VICTORY WITHOUT DUO
India needed neither the flamboyance of Virender Sehwag
nor the brilliance of Sachin Tendulkar to win the ICC cricket
World Cup 2011. India put up an almost clinical performance
despite the failure of these two legends to reach the Sri Lankan
target of 274 runs.
Captain Mahendra
Singh Dhoni lead from
the front and played
brilliantly along with
Gautam Ghambir to
ensure that India
reached the stiff target
put up by the Lankans.
Dhoni played a
captain's knock and
guided the Indian run chase in the presence of a boisterous
crowd, which supportedthe home team a great deal.
As Mahela Jayawardhene played a magical knock for Sri
Lanka, Gautam Ghambir did the same for India, as he played
some great shots in his inning of 97 runs. It was Gambhir who
combined initially with Virat Kohli to stabilize the Indian inning,
which was tottering at one stage, with both Sehwag and
Tendulkarback in the pavilion,courtesyMalinga.
Despite the end result
looking one sided, the match
was evenly poised for most of
the time. However, it was
Dhoni's decision to come to bat
before Yuvraj Singh that proved
to be a game changer.
Dhoni and Gambhir did the most of the hard work for India,
as their partnership managed 109 runs for the team. The duo
rotated the strike sensibly and hit bad balls to the fence regularly,
as they negated the sting of Malinga and the guile of
Muralitharanwith practicedease.
In the end, it was left to Dhoni and Yuvraj to destroy the Sri
Lankans hopes, as they played some great shots to take the team
to victory. Dhoni scored 91 runs as he ensured that Indian run
chase did not falter at any point and was well supported by
Yuvraj, who made 21. Yuvraj Singh was declared the man of the
tournament.
Winning the match without any contribution from the duo,
clearly proved that Indian team has indeed come of age and
indeed the Men in Blue deserved to be champions. The victory
also allowed the great Sachin Tendulkar to sign off the world cup
in style as he fulfilled his dream of kissing the World Cup.
WORLD CUP WIN BRINGS INDIANS TOGETHER
The Indian victory in the ICC World Cup has brought
immense happiness to cricket fans and the people of India. With
this win, Indians have proved that they are the best team in the
world.
As soon as the winning shot was played, the entire country
turned out for a euphoric celebration. Top leaders,
businessmen, industrialists and actors were seen celebrating
this great victory on the roads and streets.
No one had ever seen the people so happy. Cricket unites the
people of India and once again this World Cup victory had
brought the people together. The victory meant a lot to the
players as well and this could be seen on that historic night also.
Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh and all other players enjoyed the
victory and their happiness was reflected by their tears of
happniness.
In 1983, India had won the World Cup, guided by Kapil Dev
and at that time, the country was lead by Indira Gandhi. This
time the team has won the World Cup guided by Mahendra
Singh Dhoni and lead by a strong leader in the form of Sonia
Gandhi.
INDIA'S PATH TO 2011 WORLD CUP
India's path to the 2011
World Cup title after Saturday's
six-wicket win over Sri Lanka:
SEMI-FINAL
March 30
At Mohali
India 260-9 (Sachin Tendulkar 85; Wahab Riaz 5-46) v
Pakistan 231 (Misbah-ul-Haq56, MohammadHafeez 43)
India won by 29 runs
Group stage
Feb 19
At Dhaka
India 370-4 (Virender
Sehwag 175, Virat Kohli 100
not out) v Bangladesh 283-9 (Tamim Iqbal 70, Shakib Al
Hasan 55; Munaf Patel 4-48)
Feb 27
At Bangalore
India 338 (Sachin Tendulkar 120, Yuvraj Singh 58, Gautam
Gambhir 51; Tim Bresnan 5-48) v England 338-8 (Andrew
Strauss 158, Ian Bell 69)
Match tied
March 6
At Bangalore
Ireland 207 (William Porterfield 75; Yuvraj Singh 5-31) v
India 210-5 (Yuvraj Singh 50 not out)
India won by five wickets
March 9
At New Delhi
Netherlands189 v India 191-5 (Yuvraj Singh 51 not out)
March 12
At Nagpur
India 296 (Sachin Tendulkar 111, Virender Sehwag 73,
Gautam Gambhir 69; Dale Steyn 5-50) v South Africa 300-7
(JacquesKallis 69, Hashim Amla 61, AB de Villiers 52)
South Africa won by three wickets
March 20
At Chennai
India 268 (Yuvraj Singh 113, Virat Kohli 59; Ravi Rampaul 551) v West Indies 188 (Devon Smith 81)
FINAL
April 2
At Mumbai
Sri Lanka 274-6 (Mahela
Jayawardene 103 not out,
Kumar Sangakkara 48) v
India 277-4 (Gautam
Gambhir 97, Mahendra
Singh Dhoni 91 not out)
India won by six wickets
A BILLION DREAMS COME TRUE
Men who make history defy all odds. For India, it was a
question of doing two things which had never happened before.
No team had won the World Cup on home soil and no team had
won a World Cup final chasing such a big target. Both
achievements were consigned to history with Saturday's sixwicket win as 274 was surpassed with lots to spare. A cauldron of
noise all day, the Wankhede Stadium broke all decibel levels after
the match and it was a resounding announcement of India's
official coronation as the world's best team.
It was only the third time in 10 World Cup finals that a side
batting second had chased down the victory target.
The finale gave Tendulkar, the world's most successful Test
and one-day batsman, his first World Cup title in six
appearances since 1992. The defeat ended legendary Lanka
bowler Muttiah Muralitharan's dream of being part of a second
World Cup-winning team, having won the title under Arjuna
Ranatungain 1996.
=
Quarter-final
March 24
At Ahmedabad
Australia 260 for 6 (Ricky Ponting 104, Brad Haddin 53) v
India 261 for five (Yuvraj Singh 57 not out, Sachin Tendulkar
53, GautamGambhir50)
Current events
India
SAINA NEHWAL WINS SWISS OPEN TITLE
PENSION BILL CLEARED BY CABINET
Ace Indian shuttler
Saina Nehwal notched up
her first title of the year,
clinching the Swiss Open
Grand Prix Gold trophy,
with a straight-game
victory in the summit clash
against Ji Hyun Sung of
Korea, in Switzerland.
A bill, which aims at giving statutory
power to the pension regulator, Pension Fund
Regulatory and Development Authority
(PFRDA), was cleared by the Union Cabinet.
It is likely to be introduced in the ongoing
session of Parliament. The PFRDA has been
functioning for the past eight years without Parliamentary
approval. In the absence of statutory status, PFRDA was
performing the role of the interim regulator.
Second seed Saina beat
Ji Hyun 21-13 21-14 in 43
minutes to make amends
for her quarterfinal exit from the All England Super Series in
Birmingham.
Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee had sought support of
the Opposition, mainly the BJP, for passage of the key pending
reform bills. The Opposition support is required since the UPA
government does not have the required majority in the Rajya
Sabha.
The world number four Indian had beaten the unseeded
Korean, ranked 19th, during the first round of Indonesia Open
Super Series last year.
The PFRDA bill was introduced in Parliament by UPA-I in
2005 and was later referred to a standing committee. It had
lapsed since the Left parties did not agree on the measure for
opening up of the pension sector.
Saina, who had a subdued beginning to the year after
recovering from a ligament injury, showed her mettle all through
the tournament to swell her trophy cabinet.
Ji Hyun tried to keep pace with Saina till 7-7 but the Indian
was indomitable as she broke off from there and surged ahead
with giant strides to pocket the first game comfortably.
In the second game, Saina was ruthless as she opened a fourpoint lead at 7-3, and held fort to canter to her first title of the
season.
Though the PFRDA does not have the statutory powers, it is
regulating the New Pension System, being managed by six
private fund managers.
The government had launched the New Pension System for
Central government employees joining service from January 1,
2004. Later, it was extended to all citizens from May 1, 2009.
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NO EXIT POLLS FROM APRIL 4 TILL MAY 10
The 21-year-old Saina had won three Super Series titles last
year – Singapore, Indonesia and Hong Kong Open – besides
winning the Commonwealth Games gold and India Grand Prix
gold.
The Election Commission has banned conduct of exit polls
and releasing their results from April 4 till May 10 to ensure free
and fair assembly polls in five states.
She also won the Indonesian Super Series in 2009
besides winning the Chinese Taipei Open Grand Prix Gold
in 2008.
The Commission hereby notifies the period between 7 am
on 4-4-2011, i.e., the first day of poll in Assam, to 5.30 pm on 1005-2011, i.e., the last day of the poll in West.
Bengal, as the period
during which conducting any
exit poll or disseminating in
any manner whatsoever, the
result of any exit poll would be
prohibited,” the EC said.
The Commission also said
that under the Representation
of the People Act, 1951, displaying any election matter including
results of any opinion poll or any other poll survey, in any
electronic media, would be prohibited during the period of 48
hours ending with the hours fixed for conclusion of poll in every
phase.
While Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry would go for
single day polling on April 13, Assam will witness a two stage
elections on April 4 and 11.
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WIKILEAKS REVELATION OVER TRUST VOTE ON INDO US
NUCLEAR DEAL ROCKS PARLIAMENT
The Wikileaks is in news again,
with the revelations over trust vote
on Indo US Nuclear Deal in 2008
figuring in both the houses of
Parliament.
As soon as the Lok Sabha met,
CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta raised the issue of alleged bribing
of members by the government to win the trust vote on the
India-US nuclear deal and cited news reports quoting leaked
diplomatic cables.
Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj said that three BJP
members had brought cash to the House in 2008 but the then
Speaker had ordered an inquiry against them instead of taking
cognisance of the matter.
SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav asked the Speaker to allow a
discussion on the matter saying that his party had also played a
key role in saving the UPA-I government.
"We had also worked to save the government in 2008. If all are
painted by the same brush, we also stand to lose face. Only a
discussion on this matter can clear our name," Yadav said.
Responding to the attack, Finance Minister Pranab
Mukherjee was dismissive, saying that the charges pertained to the
14th Lok Sabha and could not be discussed in the current one.
Mukherjee asserted in the Rajya Sabha that the cables cited
by the Wikileaks website were correspondence between a
sovereign government and its mission abroad and that he could
not confirm or deny the allegations.
He also asked whether Jaitley was satisfied that "whatever
has appeared in newspaper report is admissible in the court of
law."
The communication between the US Embassy and its
government enjoys diplomatic immunity and "it is not possible
for the government to either confirm it or deny it," Mukherjee
said amid din.
At this point, members from both the opposition and ruling
benches were on their feet raising slogans and prompting the
Speaker to adjourn the proceedings.
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BANGALORE MAN CLINCHES GUINNESS RECORD
Spelling the word 'Hippopotomonstrosesquipe-daliophobia'
could stump many, but not 25-year-old Guinness Book record
holder Shishir Hathwar, who can not only do it without batting
an eyelid but in the reverse order as well.
It is not just this word (which means fear of
long words) but a number of others including
'grotesqueness' which he can rattle off.
Bangalore-based Hatwar, an electronics
engineer in BHEL, clinched the world record
for the "fastest backwards spelling of 50
words" in one minute 22.53 seconds, beating the record of Job
Pottas from Kerala who clocked one minute 40.14 seconds in
March 2010. The earlier record was held by Deborah Prebble
from UK (two min 21 seconds).
Shishir won by a comfortable margin of over 17 seconds
when he spelt 50 randomly chosen words, including 20 six letter
word, 15-seven letter words and 15-eight letter words.The time
included that taken by a person to read out the words and spell it
backward. "I took just 1.6 seconds per word including the time
taken to read out the word", said Shishir, who was asked to spell
out words chosen from a variety of fields, including literature,
arts and science.
The words he spelt out backwards during the event included
'desolate', 'lavish', 'pharynx', 'excavate' and 'fragrant.' A voracious
reader, Shishir attributes his success to the environment
provided by his parents, his reading habit and out of the box
thinking.
"Honing visualisation techniques to an extreme degree also
aided in training his mind to achieve the goal. Asked how he felt
about the record, he said "Exultant, considering that English is
not my mother tongue".
Shishir can also read and write Kannada, Hindi and Sanskrit
and speak Tulu. It was a You Tube clip of Pottas breaking the
record that got him started on the idea that he could attempt a
similar feat. Shishir also reads books by Thomas Hardy, George
Eliot, Charles Dickens and Bertrand Russell.
Apart from reading, he revels in outdoor activities like
trekking and swimming. He in fact completed the 21.1 km half
marathon in December 2005 in 98 minutes.
He disapproves the current SMS lingo and short spellings,
saying, "It is mutilating the sublime beauty of language."
Ask him about the most mis-spelt words, Shishir says, "It is
words where 'i' is contiguous with 'e', like shriek, receive".
Shishir's advice to the young who struggle with spellings is
"Take to reading instead of video gaming". Shishir said that he
was aware of his talent to spell backwards at a young age and held
several speechless when he spelt words backward as well as six
word sentences.
Not content with the laurels won, the spelling champion is
now out to conquer new records like speaking three syllable
words backward and being able to spell the maximum number of
words backward in a minute.
The son of Dr Ramamurthy, a senior scientist of Center for
Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, DRDO, he says spellings
have never flummoxed him and there is no spelling which can
leave him tongue tied.
He spells words incredibly and rattles off the 45 lettered
longest word
in the English dictionary in a jiffy.
'Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosisin'
“Words like Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia (35)
and Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (34) are those which I am
capable of spelling or pronouncing either in the forward or
backward direction," he said. His amazing ability comes to the
fore when he says "Where are you from?" - pronounced
backwards as "Morf uoy era erehw". "What is your name?" is
again rattled off as "Eman ruoy si tahw". His plans to break
another record backward would be a quite a skill test, he said."
The record for the most words spoken backwards in one minute
is 71 and was achieved by Nada Bojkovic (Sweden) at Nordstan
Shopping Mall in Gothenburg, Sweden on Nov 24, 2007.He then
proceeded to read the entire above paragraph backwards.
INDIA SUCCESSFULLY TEST-FIRES DHANUSH, PRITHVIII MISSILES
In an exercise to further sharpen its
missile teeth, India successfully testfired two indigenously developed,
nuclear capable ballistic missiles, both
having a strike range of 350 kms, from
separate locations off the Orissa coast.
While 'Dhanush' was flight tested
from a naval ship in the Bay of Bengal at a
spot between Paradip and Puri at 1005
hours, 'Prithvi-II' surface-to-surface
ballistic missile was test-fired at around 11 hours from a mobile
launcher at launch complex-3 of the Integrated Test Range
(ITR) at Chandipur, 15 km from Balasore.
"It was a fantastic launch. Both the missions, carried out
from different locations off Orissa coast, were fully successful,"
ITR Director S P Dash told.
"Both the missiles are under production after successful
completion of developmental trials and have been inducted into
the Armed Forces," said a scientist of Defence Research
Development Organisation (DRDO), maintaining that the
launches were "part of regular training exercise".
"The trajectory of both the missiles, with advanced
navigation and guidance systems, were monitored by a
widespread tracking network consisting of radars, telemetry and
electro-optical systems, spread over land and sea," he said.
A similar training exercise, comprising both Dhanush and
Prithvi-II were successfully conducted in a "salvo mode" off
Orissa coast on 27th March, 2010.
Dhanush, which is also known as the naval version of Prithvi,
is a liquid-propellant single-stage missile. It has a pay load
capacity of 500 kg and is capable of carrying both nuclear as well
as conventional warheads.
The missile can hit both sea and shore-based targets with
pin-point accuracy. It is 10 metres long, one metre in diameter
and weighs six tonnes. Referring to Prithvi-II, a DRDO scientist
said that the test firing of the surface-to-surface missile, which
has already been inducted into Armed Forces, was a routine trial,
conducted by the personnel of Strategic Force Command .
Prithvi, the first missile developed under India’s prestigious
Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme
(IGMDP), has proved its robustness and accuracy repeatedly
during many trials earlier since the first trial conducted in 1988.
SUPREME COURT STRIKES DOWN THOMAS
APPOINTMENT AS CVC
In a major blow to the
Centre, the Supreme Court
quashed the appointment of P. J.
Thomas as Central Vigilance
Commissioner (CVC).
"The court looking into their active
role in the conspiracy and setting afire
the S6 coach of Sabarmati Express
train near Godhra, gave death penalty
to 11 people," public prosecutor J M
Panchal said.
The court also slapped punishment on them under various
other sections, which will be concurrent to their life term.
A Bench of Chief Justice
S.H. Kapadia and Justices K.S.
Radhakrishnan and Swatanter
Kumar set aside his
appointment, acting on the writ petitions filed by the Centre for
Public Interest Litigation, the former Chief Election
Commissioner, J.M. Lyngdoh, and others. And within hours of
the judgment, Mr. Thomas stepped down from the post.
The prosecution had sought death sentence for all the 31
convicts, saying that it was a heinous act.
Mr. Thomas had been appointed CVC pursuant to a
recommendation made by a high power committee (HPC)
headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Leader of the
Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, who was a HPC
member, disagreed with the decision. The other member was
Home Minister P. Chidambaram.
They were also convicted under IPC sections 147, 148
(rioting with deadly weapons), 323, 324,325,326 (causing hurt),
153A (promoting enmity between different groups on religious
grounds), various sections of the Indian Railways Act,
Prevention of Damages to Public Property Act and Bombay
Police Act.
Justice Kapadia, who wrote the judgment, held invalid the
HPC's decision and pointed out that as of date, Mr. Thomas was
accused No. 8 in the Kerala palmolein case pending in the Court
of the Special Judge, Thiruvananthapuram, for offences under
Section 13(2) read with 13(1) (d) of the Prevention of
Corruption Act, 1988 and under Section 120B (conspiracy) of
the Indian Penal Code.
The Court had acquitted 63 others, in the burning of S-6
coach of Sabarmati Express in 2002 near Godhra railway station,
where 59 persons were killed.
The Bench, quoting an earlier judgment, said that eligibility
criteria would indicate that eligible persons should be without
any blemish whatsoever and they should not be appointed
merely because they were eligible to be considered for the post.
Asked if the prosecution will appeal against the life
imprisonment awarded to the 20 convicts, he said that a decision
to that effect will be taken by the Special Investigation Team that
probed the case.
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The accused have been given 90 days time to appeal in the
higher court, he said. The time spent in jail by the 20 accused
who have been awarded life, will be deducted from their total
punishment, he said.
GODHRA TRAIN CARNAGE: 11 GET DEATH, 20 TO SERVE
LIFE TERM
Eleven convicts in the Godhra train burning case were
handed down death sentence while 20 others were given life
imprisonment by a special court in the 2002 incident that left 59
'karsevaks' dead and triggered riots, which claimed over 1200
lives in Gujarat.
Special judge P R Patel considering the case as "rarest of
rare" pronounced death penalty for 11 out of the 31 convicted in
the case while 20 others were sentenced to life imprisonment.
On 22nd February, the court had convicted all the 31 while
accepting the prosecution's contention that there was a
conspiracy behind the incident and convicted 31 under various
sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC) like 302 (murder), 307
(attempt to murder) and 120B (criminal conspiracy).
The prosecutor said that this was perhaps the first case in
the country in which 11 people have been awarded capital
punishment.
Defence counsel I M Munshi said that the convicts will
definitely appeal against the punishment awarded to them.
Following the Godhra train burning incident on 27th
February 2002, large scale communal violence had broken out in
various parts of Gujarat in which over 1200 people died.
The trial conducted inside the Sabarmati Central Jail in
Ahmedabad began in June 2009, with the framing of charges
against 94 accused in the carnage.
As many as 253 witnesses were examined during the year
long trial and over 1,500 documentary evidences were presented
before the court by the Gujarat police.
There were a total of 134 accused in the case, out of which 14
were released due to lack of evidence, five were juvenile, five died
during proceedings of over nine years and 16 are absconding.
The trial was conducted against 94 accused.
Two different panels appointed to inquire into the 2002 case
had given different views on the Godhra train burning incident.
The Nanavati Commission, appointed by the Gujarat
government to probe the carnage, had in the first part of the
report concluded that the fire in the S-6 coach was not an
accident, but it was caused by throwing petrol inside it.
The one-man U C Banerjee Commission appointed by the
Railway Ministry under Lalu Prasad Yadav had said that fire was
"accidental".
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INDIA'S POPULATION NOW STANDS AT 1.21 BILLION
India's population is now pegged
at 1.21 billion, an increase of more
than 181 million in the last 10 years,
according to the provisional 2011
census report released.
The population comprising 623.7
million males and 586.5 million
females is almost equal to the
combined population of the United
States, Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan,
Bangladesh and Japan put together.
The population has increased by
more than 181 million during the decade 2001-2011, the report
said. The growth rate in 2011 is 17.64 per cent, in comparison to
21.15 per cent in 2001.
The 2001-2011 period is the first decade – with exception of
1911-1921 – which has actually added lesser population
compared to the previous decade, registrar general of India and
census commissioner of India C. Chandramauli said in
presence of home secretary Gopal.K. Pillai.
Indicating a continuing preference for boys in society, the
child sex ratio in India has dropped to 914 females against 1,000
males - the lowest since Independence - in the provisional 2011
Census report released.
Despite a slew of laws to prevent female foeticide and
schemes to encourage families to have girl child, the ratio has
declined from 927 females against 1,000 males in 2001 to 914,
which was described as a "matter of grave concern" by Census
Commissioner of India C Chandramauli.
Though an increasing trend in the child sex ratio (0-6 years)
has been seen in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat,
Tamil Nadu, Mizoram and Andaman and Nicobar Islands, in all
remaining 27 states and Union Territories, the child sex ratio
shows decline over Census 2001.
The highest child sex ratio has been reported in Mizoram
(971 females against 1000 males) and Meghalaya (970).
Notably, Punjab and Haryana,
which have traditionally seen low sex
ratio, have recorded an increasing
trend but still remained at the bottom
of the list. Haryana has 830 female
children and Punjab 846 against per
1000 male child.
Haryana's Jhajjar (774 females) and Mahendragarh (778
females) districts have the lowest sex ratio while Lahul and Spiti
district of Himachal Pradesh has the highest sex ratio (1,013
females).
Krishna Tirath, Minister of State for Women and Child
Development, said that the fall in girl child population is a
matter of concern. Tirath said that she will take up the issue with
the problem states and stressed on proper implementation of
women and child development schemes.
Uttar Pradesh (29.7 million), Bihar (18.6 million),
Maharashtra (12.8 million), Madhya Pradesh (10.5 million) and
Rajasthan (10.5 million) constitute 52 per cent children in the
age group of 0-6 years. Population (0-6 years) 2001-2011
registered minus 3.08 per cent growth with minus 2.42 for males
and minus 3.80 for females. However, there some good news.
The overall sex ratio at the national level has increased by 7
points since the 2001 Census to reach 940 females per 1000 male
at Census 2011.
This is the highest sex ratio recorded since 1971 and a shade
lower than 1961. Increase in sex ratio has been recorded in 29
states and UTs while three major states - Bihar, Gujarat and
Jammu and Kashmir - have shown a decline in sex ratio, as
compared to Census 2001.
Kerala with 1084 has the highest sex ratio, followed by
Puducherry with 1038. Daman and Diu has the lowest sex ratio
of 618.
=
Current events
World
MERKEL'S PARTY SUFFERS HISTORIC DEFEAT IN
GERMAN STATE
German chancellor Angela
Merkel's conser vatives have
suffered a historic defeat in a state
ballot after almost six decades in
power there, preliminary results
have showed, in an election that
amounted to a referendum on the
party's stance on nuclear power.
The opposition anti-nuclear
Greens doubled their voter share
in Baden-Wuerttemberg state and
seemed poised to win their firstever state governorship, according
to preliminary results released by the state electoral
commission.
"We have secured what amounts to a historic electoral
victory," the Greens' leader Winfried Kretschmann told party
members in Stuttgart.
The Greens secured 24.2 per cent of the vote, with the
centre-left Social Democrats down 2 percentage points at 23.1
per cent.
That secures them a narrow lead to form a coalition
government with a combined 71 seats in the state legislature, the
results showed.
Representatives of all parties said that the elections were
overshadowed by Japan's nuclear crisis, turning them into a
popular vote on the country's future use of nuclear power which
a majority of Germans oppose as they view it as inherently
dangerous.
Conservative governor Stefan Mappus, who has long been an
advocate of nuclear energy, conceded defeat and said that his
party's lead in the polls dwindled away in the wake of the disaster
at Japan's Fukushima nuclear facility.
Mappus' Christian Democrats secured 39 per cent of the
vote or 60 seats in the legislature. Its coalition partner, the probusiness Free Democrats, saw its voter share halved to 5.3%.
The disaster in Japan triggered Merkel's government last
week to order a temporary shutdown of seven of the country's
older reactors, two of them in Baden-Wuerttemberg state,
pending thorough safety investigations.
But the chancellor's abrupt about-face has raised doubts
about her credibility in a country that remembers well the 1986
Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine that spewed radiation across
Europe.
A center-left government a decade ago penned a plan to
abandon the technology for good by 2021, but Merkel's
government last year amended it to extend the plants' lifetime by
an average of 12 years. The government has now put that plan on
hold, and the opposition wants to abolish the use of nuclear
power for good by 2020.
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AT LEAST 75 KILLED, 110 INJURED IN MYANMAR
EARTHQUAKE
A magnitude-6.8 earthquake killed at
least 75 people in Northeast Myanmar
and one in Thailand, officials said.
About 74 people died and 111 were
injured in Tarli and Tachilek towns, near
the Myanmar-Thai border in Myanmar's
Shan state, and destroyed 244 houses, nine government offices
and 14 Buddhist monasteries, government-run Myanmar
television reported.
The epicentre of the earthquake was about 50 km North of
Tachilek, a border town 680 km North of Bangkok. Myanmar
minister for social welfare, relief and resettlement Maung
Maung Shwe was reportedly en route to the quake-hit area for an
assessment tour.
The Myanmar Red Cross and Crescent Society has
dispatched 1,000 relief packages to the area, but access to the
region is difficult.
"It takes around four days to reach the affected area by car
from Yangon and there are flights twice a week into Tachilek's
airport," aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres said in a
statement. There were no reports on casualties in Yangon and
Naypyitaw, Myanmar's former and current capitals, respectively.
The earthquake, had its epicentre in northeast Myanmar, 589
km Northeast of Yangon, and 772 km north of Bangkok,
according to the US Geological Survey.
In Chiang Rai, Thailand, Hong Khamping, 55, died when a
concrete wall in her home collapsed on top of her. The wall was
poorly constructed, Thai officials said. "There were no other
deaths or injuries in Northern Thailand," said Chiatha Mositrat,
head of the Chiang Rai disaster prevention office. Tourists in
Chiang Rai, including members of the Syrian triathlon team,
evacuated their hotel rooms for several hours.
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PONTING QUITS AS AUSSIE TEST, ODI CAPTAIN
Ricky Ponting quit as Australia's Test
and one-day captain, just days after the
champions were knocked out of the World
Cup, but said that he remained available for
selection.
The 36-year-old, who led Australia in
more than 300 Test and one-day matches,
insisted that he was "not tapped on the
shoulder" to give up the captaincy, and
endorsed deputy Michael Clarke as his successor.
"I have resigned as captain of both the Test and one day
Australian teams," Ponting told a press conference. "I will
continue to play and am available for selection in both the oneday and Test teams."
"I have thought long and hard about what Australian cricket
needs. Now is the right time for the next captain to assume the
responsibility for both the Test and one-day teams," he added.
Ponting said that Australia's exit in the quarter-finals of the
World Cup last week in India prompted his decision to stand
aside.
"The fact that we went out of the World Cup when we did was
the main reason," he said, while denying he had been forced out
by Cricket Australia.
"Today is a new start for me and I am very excited about the
future. I will give my complete support to our new captain and
continue to do my best to set the best possible example for my
team-mates and emerging cricketers alike."
Cricket Australia chairman Jack Clarke paid tribute to
Ponting's "outstanding" leadership.
"Ricky Ponting has been an outstanding batsman, one of the
best to wear the baggy green," he said.
"His leadership as captain has been outstanding and I
sometimes think his brilliance with the bat has overshadowed
his fine work as captain."
"Those close to the team know his true worth in guiding his
players and setting a personal example of commensurate
professionalism, particularly in recent years following the
retirement of so many greats of the game."
Ponting captained Australia in 77 Test matches for 48 wins the most of any Test skipper - 16 losses and 13 draws. In his 228
one-day matches in charge, he returned 164 wins and 50 losses.
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HOLLYWOOD LEGEND ELIZABETH TAYLOR DIES AT 79
Legendary actress Elizabeth Taylor,
whose violet eyes, tumultuous love life and
passion for diamonds epitomized Hollywood
glamour, died at age 79.
The star of "Cleopatra" and "Who's Afraid
of Virginia Woolf?" died at Cedars-Sinai
Medical Center in Los Angeles, surrounded
by family after a long battle with congestive heart failure.
In a career spanning seven decades, Taylor first gained fame
in 1944's "National Velvet" at age 12 and was nominated for five
Oscars. She won the best actress award for "Butterfield 8" (1960)
and "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" (1966) with actor Richard
Burton, whom she married twice.
Taylor's eight marriages, health problems, prescription drug
addiction and ballooning weight often overshadowed her career,
but she overcame adversity and used her fame to advocate for
causes such as AIDS education and research.
Her death triggered an outpouring of tributes from
Hollywood luminaries like Barbra Streisand, recording stars
such as Elton John and politicians including former president
Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Speaking for her family was her son, Michael Wilding, who
called his mother, "an extraordinary woman who lived life to the
fullest, with great passion, humor, and love.”
"It wasn't just her beauty or her stardom. It was her
humanitarianism. She put a face on HIV/AIDS," Streisand said.
John called her "a Hollywood giant" and an incredible human
being. In a joint statement, the Clintons called her "thoroughly
American royalty."
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“The door is open to all subjects that are
in the interest of all the citizens,” he said.
A protester missing crackdown in
Manama on a month-old pro-democracy
movement was confirmed dead, an
opposition MP said, bringing to at least five
the number of protesters killed.
Police were posted outside the hospital, where doctors trying
to help the injured protesters have allegedly been attacked. The
government has denied the accusations.
YEMENI PRESIDENT GIVEN EMERGENCY POWERS
Yemen's Parliament enacted sweeping emergency laws after
the country's embattled President asked
for new powers of arrest, detention and
censorship to quash a popular uprising
demanding his ouster.
The move escalates the showdown
between Ali Abdullah Saleh and the
movement that has unified military
commanders, religious leaders and
protesting youth in demands for his
immediate departure. The state of
emergency suspends the Constitution,
allows media censorship, bars street protests and gives security
forces 30 days of far-reaching powers to arrest and detain
without judicial process.
Youth leaders at the Sana'a square that has become the
epicentre of the protests dismissed the move. “It is the
revolution that now decides the future of the nation,” said a
protest leader. We pay no attention to the measures.”
Rival factions of the military have deployed tanks in the
capital, Sana'a – with units commanded by one of Mr. Saleh's son
protecting the President's palace, and units loyal to a top
dissident commander protecting the protesters.
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Bahrain faces mounting international pressure to exercise
restraint and ensure the safety of jailed opposition leaders. The
United States said that it was “deeply troubled” by the arrest of
several opposition figures.
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CHINA EXPRESSES SERIOUS RESERVATIONS
China said that it had “serious reservations” over the
Security Council's resolution. “We oppose the use of force in
international relations and have some serious reservations with
part of the resolution,” said Foreign Ministry spokesperson
Jiang Yu.
China, along with India, was among a group of five countries
in the 15-member Council that abstained from voting on the
resolution. A 10-0 vote backed the resolution, which called for
“all necessary measures (notwithstanding the previous arms
embargo) to protect civilians and civilian populated areas under
threat of attack in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, including
Benghazi, while excluding a foreign occupation force of any form
on any part of Libyan territory”.
The resolution also expressed the U.N.'s “grave concern at
the deteriorating situation, the escalation of violence, and the
heavy civilian casualties”.
BAHRAIN KING PLEDGES REFORM
The resolution, drafted by Britain, France and Lebanon, was
also supported by the United States, despite its earlier
reservations.
Bahrain's King pledged to bring reforms and another
demonstrator was confirmed to have died in a crackdown on
pro-democracy protesters, as international calls mounted for
restraint.
Besides India and China, Russia, Brazil and Germany
abstained from voting. While Russia is a permanent member of
the UNSC, Brazil and Germany, like India, are serving terms as
non-permanent members.
“I shall not allow a stop in the reform process which I began
when I took the reins of power,” said King Hamad in a statement
on the official BNA news agency.
At a briefing, Chinese officials said that the UNSC was
sharply divided, with many countries, including China and
Russia, objecting to military intervention.
Ms. Jiang said that China “and some countries” abstained
from voting on the draft resolution, “considering the concern
and stance” of Arab and African countries. She called on the
UNSC to “respect Libya's sovereignty, independence,
unification and territorial integrity”.
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TRI-NATION GROUP FORMED TO FREE SAILORS
Outside the glare of media, a tri-nation monitoring group of
diplomats has been established in Dubai to brainstorm ways of
rescuing sailors on board ships that Somali pirates have
hijacked.
“We held our first meeting in which Consul Generals of
Yemen and the Philippines participated to monitor and consider
ways to bring back the sailors of our respective countries,
currently being held by the Somali pirates,” said Sanjay Verma,
Indian Consul-General. Mr. Verma hoped that diplomats from
Bangladesh, Tanzania and Pakistan would also join this group, as
nationals from these countries were also aboard some of the
hijacked ships.
Somali pirates are holding 53 Indian sailors captive on board
five ships: the MV Iceberg, the MV Suez, the MT Asphalt
Venture, the MT Savina Caylyn and the MV Sinin.
After the success in freeing the hijacked RAK Afrikana, the
Dubai-based diplomats are now looking at ways to replicate that
success. “During its deliberations, the group arrived at the
conclusion that a media outcry when negotiations are under way
usually encourages the hijackers to hike the ransom,” said Mr.
Verma.
Negotiations are on with the pirates for the release of sailors
on board the MV Iceberg. Owned by a Dubai-based Yemeni, the
MV Iceberg – hijacked in September – has on board six Indians,
eight Yemenis, two Pakistanis, two Sudanese, four Ghana
nationals and one Filipino. The pirates were apparently
demanding a $4-million ransom, which was nearly four times
the value of the ship, said an industry source.
“The ship owners are finding it hard to arrange the ransom,
especially because individual governments are refusing to pay,”
said the source.
Analysts said that piracy had become a lucrative and wellorganised industry, with pirates handing around 20 per cent of
their “earnings” to the opposition Al Shabaab group in Somalia.
No longer using small boats with a limited reach, the pirates are
deploying captured merchant vessels for their operations in the
high seas, striking as far as in Seychelles.
Sources said that the RAK Afrikana was released after the
ransom was air-dropped, along with counting machines and
equipment required to detect fake currency. After it was
released, the ship malfunctioned, causing the Indian naval
headquarters to seek the help of an Italian warship deployed in
the Indian Ocean as part of a European Union anti-piracy
mission. The crew was subsequently put on board the MV York,
which took them to Mombasa. The ship owner flew to the
Kenyan port city to fly the sailors to their homes in
Thiruvananthapuram, Chandigarh, Mumbai and Delhi.
Negotiations have also begun for the release of an all-Indian
15-member crew on board the MT Asphalt Venture.
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PAKISTAN TEST-FIRES HATAF-2
Pakistan said that it had successfully
tested its short range surface-to-surface
ballistic missile Hataf-2 (Abdali) as part of the
ongoing process of validation and technical
improvements in the nation's Land Based
Ballistic Missile Systems.
According to a statement put out by
Pakistan's Inter Services Public Relations, Hataf-2 has a range of
180 km and can carry nuclear as well as conventional warheads.
The test was conducted at an undisclosed place in the
presence of the Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee,
General Khalid Shameem Wynne, and other senior officers of
the strategic organisations.
The Abdali weapons system, according to General Wynne,
provided Pakistan with an operational level capability, in addition
to the strategic level capability.
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CANADIAN ELECTION HEATS UP OVER COALITION
CLAIMS
Opposition parties said that it was hypocritical for Canadian
Prime Minister Stephen Harper to accuse them of plotting to
take power in a coalition government since he had once
considered doing it himself.
The Conservative government's charge that the Liberal,
New Democratic and Bloc Quebecois parties plan to form a
coalition government after the May 2 election has become the
first major issue of the campaign that began.
Polls show the Conservatives with a comfortable lead coming
into the election, but they still do not appear to have enough
support to win majority status – something they also failed to get
in the 2006 and 2008 votes.
"Parliamentary elections will be in September," Shaheen
said. "We have said before that parliamentary or presidential
polls will not be held while emergency law is still in force," he
added.
Harper warned that if his government fails to win a majority
that does not require opposition support to stay in power, the
Liberals, New Democrats and Bloc Quebecois will band
together in a coalition government that will hurt the economy.
The military council also approved a law that eases
restrictions on the formation of political parties. Shaheen said
that new parties would need the approval of 5,000 members
from at least 10 of Egypt's 29 provinces.
The Bloc Quebecois advocates sovereignty for the mainly
French-speaking province of Quebec. This makes making
working too closely with it a political liability in Englishspeaking Canada for the other parties.
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The Conservative charge stems from a 2008 deal which the
Liberals signed with the NDP to unseat Harper, with the
backing of the Bloc Quebecois. Harper blocked that by having
Parliament briefly suspended until the deal fell apart.
The other parties shot back, saying that Harper negotiated a
similar deal in 2004 with the Bloc and New Democrats to topple
the then-Liberal Government. That agreement also fell apart
and the Liberals remained in power until the 2006 vote.
A letter by Harper, Layton and Duceppe on how to unseat
Liberals without holding an election does not use the word
"coalition," but Duceppe joked, "If it looks like a duck and sounds
like a duck, it's a duck."
Harper, who needs to expand his political base beyond
western Canada to win a majority government, denied the
agreement in 2004 ever involved forming a coalition government
with the other parties.
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EGYPT CONFIRMS LEGISLATIVE ELECTION IN
SEPTEMBER
Egypt will hold a legislative election in September and will
lift emergency laws before the vote, the ruling Supreme Council
of the Armed Forces said.
Mamdouh Shaheen, a member of the military council, said a
date for a presidential election had yet to be set.
The legislative election date means that parties that were
crushed under Hosni Mubarak's rule have some five months to
prepare for the first free parliamentary polls in decades.
The military council has ruled Egypt since Mubarak was
toppled from power on February 11. It plans to relinquish power
to a civilian government once a presidential election is held.
UN SLAPS SANCTIONS ON IVORY COAST'S
STRONGMAN GBAGBO
The UN Security Council
has unanimously imposed
sanctions, including a travel
ban and asset freeze on Ivory
Coast's strongman Laurent
Gbagbo, his wife and close
aides.
The resolution, which
came five days after Nigeria
and France introduced a draft resolution expressing concern
that the country could relapse into a civil war, calls on Gbagbo to
stand down from presidency of the West African nation.
Gbagbo has refused to accept Alassane Ouattara as the
lawful winner of the November presidential polls.
While voting in favour of imposing sanctions on the Ivory
Coast's incumbent leader, India blasted the tendency of
hurrying to adopt Security Council resolutions.
India also raised objections to the UN siding with Ouattara
and said that its 10,000 strong peacekeeping force (UNOCI)
should not be part of the political stalemate in that country.
The UN has warned that the world's largest cocoaproducing country is on the brink of the civil war. Other
countries said that the Security Council had to act quickly to
protect civilians.
More than 450 people have been killed since December and
one million people have been displaced inside the country.
More than 77,000 refugees have fled to neighbouring
Liberia. "Events are moving fast on the ground, the security
situation continues to deteriorate, and the position of civilians is
of increasing concern," said Philip Parham, Britain's deputy
envoy to the UN.
=
Current events
Business and economy
MUKESH AMBANI ON BANK OF AMERICA BOARD, FIRST
NON-AMERICAN MEMBER
Billionaire Mukesh Ambani ,
chairman of India's most valued
company Reliance Industries (RIL),
has joined the board of the Bank of
America Corporation, the largest
US lender by assets. Mr Ambani's
nomination will be ratified at the
bank's annual meeting of
shareholders.
"Bank of America's shareholders
will benefit from the global
perspective Mr Ambani brings to
our board," Bank of America's
chairman Charles O. Holliday, Jr was quoted as saying in a press
statement.
"It is a privilege and a great honour for me, as the first nonAmerican citizen, to join the board of one of the world's largest
financial institutions" said Mr Ambani.
BAN ON PULSES EXPORT EXTENDED TILL MARCH 2012
Ban on export of pulses has been extended
by one more year till March 2012, even as the
country is likely to import 3.40 million tonnes
of the vital foodgrain item to match the
enhanced demand.
"The period of validity of prohibition on
exports of pulses is extended up to 31st March, 2012," a
Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) notification said.
The ban was to expire on 31st March.
The restriction was imposed in June 2006 to augment
domestic supply and check prices of the commodity.
Wholesale price based inflation in the pulses segment in
February 2011 stood at 1.89 per cent, down from 12.72 per cent
in the same month last year.
However, the prohibition will not apply to export of Kabuli
Chana and 10,000 tonnes of organic pulses during 2011-12,
DGFT said.
Mr Ambani, who figured among the top 10 on the Forbes
billionaire list in 2011, owns RIL, India's largest private business
enterprise with $44.6 billion in annual revenues and over $70
billion in market capitalisation.
Notwithstanding expected bumper production of pulses
during 2011-12, India is likely to import 3.40 million tonnes of
the commodity, the government had said recently.
RIL operations encompass production and exploration of oil
and gas. It also runs a refinery at Jamnagar, Gujarat, which is said
to be the world's largest at a single location.
The production of pulses during 2011-12, as per the Second
Advance Estimates of the Agriculture Ministry, is put at 16.51
million tonnes.
RIL also has a petrochemical business and a fledging retail
operation with around 1,000 stores.
Planning Commission has estimated the demand for pulses
in the country during the period at 19.11 million tonnes.
RIL recently announced that it was entering into a joint
venture with British Petroleum that operates various oil
refineries and has assets in India. BP will own 30% of the assets.
The group also has licences to offer fast internet access using
wireless to all parts of India.
To augment domestic availability of pulses, the government
has permitted its imports at zero duty up to 31st March, 2012.
Regarding export of organic pulses, the DGFT said that the
quantity shall be 10,000 tonnes up to March 2012.
FREE TRADE PACT WITH FOUR EUROPEAN NATIONS
THIS YEAR
India and the Europe Free Trade
Association (EFTA) are likely to
conclude a free trade agreement
(FTA) entailing a comprehensive
bilateral trade and investment
agreement by this year after fasttracking of the negotiations
between the two groups.
“The EFTA comprising Switzerland, Iceland, Norway and
Liechtenstein is likely to firm up an FTA this year. The issue
came up for discussion at the bilateral meeting with
Switzerland`s Economic Minister Johann Schneider-Ammann.
Both the sides agreed that they would conclude their positions
within a month. We have already had seven rounds of
negotiations and within a month's time, specific offers would be
made. This will enable us to cover the entire Europe in a
comprehensive economic and trading agreement,” Mr. Sharma
said after his meeting with Mr. Schneider-Ammann.
These four countries are not part of the 27-nation European
Union, with which India is already negotiating an FTA.
Recognising the need for enhancing trade ties, a joint study
group between India and EFTA was established in 2006 to
explore the possibility of such an agreement.
“When the FTA is concluded, we hope that there will be a
significant rise in bilateral trade,” Mr. Sharma said.
The trade between Switzerland and India stood at $18 billion
in 2010 up from $15 billion in 2009. Swiss exports to India
include machines, pharmaceutical and chemical products as
well as precision instruments.
The exports from India include textiles, agricultural
products and components for the airline industry. There are
about 170 Swiss companies doing business in India. Switzerland
has concluded such accords with about 20 countries, including
Canada, Mexico, Singapore and Turkey.
With the FTA in place, Switzerland will primarily seek to
improve access to the Indian market for its chemical and
pharmaceutical products, machines and watches. The FTA
talks have been going on since 2008 but had hit a roadblock over
the deregulation of the market for industrial goods.
On its part, India has been pushing to obtain greater access
to the Swiss market for its export services, including
information technology, and fewer immigration restrictions.
Switzerland's labour market has been opened for citizens from
the EU and EFTA countries, while permits for those from other
countries are limited to highly skilled labour.
Mr. Sharma said that India was seeking advanced scientific
research and institutional linkages with Switzerland for its
various sectors.
Another area of mutual cooperation has been vocational
skills training modules that India strongly needs to meet the
challenges that will emerge from the massive economic
development taking place at present.
“We are closely looking at replicating the industrial cluster
approach module and also skills training modules with the help
from our Swiss counterparts. We hope that the FTA will help all
the sides to achieve their objectives of enhancing cooperation
and economic engagement,” he said.
The last round of negotiations allowed for significant
progress particularly with respect to trade in goods. Areas
covered by experts groups included market access for industrial
products, fish and agricultural goods; sanitary and phytosanitary
measures; technical barriers to trade; rules of origin; customs
procedures and trade facilitation; trade defence measures;
competition; investment; intellectual property rights; and
dispute settlement.
Services experts will continue their discussions in separate
meetings. Both the parties agreed on a road map for the further
process, including follow-up discussions between experts in
several areas and a next full round of negotiations before mid2011, in order to give the FTA a final shape by the end of this year.
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CENTRAL GOVERNMENT TO ALLOCATE RS.2,500 CRORE
TO TUFS FOR MSMES
The Central Government said that it would
create a Rs.2,500-crore corpus for technology
modernisation of the micro, small and medium
units by next year. At present, only textiles
sector is availing these benefits under the
Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme
(TUFS) wherein the units get 5% subsidy on
loans, for upgrading technology, from the government.
“We are quite hopeful and confident that by this year or
certainly by the next year, we will be in a position to create a
corpus to facilitate these units for technology upgradation,”
Uday Varma, Secretary in the Ministry of Micro, Small and
Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) said in New Delhi at a function
organised by management consultant Milagrow.
He stressed on the need to couple upgraded technology with
adequate and timely credit. Besides, Mr. Varma said that robust
infrastructure, innovation, marketing initiatives and skill
development programmes are required for the growth of these
units.
The MSMEs account for 45 per cent of the country's
manufacturing output and 40 per cent of exports.
The sector employs 50 million people in 26 million units,
producing over 6,000 products.
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RBI CREDIT POLICY: REPO, REVERSE REPO RATES HIKED
BY 25 BPS
Amidst high food inflation, falling
industry output and uncertain crude oil
prices, the Reserve Bank of India hiked key
policy rates by 25 basis points in its midquarterly review.
The repo and reverse repo rates were
hiked by 25 bps to 6.75 per cent and 5.75
per cent, respectively. CRR was left unchanged at 6%.
One basis point is one-hundredth of a percentage point.
Repo rate is the rate at which the RBI lends to banks against
securities. The reverse repo is the rate it pays to banks for
deposits. RBI hiked interest rates for the eighth time since last
March.
In the last monetary policy review, RBI raised policy rates by
25 basis points meeting market expectations and raised inflation
forecast for the fiscal by 150 basis points to 7%, drawing
criticism that prognosis and policy are not in sync.
RBI had raised policy rates seven times since March, 2010,
with a hike of 175 basis points in short-term lending (repo) rate
and 225 basis points in short-term borrowing (reverse) repo rate
in its bid to arrest inflation.
Data showed that annual inflation accelerated unexpectedly
to 8.31 percent in February, from 8.23 percent the previous
month, defying forecasts of a slowdown.
While food inflation has fallen from peaks of 20 percent in
early 2010, it remains stubbornly high at 9.42 percent.
Industrial growth slowed to 3.7 per cent in January this year,
compared to 16.8 per cent expansion in the year-ago period,
dragged down by the poor performance of the manufacturing
sector, particularly capital goods.
Recent figures from recruitment consultancy Aon Hewitt
showed that Indian corporate salaries were set to grow by nearly
13 percent this year – the fastest pace in the world.
Investments remain a concern with rising interest rates
deterring companies. The GDP numbers for the third quarter
showed a decline in investments to 29.8% of the GDP from
34.1% in the second quarter.
Raising concerns that domestic demand growth is likely to
slow, brokerages such as Citi and Morgan Stanley recently scaled
down their GDP growth forecast for India to 8.4% and 7.7%,
respectively, for the next fiscal year. In comparison, the
government in its Budget last month said that the economy is
expected to grow at 9%, plus or minus 0.25%, in 2011-12.
RBI has been the region's most active in raising rates, as the
country climbs out of the financial downturn, with growth
projected at nine percent for the next fiscal year starting April 1.
Across Asia, countries such as China, South Korea, Thailand
and Vietnam have been tightening monetary policy to counter
rising prices.
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BMW LAUNCHES 6 SERIES CONVERTIBLE
Aimed at further consolidating its
leadership position in the Indian
premium car market, BMW rolled out its
new '6 Series Convertible' and announced
plans to launch SUV 'X3' this year.
Priced at Rs.95 lakh, the luxury car will be available in petrol
version as completely built-up unit (CBU), which comes with an
eight-speed sports automatic transmission and a 4.4-litre V8
engine with 'TwinPower Turbo Technology', delivering 407 hp.
The car accelerates to 100 km per hour in just five seconds with a
top speed of 250 km/hr.
“The new BMW 6 Series Convertible, with its breathtaking
aesthetics, is the perfect vehicle for an exclusive lifestyle.
The elegant silhouette, torquey engine, perfect road holding
and refined interiors with perfection to the smallest detail,
create an ultra-luxurious open-top driving experience that could
not possibly get any better,” BMW India President Andreas
Schaaf told journalists after unveiling the car at a glittering event
in this beautiful lake city.
About the German carmaker's future plans, Dr. Schaaf said
that he was committed to retain BMW's leadership position in
the Indian premium car market.
“Besides rolling out new products in the next couple of years,
we will double our dealerships across India to 40 and invest more
at the Chennai plant to meet our future requirements,” he said.
The entire show is being organised by the Gem and
Jewellery Export Promotion Council, which is hosting India's
top 53 brands at this global platform.
The BMW India head also said that the carmaker would take
its total investments in India from the existing Rs.110 crore to
Rs.180 crore by the end of 2012.
The show is also an attempt to showcase India's rich culture
and cuisine at the global level which is being hosted at the
elegantly displayed India Palace created in BaselWorld 2011.
“We have recently acquired additional land to enhance the
size of our Chennai facility, while our annual production capacity
has also been increased to 10,000 units from 8,000 units. If need
be, we will produce more cars,” Dr. Schaaf added.
In 2010, BMW India sold 6,426 units, capturing 40 per cent of
the car market that stood at around 15,000 units, while it is
hoping to see 20-30 per cent growth for the next few years.
Mr. Sharma said that it was the endeavour of his Ministry to
enhance India's global footprint through this show. He said that
over one million each of skilled Indian manpower are engaged in
the diamond and jewellery manufacturing industries and of the
globally polished diamonds, India's share is 70 per cent in value
and 85 per cent in volume terms. “Out of the every 12 cut
diamonds in the globe, 11 pass through Indian hands,'' he
remarked.
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SWISS BRANDS INVITED TO SET UP SHOP IN INDIA
GOVT CONSTITUTES FINANCIAL SECTOR LEGISLATIVE
REFORMS COMMISSION
Union Commerce and Industry Minister
Anand Sharma invited leading Swiss brands,
including Rolex, Raymond Weil, Tissot,
Chopard, Blancpain and Tag Heur, to invest
in India and set up manufacturing base in
the country to spread their influence as retail
chains.
In an interaction with leading Swiss watchmakers, Mr.
Sharma said that India offered a huge opportunity for leading
watch brands in shape of an expanding economy. The country
was growing at about 8.6 per cent annually and hoped to clock a 9
per cent economic growth by the end of the current fiscal.
“India is a land of opportunities and we want that reputed
and global leaders in watch making should be part of this
success story. I urge you to set up manufacturing base in India
and enter the country through retail chains by offering your wide
ranging products meant for various sections of the society,'' he
told the delegation of Swiss watch makers.
The delegation included leading Swiss brands like Eric
Bertrand and Duchene Jacques of Rloex SA, Threbard Francois
of Tissot.
The delegation assured Mr. Sharma that they were excited
about the prospects of setting up operations in India and were
looking forward to doing business there in a larger context.
Earlier, Mr. Sharma inaugurated the 'India Pavilion' at the
international gems and jewellery show along with Didier
Burkhalter, Federal Councillor, Head of the Federal Department
of Home Affairs, Switzerland.
The Central Government
constituted the Financial Sector
Legislative Reforms Commission
(FSLRC) under the chairmanship of
former Justice B. N. Srikrishna to
rewrite and harmonise financial
sector legislations, rules and
regulations.
“The resolution notifying the constitution of Financial
Sector Legislative Reforms Commission (FSLRC) was issued,”
an official statement said while noting that the commission has
been set up in pursuance of Finance Minister Pranab
Mukherjee's budget announcement last year which was made
with a view to rewriting and streamlining the financial sector
laws, rules and regulations to bring them in harmony with the
requirements of the country's fast growing financial sector.
Apart from Justice Srikrishna as the head, other members of
the 11-member commission include former Pensions Funds
Regulation and Development Authority (PFRDA) Chairman D.
Swarup, former Axis Bank chief P. J. Nayak and PMEAC member
M. Govinda Rao. Headquartered in Delhi, the commission is to
hold its first meeting on April 5 and submit its report to the
Finance Minister within 24 months.
As for the terms of reference, the commission will examine
the architecture of the legislative and regulatory system
governing the financial sector in the country and also look at the
most appropriate means of oversight over regulators and their
autonomy from the government.
Alongside, it will also “examine if legislation should mandate
statement of principles of legislative intent behind every piece of
subordinate legislation to make the purposive intent of the
legislation clear and transparent to users of the law and to the
courts.”
This apart, the commission will examine the feasibility of
whether public feedback for draft subordinate legislation should
be made mandatory, with exception for emergency measures
and also “examine the interplay of exchange controls under
FEMA and FDI policy with other regulatory regimes within the
financial sector.”
According to the statement, there are over 60 Acts and
multiple rules and regulations dealing with the financial sector
and many of them have become archaic.
“Large number of amendments made in these Acts over
time has increased the ambiguity and complexity of the system,”
it said.
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"Indian multinational companies, small and medium
enterprises and individuals are already to investing in Africa,
and the results are encouraging. Indeed, we would like to
reiterate our warm invitation to all Indian business people to
make huge investments in Africa and join our efforts geared to
boost and diversify our economies, thus contributing to African
development," Ali said.
Over 650 participants from more than 36 African nations,
including the Prime Ministers of Mozambique and Togo, the
Deputy Prime Minister of Somalia and ministers from over 19
African countries, are taking part in the conclave.
At the conclave, Sharma said that India was committed to
ensure supply of affordable life-saving drugs for poor people.
"India will not allow this to happen where life-saving
medicines are out of the reach of poor people. We will ensure that
whatever new molecules develop, the benefit must reach the
poor people," he said.
Indian generic has played a pivotal role in bringing down the
cost of treatment of diseases like HIV AIDS.
INDIA, AFRICA TARGET USD 70 BN TRADE BY 2015
India and Africa have set
a target to take trade to USD
70 billion by 2015 on the
back of increasing economic
engagement between the
two sides.
C u r r e n t l y, t r a d e
between India and Africa
stands at about USD 45
billion.
"We have set for ourself a target of USD 70 billion by 2015 and
I am sure that we will be able to achieve it," Commerce and
Industry Minister Anand Sharma said at CII's India-Africa
conclave.
He said that huge potential is available for businessmen of
both India and Africa.
In the presence of the minister, EXIM Bank has entered into
an agreement on a project basis with Tanzania and Mozambique
to provide lines of credit worth USD 36 million and USD 20
million, respectively.
Speaking on the occasion, Mozambique Prime Minister
Aires Bonifacio Ali invited Indian businesses to invest in Africa.
He said that legal battles had to be fought and won due to
stranglehold of cartel of multi-national drug companies which
was denying the availability of these drugs to people in poor
countries.
"We see some signs of that again, the campaigns that have
been carried out and the backdoor manipulations...with the new
medicines that are coming out that will happen again," he said,
adding that India has one of the finest IPR regimes.
Sharma also held a bilateral meeting with Minister of
Industry & Commerce of Mozambique Armando Inroga and
expressed optimism over the growing trade and investment
between the two countries.
Annual bilateral trade for the year 2009-10 was USD 427.13
million, with India's exports amounting to USD 358.37
million.
"In order to exploit the true potential of bilateral trade in a
more diversified area, we set up a target of USD one billion by
the year 2013, during the visit of the President of Mozambique
last year. We hope that the trade targets could be achieved," he
said at the meeting.
India is among five major trading partners of Mozambique.
The volume of trade between the two countries increased largely
due to increase in exports from India to Mozambique.
INDIA-ASEAN CEPA BY YEAR-END
With the Philippines all set to ratify the Free Trade
Agreement (FTA), the trade regime between the 10-member
ASEAN block and India is all set to get consolidated, paving way
for inking of Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement
(CEPA) by year-end.
Philippines, apart from Cambodia, was the only country that
had not ratified the agreement till date. Other members of the
trade bloc are: Brunei, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore,
Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and Laos. “By the end of this year,
a comprehensive economic partnership agreement between
India and ASEAN will be in place,” Commerce and Industry
Minister Anand Sharma said.
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RIL ESTIMATES FURTHER DROP IN GAS PRODUCTION
Mukesh Ambani owned
Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL) has
projected a 13 per cent further
decline in its gas output from KG
basin fields.
T h e c o n t i n u e d t re n d o f
declining output from the KG basin
gas fields certainly is a worrisome development and it would take
best of the expertise of its new partner BP to fix the problem.
RIL has projected that gas output from Dhirubhai-1 and 3
(D1 and D3) gas fields in the block KG-DWN-98/3 (KG-D6),
will be 38 million standard cubic meters a day in 2012-13 from
the current production level of 43-44 mscmd. It has submitted
these estimates to the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons
(GDH) in its annual work programme.
The D-26 or MA oilfield in the same block is expected to
produce current levels of 8-9 mscmd, taking the total output
from the deep-sea area in Bay of Bengal to around 47 mscmd. At
present, KG-D6 block is producing around 51-52 mscmd.
The D1 and D3, the largest of the 18 gas discoveries, had
touched 53-54 mscmd of output in mid-2010 but the production
has fallen since. “The fields have enough reserves to support
peak output of 80 mscmd. But RIL has learnt that the gas is
stored in isolated pools which are not connected to each other. It
is not able to derive entire volumes out. It is argued that drilling
more wells could solve the problem but RIL is of the view that
the cost of drilling, completing and connecting the well to the
production system exceeds the economic value of the gas to be
produced.
Officials in the Petroleum Ministry said that BP could
provide the solution to this problem through its expertise in this
area. “BP has faced similar issues around the world and its
expertise will help Reliance overcome the problem,'' the officials
said. The field development plan (FDP) approved some years
ago, envisaged a total of 22 wells producing 61.88 mscmd of gas
from D1 and D3 fields by April 1. This was to rise to 80 mscmd by
April 1, 2012, with 31 wells. The MA field was to contribute
another 8 mscmd.
“The production plan in FDP is a guidance and not a firm
commitment. In fact, RIL had touched 60 mscmd of output with
just 16-17 wells in mid-2010. However, soon production started
to fall,'' an official said.
The DGH had convened a meeting of the management
committee of the block to discuss the issue of KG basin in detail.
RIL has projected crude oil output from the MA field in the
same block to fall to 12,050 barrels a day in 2012-13 from the
current production of about 17,000 bpd.
According to the FDP, Reliance was meant to put on stream
22 wells in the D1 and D3 fields by April, 2011, to achieve a
production level of 61.88 mscmd. As of now, only 18 wells are in
production. Output from these wells at 43.44 mscmd is lower
than the 53.4 mscmd planned in the FDP.
As per the FDP, production in the block is expected to go up
to 86.92 mscmd in 2013-14 and the output would start declining
from 2018-19.
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HDFC BANK WINS RETAIL BANKER AWARD
HDFC Bank has won The Asian Banker's
'Best Retail Bank in India' award this year.
Beating a host of other competitors in Asia
Pacific, the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa
on a range of parameters, the bank has won the
award for the fifth year in a row.
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WIPRO TECH BAGS READER'S CHOICE AWARD
Wipro Technologies has received Reader's Choice Award for
the third consecutive year from Consumer Goods Technology
(CGT) magazine. According to a release, Wipro Technologies
has won spots in the Top 5 for outsourcing/IT integration and
Top 8 in the consulting categories. Wipro has moved up by 4
places (positive movement) in the outsourcing category from
last year's rankings.
a
PT Panorama
Trademark in India:
Registering Procedures & Laws
Why do you need a trademark?
A trademark is the mark, logo or trade name which identifies
your business to your customers. A trademark registration is
valid all over India.
A person who sells his goods under a particular Trademark
acquires a sort of limited exclusive right to use the mark in
relation to those goods. Such a right acquired by use is
recognized as a form of property in the Trademark, and
protection under common law. A person can also acquire a
similar right over a trademark, not so far used but only proposed
to be used, by registering it under the Trademark Act.
In India, you can protect a trademark for goods or services,
on the basis of either use or registration or on the basis of both
elements. A registration of a Trademark is for 10 years, but it can
be renewed without restriction in time by payment of renewal
fee for next 10 years. Thus a trademark may be protected
indefinitely.
Even though the registration of a trademark is not
compulsory, it has significant advantages:
1. Registration of the mark creates a presumption of your
ownership of the mark. In case someone else violates your
trademark, it is much easier to proceed against them if you own a
registered trademark.
2. Registration in India
will be needed before
registering your trademark
in other countries.
3. You can only use the
@ symbol if you have a
registered trademark. (Note
if your trademark is not yet
registered, you can put
symbol next to it).
4. Your trademark and
your goodwill is an
important part of the value of your business. Any serious investor
would do an intellectual property (IP) audit to check whether
your IP is sufficiently protected.
How does the process work?
The trademark registration process requires every applicant
to specify the categories under which he would like to register
her/his trademark. There are 45 categories/classes in all Classes
1-34 deal with goods, while Classes 35-45 deal with services.
Trademark classes
At the time of filing a trademark, the applicant is required to
specify which categories his product/service falls under The
Fourth Schedule to Trademarks Rules, 2002.
As an entrepreneur, the return on investment (ROI) on the
time and money spent registering your trademark is huge, as it
does away with the hassle of establishing your trademark in a
court if a dispute arises. If you are an online business, your
trademark would usually include your domain name.
Classification of goods and services: Name of
the classes
In fact, getting a trade mark for your domain name is the only
effective way of protecting against people who use names
sounding similar to yours to get some of your traffic – the
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers
(ICANN) dispute resolution process is pretty much out of the
reach of the average Indian entrepreneur.
Class 1. Chemicals used in industry, science, photography,
agriculture, horticulture and forestry; unprocessed artificial
resins, unprocessed plastics; manures; fire extinguishing
compositions; tempering and soldering preparations; chemical
substances for preserving foodstuffs; tanning substances;
adhesives used in industry
Class 2. Paints, varnishes,
lacquers; preser vatives
against rust and against
deterioration of wood;
colorants; mordents; raw
natural resins; metals in foil
and powder form for
painters; decorators;
printers and artists
Class 11. Apparatus for lighting, heating, steam generating,
cooking, refrigerating, drying ventilating, water supply and
sanitary purposes
Class 3. Bleaching
preparations and other substances for laundry use; cleaning;
polishing; scouring and abrasive preparations; soaps;
perfumery, essential oils, cosmetics, hair lotions, dentifrices
Class 14. Precious metals and their alloys and goods in
precious metals or coated therewith, not included in other
classes; jewellery, precious stones; horological and other
chronometric instruments
Class 4. Industrial oils and greases; lubricants; dust
absorbing, wetting and binding compositions; fuels(including
motor spirit) and illuminants; candles, wicks
Class 5. Pharmaceutical, veterinar y and sanitar y
preparations; dietetic substances adapted for medical use, food
for babies; plasters, materials for dressings; materials for
stopping teeth, dental wax; disinfectants; preparation for
destroying vermin; fungicides, herbicides
Class 12. Vehicles; apparatus for locomotion by land, air or
water
Class 13. Firearms; ammunition and projectiles; explosives;
fire works
Class 15. Musical instruments
Class 16. Paper, cardboard and goods made from these
materials, not included in other classes; printed matter;
bookbinding material; photographs; stationery; adhesives for
stationery or household purposes; artists' materials; paint
brushes; typewriters and office requisites (except furniture);
instructional and teaching material (except apparatus); plastic
materials for packaging (not included in other classes); playing
cards; printers' type; printing blocks
Class 6. Common metals and their alloys; metal building
materials; transportable buildings of metal; materials of metal
for railway tracks; non-electric cables and wires of common
metal; ironmongery, small items of metal hardware; pipes and
tubes of metal; safes; goods of common metal not included in
other classes; ores
Class 17. Rubber, gutta percha, gum, asbestos, mica and
goods made from these materials and not included in other
classes; plastics in extruded form for use in manufacture;
packing, stopping and insulating materials; flexible pipes, not of
metal
Class 7. Machines and machine tools; motors and engines
(except for land vehicles); machine coupling and transmission
components (except for land vehicles); agricultural implements
other than hand-operated; incubators for eggs
Class 18. Leather and imitations of leather, and goods made
of these materials and not included in other classes; animal
skins, hides, trunks and travelling bags; umbrellas, parasols and
walking sticks; whips, harness and saddlery
Class 8. Hand tools and implements (hand-operated);
cutlery; side arms; razors
Class 19. Building materials, (non-metallic), non-metallic
rigid pipes for building; asphalt, pitch and bitumen; nonmetallic transportable buildings; monuments, not of metal.
Class 9. Scientific, nautical, sur veying, electric,
photographic, cinematographic, optical, weighing, measuring,
signalling, checking (supervision), life saving and teaching
apparatus and instruments; apparatus for recording,
transmission or reproduction of sound or images; magnetic data
carriers, recording discs; automatic vending machines and
mechanisms for coin-operated apparatus; cash registers,
calculating machines, data processing equipment and
computers; fire extinguishing apparatus
Class 10. Surgical, medical, dental and veterinary apparatus
and instruments, artificial limbs, eyes and teeth; orthopaedic
articles; suture materials
Class 20. Furniture, mirrors, picture frames; goods(not
included in other classes) of wood, cork, reed, cane, wicker,
horn, bone, ivory, whalebone, shell, amber, mother- of-pearl,
meerschaum and substitutes for all these materials, or of
plastics
Class 21. Household or kitchen utensils and containers(not
of precious metal or coated therewith); combs and sponges;
brushes(except paints brushes); brush making materials;
articles for cleaning purposes; steelwool; unworked or semiworked glass (except glass used in building); glassware,
porcelain and earthenware not included in other classes
Class 22. Ropes, string, nets, tents, awnings, tarpaulins,
sails, sacks and bags (not included in other classes) padding and
stuffing materials(except of rubber or plastics); raw fibrous
textile materials
Class 23. Yarns and threads, for textile use
Class 24. Textiles and textile goods, not included in other
classes; bed and table covers.
Class 25. Clothing, footwear, headgear
Class 26. Lace and embroidery, ribbons and braid; buttons,
hooks and eyes, pins and needles; artificial flowers
Class 27. Carpets, rugs, mats and matting, linoleum
and other materials for covering existing floors; wall
hangings(non-textile)
Class 28. Games and playthings,
gymnastic and sporting articles not
included in other classes; decorations for
Christmas trees
Class 29. Meat, fish, poultry and game;
meat extracts; preserved, dried and
cooked fruits and vegetables; jellies, jams,
fruit sauces; eggs, milk and milk products;
edible oils and fats
Class 30. Coffee, tea, cocoa, sugar, rice, tapioca,
sago, artificial coffee; flour and preparations made from
cereals, bread, pastry and confectionery, ices; honey, treacle;
yeast, baking powder; salt, mustard; vinegar, sauces,
(condiments); spices; ice
Class 31. Agricultural, horticultural and forestry products
and grains not included in other classes; live animals; fresh
fruits and vegetables; seeds, natural plants and flowers;
foodstuffs for animals, malt
Class 32. Beers, mineral and aerated waters, and other nonalcoholic drinks; fruit drinks and fruit juices; syrups and other
preparations for making beverages
Class 33. Alcoholic beverages(except beers)
Class 34. Tobacco, smokers' articles, matches
SERVICES
Class 35. Advertising, business management, business
administration, office functions.
Class 36. Insurance, financial affairs; monetary affairs; real
estate affairs.
Class 37. Building construction; repair; installation services.
Class 38. Telecommunications.
Class 39. Transport; packaging and storage of goods; travel
arrangement.
Class 40. Treatment of materials.
Class 41. Education; providing of training; entertainment;
sporting and cultural activities.
Class 42. Scientific and technological services and
research and design relating thereto; industrial
analysis and research services; design and
development of computer hardware and
software.
Class 43. Services for providing food
and drink; temporary accommodation.
Class 44. Medical services, veterinary
services, hygienic and beauty care for
human beings or animals; agriculture,
horticulture and forestry services.
Class 45. Legal services; security services
for the protection of property and individuals;
personal and social services rendered by others to meet
the needs of individuals.
Let us say you manufacture shirts under the brand “X”. If
you look at the classes of goods and services, your product would
be registered under Class 25: "Clothing, footwear, headgear".
This means that you would only be protected against another
person/company making any clothing, footwear or headgear
under the same brand “X” or a name which is deceptively similar
to that.
It does not mean that someone else cannot use the brand
name “X” for products in other categories (for example: “X”
cricket bats). There are exceptions to this rule, but the simple
point is that it is important to choose which categories you would
fall under carefully, and check if your business can fall under
multiple categories (even in the future).
Also, word and logo trademarks have to be filed separately.
Therefore, you would have to file a trademark for the word “X”
under Class 25, and separately for any graphic representation
(your logo) of “X” under Class 25.
Before filing the trademark, it is important to understand
that if you file the trademark in your company's name, the
trademark will be owned by the company, that is, its
shareholders (who might change from time to time).
Therefore, some single founders prefer to get the trademark
registered in their own name (and let their company use it under
a trademark license agreement).
Once you have understood the basic idea of registering your
trademark, it is time to talk to a trademark lawyer. As an
entrepreneur, it is generally not worth your time to go and try to
file the trademark yourself.
Costs and choosing a lawyer
Trademark application fees are Rs
2,500 per mark per class. These are
paid to the government. Lawyers
usually charge anywhere between Rs
1,000 to Rs 3,000 per mark per class in
addition to that. So if you file for a word
mark and a graphic mark in two
classes, it'll cost around Rs 10,000 just in government fees and
another Rs 5,000 to Rs 15,000 on the lawyer's fees.
In addition to this, you will also have to pay for getting a
trademark search done to check if there are other similar
trademarks. Trademark searches usually cost Rs 500.
It is wise to choose someone experienced and who has been
recommended to you: well-identified classes and a well-drafted
application could become crucial in case any dispute arises later.
The lawyer also helps you answer any queries that the
Trademark Office may come back with and will usually charge
separately for it.
Do not hire your regular lawyer – your school classmate or
uncle. Make sure you go to a lawyer who has actually filed
trademarks before.
Steps for registering your trademark
Authorisea lawyer to act as your agent.
The lawyer will conduct a search with the Trademark Office
to check if there are any similar trademarks already registered
under that particular class. There are two kinds of search: online
and offline.
It is recommended that you get both the searches done.
Make sure the lawyer understands your business and is using
the right keywords for this search.
Depending upon the
results of the search, the
lawyer will draft your
trademark application. In
case someone already has the
same or similar trademark,
you may have to change
yours. Or if you think that the
trademark is rightfully yours,
your lawyer will help you
oppose that trademark.
These days, since most businesses also reserve domain
names while registering their companies and brands, so it is
generally easy to find out beforehand whether someone else is
using an intended trademark.
The lawyer will file your trademark application with the
Trademark Office and send you the receipt.
After a few days, the lawyer will send you the Original
Representation Sheet of your trademark as it has been filed with
the Trademark Office.
After this process starts the long wait. It can take anywhere
between 18 months to two years for the Trademark Office to
decide whether or not to grant you the trademark; if there are
objections from the Trademark Office or from anyone else, it
may take longer. At the end of this process, your trademark is
published in the Trademark Journal.
Some issues which may crop up
So what are the kinds of things that the Trademark Office or
other parties could have a problem with?
Descriptivetrademark
If you have a descriptive name, it will be difficult to get a
trademark for it. For example, if a website called Orange sells
oranges, it would not be able to get a trademark for the name
orange. A skilled lawyer may be able to draft your application in a
way which makes this possible for you (essentially by claiming
that you are not selling apples. Don't ask!).
Non-distinctivetrademark
Your trademark needs to be distinctive for it to be registered.
So it should not be similar to any other existing trademark, that
is, a reasonable person should not be confuse your trademark
with someone else's. Also, you may have to work a bit on the
graphic representation of your trademark to make it more
distinctive. It is helpful to add a design to the word logo.
Similarto a well-knowntrademark
While you have to specify classes under
which to register your trademark, this does not
mean that you can use a well-known trademark
for a category other than what it is famous for.
For example, Coke is a big brand for beverages,
but since it is well known, you cannot use it for
your own category, say software.
There are several other grounds on which your trademark
may be rejected but these don't come into play very often
(example: obscenity, hurting religious sentiment, misuse of
emblems etc.).
Trademark offices in India
The following table sets out the different trademark offices
in India. You should find a lawyer in the city which is nearest to
you for registering your trademark.
1. Trademarks Registry
Trade Marks Registry Mumbai
Intellectual Property Office Antop Hill Post Office,
S.M.Road, Antop Hill,
Mumbai-400 037
2. Trade Marks Registry
Delhi Intellectual Property Office Plot No.32,
Sector 14,
Dwarka, New Delhi-110075
3. Trade Marks Registry
Kolkata Intellectual Property Office CP-2, Sector V, Salt Lake
city, Kolkata-700091
Trade Marks Registry, Chennai
Intellectual Property Office
G.S.T. Road, GuindyChennai-600 032
Trade Marks Registry,
Ahmedabad National Chambers, 15/27,
1st floor, Ashram road,Ahmedabad-380 009
=
Sabeer Bhatia
Computer Wizard Sabeer Bhatia, the pioneer in the field of first web based e-mail - The
Hotmail, was born in Chandigarh in the year 1969. He grew up in Bangalore and had his early
education at Bishops Cotton's School in Pune, then St. Joseph's College in Bangalore.
For a short-time, he was a student at the Birla Institute of Technology (BITS), Pilani and in
1988, he went to US on a Cal Tech Transfer scholarship to get a bachelor's degree at the California
Institute of Technology. He earned a master's degree in electrical engineering from Stanford
University.
After graduation, Sabeer briefly worked for Apple Computers as a hardware engineer and
Firepower Systems Inc. While working there, he was amazed at the fact that he could access any
software on the internet via a web browser. His success graph took off exponentially when he, along
with his colleague Jack Smith, set up Hotmail on 4th July 1996.
At one time, Hotmail remains the world's largest e-mail provider, with over 50 million registered users. As President and
CEO, he guided Hotmail's rapid rise to industry leadership and its eventual acquisition by Microsoft in 1998.
Bhatia worked at Microsoft for a little over a year after the Hotmail acquisition and in April 1999, he left Microsoft to start
another venture, Arzoo Inc. It's an e-commerce firm with a revolutionary new way to shop on line and may just turn out to be
Bhatia's next multi-million dollar winner.
Bhatia's success has earned him widespread acclaim; The venture capital firm Draper Fisher Jurvetson named him
'Entrepreneur of the Year 1997', MIT chose him as one of 100 young innovators who are expected to have the greatest impact on
technology and awarded 'TR100'; San Jose Mercury News and POV magazine selected him as one of the ten most successful
entrepreneurs of 1998 and Upside magazine's list of top trendsetters in the New Economy named him 'Elite 100'.
Portfolio Management
PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT
The art and science of making decisions about investment
mix and policy, matching investments to objectives, asset
allocation for individuals and institutions, and balancing risk
against performance.
Portfolio management is all about strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and threats in the choice of debt vs. equity,
domestic vs. international areas, growth vs. safety, and many
other tradeoffs encountered, in the attempt to maximize return
at a given appetite for risk.
In the case of mutual and exchange-traded funds (ETFs),
there are two forms of portfolio management: passive and active.
Passive management simply tracks a market index, commonly
referred to as indexing or index investing. Active management
involves a single manager, co-managers, or a team of managers
who attempt to beat the market return by actively managing a
fund's portfolio through investment decisions based on research
and decisions on individual holdings. Closed-end funds are
generally actively managed.
PORTFOLIO MANAGER
The person or persons responsible for investing a mutual,
exchange-traded or closed-end fund's assets, implementing its
investment strategy and managing the day-to-day portfolio
trading.
The portfolio manager is one of the most important things to
be considered when looking at fund investing. Portfolio
management can be active or passive (index tracking).
Historical performance records indicate that only a minority of
active fund managers beat the market indexes.
Any person who, pursuant to a contract or arrangement with
a client, advises or directs or undertakes on behalf of the client
(whether as a discretionary portfolio manager or otherwise), the
management of a portfolio of securities or the funds of the client,
is a portfolio manager. His/her main aim is to maximise
shareholder value.
Portfolio managers act as buyers, sellers and managers of
risk. They improve credit/risk and product delivery processes to
transform the traditional lending business into an issuer and
investor driven business.
Each portfolio contains individually selected securities,
which are not co-mingled with those of other investors, ensuring
transparency and flexibility in operations. Investments can also
be made in other asset classes such as mutual funds, derivatives,
insurance and even real estate.
Economic liberalisation and decontrol have transformed the
economic landscape of India. Free pricing of securities and the
entry of private sector and foreign mutual funds have promoted
competition in the capital markets. Global fund management
giants like Merrill Lynch, Templeton, Morgan Stanley, Alliance,
Threadneedle and Jardine Fleming, Nucleus Netsoft and GIS
(India) Ltd, Kotak Securities and many banks employ portfolio
managers. Emerging Internet trading will soon change portfolio
management paradigms.
a
PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011 35
PT Panorama
Writing a Business Plan
Definition
A business plan is not only a requisite for seeking finance
from investors, it is also an essential document for describing
aims and objectives and enabling the measurement of progress
towards achieving them. The business plan provides the means to:
r appraise the present and. future of the business
r define short- and long-term objectives
r establish a framework for action to achieve those
objectives
It consists essentially of three elements: a marketing plan, an
operations plan, and a financial plan.
r The marketing plan covers how market intelligence
will be gathered and ensures that the organization's
strategies will meet market needs.
r The operations plan includes the supply of raw
materials, technological requirements, key processes,
resource needs, and production and delivery targets.
r The financial plan assesses fixed and variable costs and
dictates minimum financial requirements.
Advantages
Clear business plans:
form a yardstick to measure performance
are the starting-point for departmental or divisional
operational plans
r provide a framework for offering incentives to
managers
r demonstrate that the organization knows where it is
going
r form the bridge between the organization's strategy
and what people should actually do
r can assist in attracting major customers, financial
assistance and shareholders' support
r
r
Disadvantages
Business plans require:
detailed thought, research and application
absolutely clear expression that stands up against
incomprehension and criticism
r honest and realistic appraisal of the organization's
shortcomings, problems and obstacles as well as its
strengths
r writing from the reader's point of view, not the writer's
r
r
r
r
regular monitoring and modification, if appropriate
acceptance by, not just imposition on, all the key
players in the organization
ActionChecklist
Before you start it is often valuable to carry out a SWOT
analysis of your organization or industrial sector; this will help
you focus on defining your objectives and drafting the plan.
Remember too that the SWOT does not involve just an
analysis of the past and present, but it also considers the future,
especially in terms of markets, customers and technology.
As a general rule, the plan should be no more than about 25 to
30 pages, focusing most strongly on the management and
financial elements. The executive summary should not exceed
two pages.
1.Setthecontext
Describe the following:
the background of the business, product or service and
a brief history of the organization
r who the customers are
r the past performance of the organization
r any key or influential elements that might dictate the
success of the product or service
r
2.Definecorporateobjectives
Develop a list of short-term, specific targets that will help to
indicate progress towards longer-term ones, Measurability is
important.
3.Performamarketanalysis
Persuade the reader/investor that the product of Service will
secure a substantial market. Include:
r a brief description of the overall market and the
specific market segment targeted
r detailed information on current and proposed
customers
r names of leading competitors, market share and
alternative products or services
r market influences–economic trends, seasonal
fluctuations, legislation, social factors
Are you aware of who and where your target market is and of
the changes affecting that market?
4.Proposeyourapproachtomarketing(themarketing
plan)
Describe the marketing strategy used to approach
customers by detailing:
r the image of the organization you wish to convey
r the key or unique features that will differentiate the
products
r a description of promotional and publicity material;
r the Four Ps of marketing
r channels of distribution
What marketing methods do your competitors use; and how
effective are they?
5. Describe your plans for development and
production(theoperationsplan)
"Touch on all aspects of researching, developing, producing,
and delivering your product or service. Describe the research,
development and production processes with the expected costs
of raw materials, labour plant and equipment. Include a brief
section on contingently planning for possible scenarios that
might disrupt your operations.
Are you aware of the terms and conditions of your main
suppliers? Are you aware of the steps you need to take to
maintain quality?
6. Clarify the current financial situation (the financial
plan)
Lay out exactly what is required of investors and lenders.
The financial plan is composed principally of data documenting
past, present and projected performance including start-up
costs, profit and loss statements, cash flow analyses, and balance
sheets. Repayment will be of key interest to investors and
leaders, so include accurate break-even projections. It is also
important to demonstrate how sound financial control will be
exercised over borrowed and incoming funds. Make sure you can
support your sales forecast with reasons for your assumption,
and opt for caution rather than the rosiest scenario.
7. Demonstrate that management is committed and
capable
Describe your strengths and skills. An organization chart
should mark (rate managers' capabilities as well as
responsibilities. If there are weaknesses, indicate how you
propose to deal with them.
8.Describetheownershipoftheorganization
An investor or lender will need to know the legal constitution
of the organization–partnership, limited liability, corporation.
Show how mush investment is already being made and by whom.
9.Discusscriticalsuccessfactors
Discuss risks and problems, not omitting actual and
potential negative factors. Demonstrate that you are aware of
likely changes in, for example, information technology markets,
or economic circumstances. Show that you will be ready to
correct overspending or failure to meet deadlines.
Provide a brief account of critical success factors such as:
r the learning environment that generates success
r specialists and technicians with their knowledge and
networks
r how the team can respond to adversity and turn things
round
10.Concludeonapositivenote
The conclusion summarizes the key features such as
strategic direction, strengths and unique benefits, realistically
projected sales and returns. Include a proposed timetable of
events to demonstrate sound planning. Write a strong
conclusion that leaves the reader with a positive, dynamic
impression.
ForwritingaBusinessPlan
DO
r
r
r
r
r
r
r
r
r
r
r
r
r
11. Provideanexecutivesummary
Written last, this nonetheless appears first in the final plan.
Include the unique features of the product or service; the
current, mid- and long-term direction of the organization; the
benefits that the product or service offers the defined market
sector; the qualities and skills of the people who will make it all
happen a financial Statement of assets, sales, and profits
expectations and how much capital is required; and, as a
conclusion, statement of return for the investor.
r
Research the target readership.
Consult as widely as is appropriate.
Solicit help from appropriate sources such as
accountants or bankers.
Point out any 'obvious' benefits.
Address fully any possible bones of contention.
Remember the contingency aspects of the plan.
Outline the skills of the management team.
Keep it short, focused, organized and readable.
Use diagrams and charts for clarity.
Provide an executive summary.
DON'T
Don't make assumptions on the reader's behalf.
Don't be too optimistic in estimating income potential
or expecting an enthusiastic reaction.
Don't use long words, technical jargon or over
completed sentences.
THOUGHT STARTERS
r What is your own business?
r Who are your main customers?
r What is your main capability?
r How healthy–really–is current financial situation?
r Whom are you trying to convince?
=
Govt scraps ISRO-Devas deal on
S-band spectrum allocation
The controversial S-Band spectrum deal between ISRO's
commercial arm Antrix and private firm Devas Multimedia was
scrapped.
The decision to annul the deal was taken at a meeting of the
Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), chaired by Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh, on the basis of a recommendation
from the Space Commission.
The annulment comes in the wake of a raging controversy
over the deal for handing over 70 MHz of S-Band spectrum to
the private firm for Rs 1,000 crore on which the CAG has already
initiated action. According to certain estimates, this deal may
have resulted in a loss of Rs two lakh crore to the exchequer.
After news reports about the possible revenue loss appeared,
the Government and ISRO said that the project was already
under review and action has been initiated for termination of the
contract.
The Prime Minister said that the deal had never been
operationalised and rejected suggestions that his office had held
"backroom" talks with Devas after the Space Commission's
decision to scrap the deal.
He had said that if there has been delay in scrapping the deal,
this has been "only procedural".
Devas Multimedia had termed as "disturbing and
inappropriate" the government's "unilateral" decision to
terminate the agreement and threatened to take legal action.
It said that the government had reached the decision
"without due investigative process and without following the
principles of natural justice".
=
Brand story
Harley Davidson
T
he year was 1902 and a lad by the name of William S
Harley designed a simple 2 cylinder motorcycle. One
year later, the young Harley partnered with Arthur
Davidson. Side by side in a tin shed only 10ft x 15ft, they
tinkered. At the door hung a little hand painted sign without the
Harley Davidson logo that simply read "The Harley-Davidson
Motorcycle Company." The first Harley Davidson motor cycle
was born. Arthur Davidson's brother Walter joined the team in
1907.
Just a few years later, in 1905, the Harley-Davidson motorcycle
won its first race. Perhaps, this moment may be considered the one
when time began for motorcycle enthusiasts. By 1920, the team
Harley Davidson was by far the most popular and respected
producer of motorcycles in the world. Certainly, this remains true
today as much as it did so many generations ago.
1917 was a turbulent era for the entire world, many
businesses struggled and some died with the young men who
gave their lives in the war. Industry the world over, suffered.
Harley Davidson however contributed to the war efforts in a
different way in that it had the contract to supply the army with
engines, as in some unnatural intervention, Harley Davidson
survived and even grew in strength and popularity. The Harley
Davidson logo was a symbol of hope and the future.
The Harley Davidson Logo
The famous Harley Davidson
logo was developed in 1910 and is
perhaps one of the most easily
recognized logos in the world. The
simple bar and shield design offers a
masculine touch with rugged
strength.
The Harley Davidson logo is so popular and endearing with
Harley Davidson motor cycle fans and fashion-friendly folk alike
that it appears on t-shirts, belt buckets, numerous stickers, and
even coffee cups; in fact the popularity of the logo has created its
own market of devout collectors.
Harley Davidson Branding and Marketing
Branding is a key element in the success of many fortunate
companies with creative foresight, and certainly Harley
Davidson is no exception. Not only did Harley Davidson have a
great logo, it went further by introducing the well known art deco
eagle on its products. In 1933, every motorcycle produced by
Harley Davidson, with the exception of customers’ requests, was
branded with the eagle wings on all gas tanks.
Harley Davidson also survived the following depression and
certainly did so, with respect. They were known then, and they
are still known today as an industry that treated their employees
well and with personal care and consideration. Harley Davidson
considers its employers as members of the family. So much so
that in 1987 when Harley Davidson was listed on the stock
exchange many Harley Davidson blue collar workers also had
shares in the company.
If it can be stamped, painted, printed or created, and the
quality is excellent, it likely to be marketed somewhere somehow
with the Harley Davidson name. Certainly, Harley Davidson
made a point of branding and community outreach. 1983 saw the
creation of HOG, Harley Owners Group. Today there are more
than 500,000 HOG members worldwide.
It is interesting that Harley bought a boat company, and the
company by the name of AMF bought Harley. It was in this time
that quality began to suffer and sadly as a result, so did sales. In
1981 however, the Harley Davidson Company bought their own
company back from AMF and things started to improve its again
almost immediately due to an innovative management system
called "Circles of Management." This program brought workers
and dealers together in the decision making process.
One of the oldest micronations, the republic of Molossia It
is located in Dayton, Nevada. It is inhabited by only four
citizens, one of whom, Kevin Baugh is the president. It was
founded in May 1977 by Baugh when he was aged fourteen and
was formerly known as the republic of Vuldnstein. It has its own
space program, has a railway and issues currency (valora) as
well. In 2000, Molassia staged the first ever Micronation
Olympic games in tune with the Sydney Olympics.
a
Smallest Country Molossia
Galileo
Astronomer and Physicist
T
he Vatican is rehabilitating its most famous
victim of the Inquisition, just in time for the
400th anniversary of Galileo's telescope.
In March 1610, a book containing fewer than 100
pages caused such a stir that its author was placed under
house arrest for the rest of his life. The book itself made a
profound impact in its own time and went on to refashion
astronomy completely to a form that marked the
beginning of modern astronomy. To the author, its
contents and his own fate ensured a permanent place in
the hall of fame of science.
The book in question is Sidereus Nuncius (The
Starry Messenger) and the author, Galileo Galilei. The
short text, with drawings by Galileo himself, reported the
observations made by him when he famously turned his
telescope towards the night sky. The observations of the
moon, Jupiter, the Milky Way and the stars, reported in
the slender volume, and other observations and their
interpretations eventually led to the demise of the earthcentred Ptolemaic model of the universe. It opened the way to
the adoption of the sun–centred, heliocentric model of the solar
system, originally proposed by Copernicus in 1543.
The science of astronomy took a huge leap forward into the
modern era with the invention of the optical telescope and its
use to study the night sky and discover new celestial objects.
Contrary to popular belief, Galileo was not the discoverer of
the telescope. Nor was he the first to use the telescope to study
the universe. Galileo's significance in the history of astronomy,
and indeed of all sciences, does not arise just from the fact that
he used the telescope innovatively or simply saw the wonders of
the night sky. He made a revolutionary change in the way we see
the universe; he ruptured the epistemic difference between the
celestial and the terrestrial and engendered the birth of a
modern science.
INVENTION OF THE TELESCOPE
Early telescopes were refractors made out of two lenses:
convex as the objective (the end pointed towards the heavens)
and concave as the eyepiece (through which one looked at the
sky). Thus, the invention of the telescope required the
development of lenses, which, in turn, was related to the
evolution of the humble spectacles superbly described in
Renaissance Vision from Spectacles to Telescopes by Vincent
Ilardi (published by American Philosophical Society, 2007).
The first time that anyone put two lenses together to make a
telescope-like optical instrument was in 1608, in Holland. The
inventor of an opera-glass-like telescope was Hans Lipperhey,
an optician-craftsman. Legend has it that his children and their
friends in the neighbourhood playfully experimented with the
lenses that were lying around in his workshop and accidentally
discovered that when they held two lenses against each other
they could see far-away objects magnified. Hans Lipperhey
learned of this and assembled the first crude telescopes.
Zacharias Janssen, a neighbour and a fellow optician, too
claimed that he was the first to invent the telescope. The Dutch
royal court decided not to award a patent for the contraption to
either of them. What perhaps was a loss for Lipperhey and
Janssen was a gain for science and progress; if the patent had
been granted, who knows it may even have hindered Galileo and
held back the progress of sciences for several years.
ENTER GALILEO
Soon telescopes were a
rage and many scientists and
amateurs craved to possess
one. It is but natural that one
of them would turn the
telescope skywards. Thomas
Harriot, an English physicist,
ventured to use the telescope
to study the heavens. Having
obtained a telescope from the
Netherlands, he made
numerous telescopic
observations from 1609 to
1613. His telescopic drawing
of the moon of early August
1609 is the first on record and
preceded Galileo's study of
the moon by several months.
Several of Harriot's observations of sunspots in December 1610
are also the first on record. Nevertheless, there was one
significant difference that set Galileo apart from Harriot.
Galileo found out about this invention in the spring of 1609
and by then, very many spectacle-makers were producing their
own contraptions. However, Galileo was not just interested in
purchasing one off the shelf and using it. He inquired into the
physics of telescopes and wondered how they worked. Soon he
realised that the magnification was proportional to the ratio of
the power of the concave lens to that of the convex lens. In other
words, he needed a weak convex lens and a strong concave lens;
commonly the lenses in general use were the other way round.
Furthermore, opticians only made glasses in a narrow range of
strengths. Using available off-the-shelf lenses, three or
thereabouts, was the best magnification possible. Galileo
learned to grind his own lenses, and by August 1609, he had
achieved about 9x magnification. He perfected it further and
made a telescope with 20x magnification, which he used for his
telescopic study of the universe.
Even a crude telescope would show the craters on the moon,
formed, as we now know, owing to the impact of asteroids and
meteorites. However, Galileo's investigation of the mountains
on the moon remains even today a classic lesson in scientific
method. It can be observed at the time of dawn, even before the
ground is illuminated, the clouds above catch the sunlight.
Similarly, sunlight reaches the valleys much later than it reaches
the peaks of mountains.
Galileo noticed that some points in the night (dark) side of
the moon were illuminated much before the sunlight reached
the ground beneath and came to the conclusion that they must
be mountain peaks. From the shadow that these peaks cast, he
even set out to calculate the height of those speaks. Thus it was
evident that celestial bodies were indeed just like the earth,
another object in the solar system, and not heavenly in nature.
Galileo's next major discovery began with his observation of
Jupiter on January 7, 1610. His telescopes unmistakably showed
an odd set of three small fixed stars near Jupiter, collinear with
the planet. A few days later, he saw yet another one, making the
total four. These stars were invisible to the naked eye.
Observations of Jupiter over successive nights revealed that
these objects sometimes disappeared from view as they moved
behind or in front of the planet. By January 15, 1610, Galileo
correctly inferred that these objects were indeed moons of
Jupiter and that they orbited Jupiter in the same manner as the
moon orbits the earth.
The discovery of the moons of Jupiter doubly jeopardised
the prevailing dogmas. Here were four stellar objects not stated
in any religious cannon.
OBSERVATION OF THE MOON
The magnificent moon naturally attracted Galileo's
attention. He observed the moon for several nights sometime
around December 1609. According to Aristotelian principles,
the moon was above the sublunar sphere and in the heavens, and
hence should be perfect. Galileo found the “surface of the moon
to be not smooth, even and perfectly spherical ... but on the
contrary, to be uneven, rough, and crowded with depressions
and bulges. And it is like the face of the earth itself, which is
marked here and there with chains of mountains and depths of
valleys.”
Furthermore, contrary to the belief that all heavenly bodies
must go around the earth, for the first time stellar objects had
been observed orbiting another planet. This weakened the hold
of the Ptolemaic model and made Copernicus' argument that
the moon goes around the earth and the earth around the sun
more plausible. Today, the four moons of Jupiter – Io, Europa,
Ganymede and Callisto – are known as Galilean satellites.
Galileo then turned his
attention to the most
numerous objects in the night
sky – the stars. To his
disappointment, the stars
showed no features, they were
just a speck of light. Galileo
suggested that it was owing to
their immense distance from
the earth that stars appeared
as point source. On turning his telescope to the band of the
Milky Way, Galileo saw that it resolved into thousands of hitherto
unseen stars.
Similarly, when he explored the region of the Pleiades
(Krittika), he found stars that were unseen by the naked eye. His
exploration of the Orion nebula also revealed unseen stars and
nebulas. Thus the universe seemed to be more than what met
the eye. All these were the subject matter of his first treatise,
The Starry Messenger, published in 1610.
His subsequent observations of the sky revealed that Saturn
has an appendage-like structure around it (later clarified by
Christiaan Huygens as the rings of Saturn). His painstaking
observation of Venus revealed that it too exhibits waxing and
waning crescents just like the moon (again establishing the
heliocentric model). He convincingly proved that comets were
indeed placed well above the moon, thus making the unchanging
realm of the heavens as chaotic as the terrestrial. The proverbial
last straw came when he established that the sun was blemished:
he observed sunspots through his telescope and the feat cost
him his eyesight.
CELESTIAL AND TERRESTRIAL
For the earth-bound observers, while rain, wind and erosion
kept changing the features of the earth's terrain, hardly anything
changed in the heavens. Day after day the sun rose in the east;
month after month the moon waxed and waned in the same
manner; year after year the sun appeared to go around the earth;
and all the while stars appeared to be fixed and immobile.
Aristotle thus made a clear distinction between the heavenly
(celestial) and terrestrial (sublunar) realms, the former being
unchanging, perfect, and so on and the latter being changeable,
imperfect, and so on.
Hence, it was assumed that laws that were applicable to one
realm would not apply to another and this cosmic divide lasted
for centuries. This was held by the religious orthodoxy as an
immutable dogma – to be taken as faith.
Galileo's observations and the Copernican model of cosmos
favoured by him contradicted the Aristotelian view of the cosmos
and challenged the then ruling orthodoxy. Moreover, he also
established that the unruly comets were true celestial bodies.
With these observations, the long-standing distinction between
the celestial and terrestrial in physics was dissolved. The same
laws were seen to apply in the heavens as on the earth – there was
just one world; a unitary cosmos.
THE INQUISITION AND GALILEO
Reasonable people would have found such discoveries
astounding, but the religious orthodoxy in Europe thought
otherwise. It was alarmed with Galileo's discoveries, so much so
that when he went to Rome, it is said that many of the orthodox
clerics were not even willing to look through the telescope lest
they should be waylaid by the design of the Devil. They had such
absolute faith in Aristotle and their own interpretation of the
holy book that they claimed that the rings around Saturn and the
moons around Jupiter, revealed by the telescope, were the work
of the Devil, meant to tempt them to stray from the path of the
Lord.
Consequently, Galileo had to
suffer at the hands of the
orthodoxy and was forced to
renounce his scientific views. He
was condemned to house arrest
and some of his works were
proscribed.
Not long after, improving upon Galileo's telescope, Johann
Kepler designed a new refractor telescope, and Isaac Newton
came up with a reflecting telescope. With these advancements,
far more details and new objects in the universe could be seen.
Four centuries later, radio telescopes, X-ray telescopes and
Infrared telescopes were invented. Not only do we study the
planets that go around the sun, we have now catalogued more
than 200 planets that go around other stars – exoplanets.
Today we are able to fathom the far reaches of the universe
and the farthest object that we have identified (using the Hubble
space telescope) is so far away that it takes 1,300 crore years for
the light to reach us from there. A long way from Galileo, indeed.
But any long journey has to begin with the first step. Galileo took
that step 400 years ago, and it has been established beyond
doubt, that it was in the right direction.
=
Thanjavur
T
he Rajarajesvaram
temple in Thanjavur is an
architectural marvel that
has survived the ravages of time.
The first sight that greets a visitor
to Thanjavur is the majestic
vimana (the tower above a temple's
sanctum sanctorum) of the
Rajarajesvaram temple. The
vimana and the gopurams (towers
above the gateway) soaring
skyward add to the temple's
resplendent glory in the early
morning sun.
A United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural
Organisation (UNESCO) World Heritage Monument, the
1,000-year-old temple is maintained by the Archaeological
Sur vey of India. Although it was originally called
Rajarajesvaramudaiyar temple, it came to be known as
Brihadisvara (Brihan in Sanskrit means big), or the Big Temple,
during the Nayaka and Maratha rule because of the gigantic
proportions of its vimana, linga, Nandi (sacred bull) and
dvarapalas (doorkeepers).
Exactly 1,000 years ago, emperor Rajaraja Chola I, the
greatest monarch of the Chola dynasty, ordered the building of
the “imperial monument” of Rajarajesvaram. It was on the 275th
day of his 25thregnal year (1010) that Rajaraja Chola (who ruled
from 985-1014 Common Era) handed over a gold-plated
kalasam (copper pot or finial) to crown the vimana. An
inscription in Tamil in the temple talks about the handing over
of the pot.
The monolithic linga is 1.66 m
in diameter and is mounted on an
“Avudaiyar” ( yoni-pitha), which is
5.25 m in diameter. The linga rises
to a height of two storeys.
The beautifully carved Nandi
is of epic proportions. It is 3.66 m
in height, 5.94 m in length and 2.59
m in breadth.
Many books and monographs
have been written on the temple's
grandeur. The historian K.A.
Nilakanta Sastri, in his book The
Cholas (Volume I), calls the
Rajarajesvaram temple “the finest monument of a splendid
period in south Indian history and the most beautiful specimen
of Tamil architecture at its best… remarkable alike for its
stupendous proportions and simplicity of its design”.
The art historian C. Sivaramamurti assesses it thus: “As the
Chola's most ambitious architectural enterprise, the
Brihadisvara temple is a fitting symbol of Rajaraja's magnificent
achievements.”
Surprisingly, the 59.82-metre vimana is hollow in the
interior. It is the tallest vimana ever built and has 13 receding
tiers. It is an architectural marvel built of interlocking stones.
S.R. Balasubrahmanyam in his book Middle Chola Temples
A.D. 985-1070 (Thomson Press, 1975) calls the Rajarajesvaram
“the grandest of the Chola monuments” and a “devalaya
chakravarti” (an emperor among temples). About the temple's
vimana, Balasubrahmanyam says: “The gradual upward sweep
of the vimana towards the sky is breathtaking…. The srivimana
is pyramidical in form and not curvilinear…. The 25-tonne
cupola-shaped shikhara and the golden (no longer so) stupi give
a fitting crown to an all-stone edifice, which is a marvel of
engineering skill unparalleled by any structure anywhere in
India built during that period. It is the grandest achievement of
Indian craftsmen.”
The Rajarajesvaram temple is dedicated to Siva, and the
main deity is a massive cylindrical linga in a double-walled, boxlike sanctum.
Balasubrahmanyam's son, B. Venkataraman, in his book
Rajarajesvaram, the Pinnacle of Chola Art, calls Rajaraja “an
astute politician, a military genius and a great administrator”.
He adds, “When one tries to recall
the reign of Rajaraja, it is not his wars
of conquest, not his naval expeditions,
not his revenue administration nor his
military strength that come first to
one's mind. It is the magnificent Siva
temple, the Rajarajesvaram, he had
built at the Chola capital, Tanjavur, which stands to this day as a
finished memorial to the grandeur of his rule.”
The temple continues to fascinate both the serious
researcher and the layperson. It is a virtual gallery of
inscriptions, sculptures, frescoes, dance panels, bronzes, and so
on. The entire history of how the temple came to be built is
available in the inscriptions.
As R. Nagaswamy, former Director of Tamil Nadu
Archaeology Department, says, “This is the only temple in the
whole of India where the king specifically mentions in an
inscription that he built this all-stone temple.” The king uses
the word “katrali” – kal and thali in Tamil mean a temple built of
stone. This epic inscription, running to 107 paragraphs,
describes how Rajaraja Chola, seated in the royal bathing hall on
the eastern side of his palace, ordered that it be inscribed on the
base of the temple's vimana, how he followed through with his
temple plan, a list of the gifts that he, his sister (“em akkan”)
Kundavai, his queens and others gave the temple, and so on.
Nagaswamy, who has authored several books and
monographs on the Rajarajesvaram temple, calls this inscription
“a fantastic order”. He explains: “It reveals the clarity of mind
with which Rajaraja Chola did everything. A careful study of all
the inscriptions in the temple shows that Rajaraja Chola had a
great administrative and aesthetic sense.
The only other king who revealed his mind through his
inscriptions or edicts is Asoka Maurya of the third century B.C.
The inscriptions in the Rajarajesvaram temple encompass all
activities of Rajaraja Chola's kingdom – the administrative
machinery, economic transactions, survey of lands, irrigation
system, taxation, accounting, organisation of a huge army,
rituals, music, dance, the king's fondness for Tamil and Sanskrit
literature, and so on. They also show that he had defined and
classified the duties, responsibilities, qualifications and service
tenure of each functionary of the temple.”
The inscriptions provide interesting information on
drummers, tailors, physicians, surgeons, carriers of flags and
parasols during festivals, torch-bearers, cleaners and sweepers.
The temple had singers of Tamil hymns (called “Devaram”) and
Sanskrit hymns, and a large number of vocal and instrumental
musicians. It had on its rolls 400 accomplished danseuses called
“talippendir” to perform dances during daily temple rituals and
in festival processions.
Thanjavur's history
The earliest reference to Thanjavur occurs in a sixth century
C.E. inscription on the Rock Fort in Tiruchi town, about 45
kilometres away. The inscribed text calls it “Thanjaharaha”,
that is, one who captured Thanjavur, but it does not say who
captured it. Subsequently, the Thanjavur region came under the
sway of Mutharaiyars, and its rulers included Perumbidugu
Mutharaiyar alias Kuvavan Maran, and Suvan Maran.
The town and its outskirts were probably under the control
of the Pallavas in the seventh and eighth century C.E. This is
evident from a fragmentary inscription of the Pallava king
Dantivarman dating back to 800 C.E. and built into the front
mantapa wall of the Rajarajesvaram. This inscription was a laterday addition, for the front mantapa built by Rajaraja Chola was
an open one and it was later converted into a closed mantapa by
the Nayaka rulers.
Vijayalaya Chola (who ruled from 850 to 871 C.E.) captured
Thanjavur from Ko-Ilango Muthariyar around 850 C.E., which
led to the founding of the Imperial Chola empire. Vijayalaya built
a temple for goddess Nisumbasudani in Thanjavur, and she is
still worshipped under the name of Vadabadrakalai, near the
eastern gate of the present-day town.
The discovery of an 85 copper-plate charter of Rajendra
Chola I (who ruled from 1014 to 1044 C.E.) at Tiruindalur, near
Mayiladuthurai, in May this year provided for the first time
valuable details about the capture of Thanjavur by Vijayalaya.
Down the Imperial Chola line, Rajaraja Chola I built the
Rajarajesvaram, or the Great Temple. The temple faces east. It
was built in accordance with the “Makuda Agama Sastra”. The
chief architect-sculptor of the temple complex was Veera Chola
Kunjara Mallan alias Rajaraja Perunthatchan. The deputy chief
architect was Kunavan Madurantakan alias Nitha Vinodha
Perunthatchan.
Pierre Pichard, the architectural historian, who has done a
detailed study of the measurements of both the elevation and
plan of the Rajarajesvaram, says in his work Tanjavur
Brhadisvara, An Architectural Study (published in 1995 by the
Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, New Delhi) that
meticulous pre-planning went into the layout of the entire
temple complex and the articulation of its various architectural
embellishments.
The basic unit of the temple's layout, says Nagaswamy, was
taken from the main deity, the linga itself. The inner sanctum,
the height of the vimana, the intermediate space between the
vimana and the cloistered enclosure (Sri Krishnan Tiruchuttru
Maaligai), and the distance to the two gateways called
Keralantakan Tiruvaasal and Rajarajan Tiruvaasal were all
proportionate to the linga in a remarkable way. For instance, the
height of the vimana is exactly twice the width of the outer base
of the adhistana (plinth) of the sanctum. Nagaswamy says: “The
mathematical calculations were advanced to a great extent at the
time of Rajaraja Chola.”
The temple's outer gateway topped by a gopuram was called
Keralantakan Tiruvaasal to commemorate Rajaraja Chola's
conquest of the Chera country. While the lower portion of
Keralantakan Tiruvaasal is built of stone, the superstructure is
built of brick and mortar. This is a fine example of a multistoreyed brick structure erected in Rajaraja Chola's time. The
stucco figures on the gopuram were redone in the 19th century
during the Maratha rule.
Some distance away is the next gateway called the Rajarajan
Tiruvaasal, which has a tall gopuram too. The gateway is
guarded by two huge, awe-inspiring dvarapalas, six metres tall
and sculpted out of single blocks of stone. The dvarapala on the
southern flank is portrayed differently. He rests his right leg on
his club ( gada), which is entwined by three coils of a python,
which is in the act of swallowing an elephant.
A paper titled “The Peruvudaiyar (Brihadisvara) Temple,
Tanjavur: A Study”, by the late K.R. Srinivasan, who retired as
Deputy Director-General of the ASI, explains that “the great
silpacharya who designed and constructed” the Rajarajesvaram
had made use of vyangya, or implied suggestion ( kuripporul in
Tamil), in sculpting this imposing dvarapala.
Srinivasan says: “If the elephant is enlarged in one's mind to
its real life size, the size of the python that can swallow one such
would be suggested as the next step in the mental visualisation.
And if such an enormous python could entwine the club only by
three coils from head to tail, the magnitude of such a club could
be imagined next, and from it the enormous stature and strength
of the colossal doorkeeper who can wield such a gada, and from
his size, the mental concept of the magnitude of the linga (deity)
in the sanctum which he guards, from which again, the ultimate
size of the vimana which can enshrine such a colossal linga, a
size that would ultimately transcend the limits of mental
conception.”
The base of the Rajarajan Tiruvaasal has superb bas-reliefs
narrating the story of Arjuna's penance to receive the “Pasupata”
weapon from Siva; the wedding of Siva and Parvati; the legend of
Kalasamharamurti (the story of Markandeya), and so on.
Interestingly, the Arjuna's Penance here bears an uncanny
resemblance to the one in the huge bas-relief at Mamallapuram
near Chennai.
The temple complex measures about 240 m east to west in
length and about 120 m north to the south in breadth. It consists
of the sanctum with the linga, the vimana towering over the
sanctum, the ardha mantapa in front of the sanctum, the maha
mantapa before it and then the mukha mantapa. Then comes
the seated Nandi inside a mantapa built by the Nayaka rulers.
There is a courtyard running all around. On its southeastern side is a shrine for Ganesa, and on its northern side are
shrines for Chandikesvara, Amman and Subrahmanya. There is
a modern-day shrine for Varahi on the southern side. Around the
courtyard runs a cloistered enclosure named after Krishnan
Raman, Rajaraja Chola's Minister-General.
In the niches of the outer walls of the sanctum are life-size
sculptures of Siva in his various forms – as Bhikshatana,
Virabhadra, Vishnu Anugrahamurti, Harihara, Ardhanarisvara,
Nataraja in Anandatandava, Chandrasekara, and UmaMahesvara. There is an exquisite sculpture of him in
Lingodbhava on the western wall.
Although the Thanjavur region has no hills or rocky outcrop,
the temple complex was built of stone. Which means that huge
rocks of stone were quarried from Mammalai near Tiruchi and
hauled to the site. Pichard estimates that the vimana alone has
utilised 17,000 cubic metres of masonry. The entire temple
complex with its vast enclosure and two gateways amounted to
almost 50,000 cubic metres, which is 130,000 tonnes of granite.
T. Satyamurthy, former Superintending Archaeologist, ASI,
said the temple's architects paid special attention to the
selection of its site, the preparation of drawings (of the plan and
elevation) and selection of materials including stones of
different varieties. For the vimana, they chose charnokite from
Mammalai. Massive stone sculptures were made at
Pachchamalai region, near Tiruchi. A huge stone from
Tiruvakkarai (near Tindivanam) was selected for the linga.
The vimana has not developed even a minor crack in all these
years. In order to achieve stability, architects of the 13-tiered
vimana had positioned it on another two-tiered double-walled
plinth. Each of the lower two tiers of the vimana has a
pradakshina pada (corridor) running all round with an inner and
outer wall. The inner and outer walls of this corridor have a 1.5m wide masonry wall, made of brick and mortar, running
between them. The 13 tiers have stones stacked up with perfect
balance and equilibrium. No binding material is used, and they
are made to stand on their weight.
“The wonder is that the vimana has withstood six recorded
earthquakes – in 1807, 1816, 1866, 1823, 1864 and 1900,”
Satyamurthy said.
No wonder Pichard called the vimana an “architectural
audacity”.
=
Profile
Warren E. Buffett
W
arren E. Buffett has two cardinal rules of investing.
Rule No. 1: Never lose money. Rule No. 2: Never forget
Rule No. 1.
Nicknamed the "Oracle of Omaha", Buffett has amassed a
substantial fortune from astute investments through his
company Berkshire Hathaway. He is consistently ranked among
the world's wealthiest people. He was ranked as the world's
wealthiest person in 2008 and is the third wealthiest person in
the world in 2011,so far.
Despite that formidable record, the financial crisis dealt him
a stinging blow. While he has not changed his value-oriented
approach to investing–he says he likes to buy quality
merchandise, whether socks or stocks, at bargain
prices–Buffettologists wonder what will define the final
chapters of his celebrated career.
Buffet was born in Omaha, Nebraska. His father was a
stockbroker and member of Congress. Buffett was educated at
the University of Nebraska and he qualified with a masters
degree in economics from Colombia University.
In 1957, he started his own investment partnership, putting
all of his own money into it , along with loans from friends and
family. By 1969, he had returned an average of almost 30% a year.
Under Buffetts supervision, his fund has outperformed the
S&P 500 and the Dow Jones for over forty years. In a period when
investment markets appear more puzzling than sensible, it is
not surprising that investors all over the world have become
interested in Buffett's investment approach and ideas.
Buffett's contrarian investment strategy customarily focuses
his investments in undervalued companies, with good longterm growth potential. The actual value generated is more by the
companies he owns than stock market investments, although his
stock ownership in companies such as Coca-Cola and Gillette
attracts more attention. He famously avoided tech companies
during the dot-com bubble of the late 90s.
He also owns insurance companies like Geico and General
Re that generate a large free cash flow. These companies are a
source of funds that he then allocates to Berkshire Hathaway's
subsidiaries and uses to acquire new companies.
Buffett believes that much of the problem with the
economies of the United States and other industrialized
countries in recent years results from the proliferation of
persons and organizations who produce nothing directly but are
compensated based on the volume of business which they
transact. He feels that most stock trades are recommended and
made primarily to benefit the brokers rather than the investors
and has stated that he feels that the world would benefit if each
person had a lifetime maximum of twenty stock trades. He
steadfastly refuses to split Berkshire Hathaway stock because
the purpose of this would be to facilitate trading, which he has no
desire to do.
He states that he sees his fellow Berkshire Hathaway
investors as partners and hopes that they take their investment
likewise, as a long-term or lifelong investment; he discourages
those with a short-term view from investing in Berkshire
Hathaway. He prefers Berkshire Hathaway shareholders actually
to take physical possession of their share certificates rather than
allowing their shares to be held by a brokerage firm.
r
1956 - Graham retires,
ends partnership. Buffet
saves over $140,000 and
returns to Omaha and
starts an investment
partnership, Buffett
Associates, Ltd.
r
1960 - Business grew;
Buffet had seven
partnerships operating the
entire year. 11 doctors
agree to invest $10,000
each into his partnership.
r
1962 - Buffett's partnership had in excess of $7,178,500, out
of which $1,025,000 belonged to Buffett. Merges all
partnerships into one. Discovers Berkshire Hathaway
r
1965 - Buffett's partnerships begin to purchase Berkshire
shares aggressively. Takes control of Berkshire Hathaway
and names a new President (Ken Chace) to run the
company.
r
1967 - Berkshire pays out its first and only dividend of 10
cents.
1930 - August 30th, Warren Buffett born in Nebraska,
Omaha USA
r
1969 - Buffet liquidates partnership and transfers the
assets to his partners, including the shares of Berkshire
1943 - Filed his first income tax return at the mere age of 13,
deducting his bicycle as a work expense for $35
r
1973 - Berkshire begins to acquire stocks in Washington
Post Company
1945 - Spent $25 to purchase a used pinball machine.
Owned three more machines from profits within months
r
1979 - Berkshire acquires stocks in ABC. Buffett's net
worth rocketed to $140 million. The year ended at $1310 in
share trading, sending his net worth to $620 million, placing
him on the Forbes 400 for the first time
r
1988 - Buys stock in Coca-Cola for $1.02 billion, which
turns out to be one of the most lucrative investments
r
2004 - Susan, his wife, dies
r
2006 - Buffet announced to give away 80% of his total
fortune to five foundations, the largest contribution going
to Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
r
2007 - Buffett announced he is looking for a younger
successor to run his business. Lou Simpson was chosen by
Buffett for the role, though he is only six years younger!
r
2008 - Forbes announces Buffett as the richest man in the
world
A $10,000 investment into Berkshire Hathaway when Buffett
took control in 1965 would be worth over $50 million today. By
comparison, $10,000 in the S&P 500 would have grown to only
$500,000.
And yet few people on or off Wall Street have capitalized on
this crisis as deftly as Buffett. After counselling Washington to
rescue the nation's financial industry and publicly urging
Americans to buy stocks as the markets reeled in, he swooped.
Buffett positioned himself to profit from the market mayhem–as
well as all those taxpayer-financed bailouts–and thus secure his
legacy as one of the greatest investors of all time.
He is known as the most successful investor who singlehandedly turned the fortune of his small company and made it a
giant investment vehicle. Warren Buffett's life is an
extraordinary story of determination, will power and the right
vision of success. For the billionaire that he is, Buffett leads a
very simple lifestyle, lives in a house he bought ages back and
dresses up in normal clothes instead of big brand names. He
contributed a huge sum of his fortune to the Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation in order to improve living conditions of poor
people.
Warren Buffett: At a glance
r
r
r
r
1949 - Initiated into the Alpha Sigma Fraternity while
pursuing his under-graduation at Wharton Business
School at the University of Pennsylvania
r
1950 - Enrolled at Columbia Business School when he
learnt that two famous analysts, Benjamin Graham and
David Dodd taught there
r
1951 - Graduated from Columbia and tried to work with
Graham for free but was rejected. Worked as a stockbroker
for sometime and also took night classes for students in the
University of Nebraska
r
1952 - Got married to Susan Thompson
r
1954 - Had their first child Howard Graham Buffett.
Entered a partnership with Benjamin Graham and worked
for a salary of $12,000 p.a.
a
Competitive Intelligence
Definition
Competitive intelligence (CI) provides organizations with
actionable information regarding competitors' activities. It is a
key aspect of analyzing the operating environment. Such
information (which can range from new products or pricing to
overall strategic direction) is used to make both short- and longterm plans in a number of areas, including strategy, mergers and
acquisitions, pricing, marketing, advertising, and research and
development.
Advantages
Taking a proactive approach to Cl:
r minimizes surprises from competitors
r identifies opportunities as well as threats
r gives one hard information to use in formulating one’s
company's plans
r allows one’s organization to learn from competitors
r permits more accurate assessment of the impact one’s
company's actions will have on a competitor
Disadvantages
Gaining a sound understanding of a competitor's activity has
no real disadvantages, but it should be remembered:
r Sources of competition are increasingly to be found in
non-traditional sectors, so one needs to keep an eye on
the competitive environment as a whole.
r Simply copying competitors or beating them
fractionally to market is not the key to organizational
success-differentiation from the competition is.
r Some companies become so overwhelmed by the
volume of data they collect about their operating
environment that they are unable to reach strategic
decisions. Management guru lgor Ansoff calls this
'paralysis by analysis'.
Action Checklist
1. Make the commitment
The major resource requirement in gathering Cl is that of
staff time, but one will also incur costs in other areas such as
traveling to conferences and exhibitions, searching on-line
databases, and subscribing to journals.
In purely financial terms, CI
rarely produces a direct return on
investment, but improvements in
softer areas will occur. Senior
management need to commit to
developing a systematic CI
programme so that resources can
be made available, even though
gains may be intangible in the
shorter term.
2. Identify needs and objectives
The overall aim of a Cl programme is to provide decision
makers (for example, senior managers and heads of
departments) with useful and accurate information. A survey
these individuals and functions should be carried out to find out
what information they need and how they want it to be
presented. One should be clear on what one is attempting to find
out through one’s competitor analysis. Is one trying to find the
weak points of another company? Does one want to find out what
the competition is like in a new market one plans to enter:?
Overall objectives for Cl programmes should include the.
Provision of:
r information for strategic decisions
r early warnings of competitor activity
r At the operational level you need to clarify exactly what
the Cl programme will cover, including:
Ø individual or groups of competitors
Ø individual or groups of products or services
Specific areas can also he detailed, for example, a
competitor's:
Ø pricing
Ø recruitment drives
Ø market behavior
Ø strategy
Clear and specific objectives for the Cl programme provide a
focus and help to reduce the amount of information that needs
to be collected, but remember that they should not be set in
stone: review them regularly. At certain times, for example,
when one is researching a new product or service, one’s need for
CI will increase.
3. Bring together a team
The number of people involved in the Cl programme
depends on one’s objectives; for example, comprehensive
analysis of a company's competition requires more staff
resources than keeping up to date with one or two competitors'
activities. Assign responsibility for the CI programme to one
individual. This should be someone with good communication
and information skills and with the ability to work to deadlines.
4. Identify sources of information
Experts in the field of competitor analysis believe that most
organizations already hold or have ready access to 80 % of the
information required for assessing the competition in the field.
Among the many published and unpublished sources of
information on competitor activity are:
r exhibitions and conferences
r on-line databases and websites
r magazines and newspapers
r product catalogues
r personal contacts in other companies
One should not overlook the importance of front-line staff as
sources of CI. They are more ton likely to pick up competitor
information through their dealings with customers. They
should be made aware of the need to keep a lookout for
information and implement a procedure for them to report
information to the right person.
5. Use technology
One should use databases to keep an archive of the
information one collects so one ran easily retrieve information on
specific subject or competitor One should aware of copyright
legislation–it is illegal to scan many documents, (or example press
clippings, into an electronic format for storage and retrieval, but
one may keep references or the newspaper in hard copy.
for gathering Competitive Intelligence
6. Circulate reports
Circulate regular reports of information gained from the CI
programme to all managers who need to see them. Decide how
often the reports are to be
produced; weekly may
suffice in some
environments, while other
situations may require daily
reports. One should brief:
highlight the most
important points and
provide references to
further information.
Remember that technology, particularly intranets and email, can disseminate Cl within the organisation more quickly
than paper.
7. Take action on the results
CI gives strategic advantage only when it is analyzed and
acted upon. One should keep records of occasions when
information was used successfully to gain advantage over
competitors and when it arrived too late to take action.
One should not jump to counteract a competitor's
movements without considering one’s own corporate objectives.
Only the right action for you, at the right time, will bring him/her
advantage.
8. Evaluate against objectives
One should evaluate the success of one’s CI programme
against one’s initial objectives. Identify problem areas, for
example, difficulty in obtaining information in one particular
area or on one particular competitor, or failure to disseminate
information quickly. Draw up recommendations for improving
the programme and present them to management, along with
details of Cl successes.
DO
r
Understand that today's competitors may not be
competitors in the future–always keep an eye open
for new competitors, especially from unlikely areas.
inform and involve front-line staff–they arc- the
employees who come into contact with customers
and are at the cutting edge.
Keep Cl reports brief and regular, and direct the
reader to more detailed information.
Remember that one’s competitors will also be trying
to gain intelligence an your organization
9. Make changes
Take action on the recommendations for improvement and
continue to evaluate the programme regularly. Keep
communicating CI successes.
DON'T
r Don't spend money researching firms that are no
longer one’s competitors–move with the market.
r Don't, overstep the ethical line–check one’s
organization's own code of conduct.
On the other hand, sending employees to job interviews at a
competitor organization to gather information about its plans is
considered doubtful behavior. Spying or business espionage, for
example, hacking into a competitor's computer system or going
through a competitor's dustbins, is highly unethical.
r
r
r
10. Observe the ethical line
There are ethical and unethical approaches to gathering
competitive intelligence. Information that is made publicly
available, for example, in press releases or job advertisements,
poses few ethical questions.
a
Brand Story
Verizon
A
lmost everyone in today's society has heard of the name
Verizon. The company, which was the result of a merger
between Bell Atlantic and GTE in the year 2000, has
some rich history in the Telecommunications business; it is
even a descendant of the legendary telephone company AT&T.
The deregulation of AT&T in 1984 lead to a gaggle of smaller
phone companies called “Baby Bells”. Bell Atlantic was one of
these Bells. In the nineties, Bell Atlantic acquired Nynex, and
then in the year 2000, they acquired GTE, which lead to the
formation of Verizon.
This was one of the largest mergers in United States History.
The merger became worth more than $52 billion at the time.
While this merger was happening, a UK-based company by
the name of Vodafone Airtouch Plc created a wireless business,
with assets from Bell Atlantic-Nynex Mobile and Vodafone's
brands of Airtouch Cellular, and Primeco Personal
Communications. This joint venture spun into Verizon
Wireless, which was at the time considered the U.S.'s largest
network.
This union was similar to that of
two high profiled American
families. Bell Atlantic obviously had
a good pedigree being a product of
Ma Bell, and GTE was an upstart
and the largest independent
national phone service provider.
Similar to many great American families, Bell Atlantic and
GTE did not marry for love; they married for money. They
married to make both families more powerful, and make life
easier for future generations of family members. They became
a power couple a la Bill and Hillary.
They hit one major snag though when they commenced
their union in 2000. Bell Atlantic's last name was not as big as its
first name, and GTE came from a new money family that nobody
knew. They decided that they would both take a new name.
Both companies wanted a strong name that was forward
thinking, and spoke highly of how well integrated their networks
would be. They both needed something that spoke to their
values as families, but gave them a trajectory for what they were
trying to accomplish.
They sat in a boardroom for three days going over 8,500
possible names that they could use. None really stood out. They
mulled over names like Bell National, and Bell-GTE. They
were at a crossroads.
They wanted to be the phone company that is not just about
using the phone. They wanted to be known as the people who
are in the business of helping other people. They wanted
adoration from the community; they wanted to show the world
how to be reliable.
This was not going to be an easy feat given the landscape of
Telecommunications around the turn of the century. Phone
companies were not exactly in favor with the population of
America. The United States did not trust phone providers, and
people perceived them to be less than satisfactory as far as
reliability was concerned. This was the angle they decided to
champion. Both families had an eye on the long-term effects
that their union could bring on society so they chose a name that
would always be forward thinking. They chose the name
Verizon.
Video
Verizon launched its FiOS Video service in Keller, Texas on
September 22, 2005. FiOS TV uses an optical fiber network to
deliver more than 500 total channels, more than 180 digital
music channels, more than 95 high-definition channels, and
10,000 video-on-demand titles. Verizon also provides DirecTV
service as well.
Data
Verizon provides High Speed Internet DSL Internet service
in many areas where it offers phone service. DSL is offered in
various speeds ranging from 768 kbps to 15 mbps download,
depending on what the local infrastructure can support.
Verizon is a portmanteau of the Latin word (Veritas) for truth
and horizon, which suggests a future of innovation. They chose
a name that was different from others on the market. Sure, there
were skeptics that said bad things about the new name, but they
faded.
Today, Verizon is one of the biggest names in the world. The
coming together of Bell Atlantic and GTE proved to be a wellconceived plan, and the similar agendas of the two families have
panned out. While nothing is perfect in the world of highpowered American families coming together, one thing is, you
can count on them to be around a long time.
VERIZON SERVICES
Voice
Verizon provides several different types of land line services standard POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) service as well as
VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) and optical fiber line
services. In addition, Verizon offers long distance services.
Verizon also offers a product that is a joint venture with
Microsoft called "Verizon Web Calling", a type of VoIP service
used within Windows Live Messenger.
Voicemail
Verizon provides Verizon Voice Messaging – voicemail
service for residences and businesses.
Wireless
For Verizon's wireless division,
Verizon VoiceWing
Verizon VoiceWing is a Voice over IP (VoIP) service offered by
Deltathree and resold by Verizon that offers phone service over a
broadband Internet connection. A DSL, cable, or Verizon FiOS
Internet connection, a regular telephone, a router and a
telephone adaptor are required for service. On March 31, 2009,
Verizon terminated VoiceWing service for all existing
subscribers.
Verizon began offering FTTP (Fiber to the Premises, or
Fiber to the Home) to some subscribers in 2006. Verizon calls
this "FiOS".
Directory operations
The Yellow Pages business of Verizon is known as
SuperPages, and is a Texas-based sales, publishing and related
services, with 1,200 directory titles and a circulation of about 121
million copies in 41 states. The web site receives approximately
17 million visitors a month. It had an operating revenue of $3.6
billion in 2004 and employs 7,300 nationwide. In a move to
leverage against higher traffic sites, SuperPages linked up with
Google to provide search advertising services to its millions of
listed businesses. SuperPages will offer its advertisers the ability
to bid for Google search terms.
SNAPSHOT OF VERIZON'S CURRENT STANDING
Rank: 12
Brand value: $27.29 billion
Market cap: $381.09 billion
Industry: Telecommunications.
Founded: 1983.
Headquarters: Verizon Building, New York City, New York,
United States.
Key people: Ivan Seidenberg (chairman and CEO) and
Lowell McAdam (president and COO).
Revenue: $106.565 billion (2010).
Net income: $10.217 billion (2010).
Total assets: $220.005 billion (2010).
Employees: 194,400 (2010).
SLOGANS
“We never stop working for you.”
“Make progress everyday.”
“Richer, deeper, broader.”
“Can you hear me now?”
a
Profile
Colonel Muammar Gaddafi
I
n power since 1969, Libya's Colonel Muammar Gaddafi is
the longest-serving leader in both Africa and the Arab
world.
He led a bloodless coup toppling King Idris at the age of 27,
and has since maintained tight control of his oil-rich country by
clamping down on dissidents. The ongoing bloody uprising
poses the most serious domestic challenge to his rule.
Among his many eccentricities, Gaddafi is known to sleep in
a Bedouin tent guarded by dozens of female bodyguards on trips
abroad.
Gaddafi was born in 1942 in the coastal area of Sirte to
nomadic parents. He went to Benghazi University to study
geography, but dropped out to join the army.
After seizing power, he laid out a pan-Arab, anti-imperialist
philosophy, blended with aspects of Islam. While he permitted
private control over small companies, the government controlled
the larger ones.
He was an admirer of the Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel
Nasser and his Arab socialist and nationalist ideology.
He tried without success to merge Libya, Egypt and Syria
into a federation. A similar attempt to join Libya and Tunisia
ended in acrimony.
The regime has
imprisoned hundreds of
people for violating the law
and sentenced some to death,
according to Human Rights
Watch.
At the UN General
Assembly in 2009, Gaddafi
accused the body of being a
terrorism group like al-Qaeda
"Gaddafi, gradually as he
took power, used force and he
used brutality," Mohammed
al-Abdalla, the deputy
secretar y-general of the
National front for Salvation of Libya, tells Al Jazeera.
"In the 1970s, he publicly hung students who were
marching, demonstrating, demanding rights in Benghazi and in
Tripoli, and in many other squares, and his opposition members
abroad in the 1980s, including here in London and other places
in Europe and in Arab Middle East.
He executed, probably, the most brutal massacre that we saw
of 1200 prisoners in the Abu Salim prison who were unarmed,
they were already in jail, and he executed them in less than three
hours."
CRUSHING DISSIDENT
In 1977, he changed the country's name to the Great
Socialist Popular Libyan Arab Jamahiriyah (State of the Masses)
and allowed people to air their views at people's congresses.
Gaddafi played a prominent role in organising Arab
opposition to the 1978 Camp David peace agreement between
Egypt and Israel.
However, critics dismissed his leadership as a military
dictatorship, accusing him of repressing civil society and
ruthlessly crushing dissident.
Later shunned by a number of Arab states on the basis of his
extreme views on how to settle the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
among others, Gaddafi's foreign policy shifted from an Arab
focus to an African focus.
To this day, the media remains under strict government
control.
His vision of a United States of Africa resulted in the
foundation of the African Union.
DOMESTIC CHALLENGES
At home, the Libyan leader presents himself as the spiritual
guide of the nation, overseeing, what he says, a version of direct
democracy.
In practice, critics say, Col Gadaffi has retained absolute,
authoritarian control.
Dissent has been ruthlessly crushed and the media remains
under strict government control.
Libya has a law forbidding group activity based on a political
ideology opposed to Col Gaddafi's revolution.
The regime has imprisoned hundreds of people for violating
the law and sentenced some to death, Human Rights Watch says.
LOCKERBIE BOMBING
In the West, Gaddafi is strongly associated with "terrorism",
accused of supporting armed groups including FARC in
Colombia and the IRA in Northern Ireland.
Libya's alleged involvement in the 1986 bombing of a Berlin
nightclub in which two American soldiers were killed prompted
US air attacks on Tripoli and Benghazi, killing 35 Libyans,
including Gaddafi's adopted daughter. Ronald Reagan, the then
US president, called him a "mad dog".
The 1988 bombing of the Pan Am flight over Lockerbie in
Scotland is possibly the most well known and controversial
international incident in which Gaddafi has been involved.
For many years, Gaddafi denied involvement, resulting in
UN sanctions and Libya's status as a pariah state. Abdel Basset
al-Megrahi, a Libyan intelligence agent, was convicted for
planting the bomb. Gaddafi's regime formally accepted
responsibility for the attack in 2003 and paid compensation to
the families of those who died.
Also in 2003, Gaddafi broke Libya's isolation from the West
by relinquishing his entire inventory of weapons of mass
destruction.
In September 2004, George Bush, the US president at the
time, formally ended a US trade embargo as a result of Gaddafi's
scrapping of the arms programme and taking responsibility for
Lockerbie.
The normalisation of relations with Western powers has
allowed the Libyan economy to grow and the oil industry in
particular has benefited.
However, Gaddafi and Lockerbie came back into the
spotlight in 2009, when al-Megrahi was released and returned to
Libya. The hero's welcome that al-Megrahi received from
Gaddafi on his return was condemned by the US and the UK,
among others.
In September 2009, Gaddafi visited the US for the first time
for his first appearance at the UN General Assembly.
GADDAFI: AT A GLANCE
1942: Muammar Gaddafi born near Sirte, Libya
1969: Seizes power from King Idris in bloodless coup
1973: Declares "cultural revolution", with formation of
"people's committees”
1977: Declares "people's revolution", creating the Socialist
People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriyah
1986: US soldiers targeted in Berlin disco attack, three
killed; US bombs Tripoli and Benghazi, killing dozens
1988: 270 people killed in bombing of Pan Am jet over
Lockerbie
1992: UN imposes sanctions to pressure Libya into handing
over Lockerbie bombing suspects
1999: Lockerbie suspects handed over; UN sanctions
suspended
2003: Libya takes responsibility for Lockerbie, renounces
weapons of mass destruction
2008: Libya and US sign compensation deal for bombings by
both sides
2009: Lockerbie bomber freed
a
General knowledge
1.
Which of the following States is the first to have enacted a
comprehensive legislation to protect the girl child?
(1) Karnataka
(2) Goa
(3) Maharashtra
(4) Madhya Pradesh
8.
Who amongst the following is the author of the book
'Indomitable Spirit'?
(1) Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
(2) Dr. Manmohan Singh
(3) Justice K. G. Balakrishna
(4) Mr. Natwar Singh
2.
Thermostat is an instrument used to..........
(1) Measure flow of current
(2) Measure intensity of voltage
(3) Regulate temperature
(4) Regulate velocity of sound
9.
Which of the following is not the name of popular
IT/Software Company?
(1) Wipro
(2) Mastek
(3) Toyota
(4) IBM
3.
Wimbledon Trophy is associated with……….
(1) Football
(2) Hockey
(3) Basketball
(4) Lawn Tennis
10.
'Yen' is the currency of..........
(1) South Korea
(2) China
(3) Indonesia
(4) Japan
4.
5.
6.
7.
GNP stands for..........
(1) Gross National Product
(2) Group Net Product
(3) Grand Nuclear Process
(4) Group Networking Process
'Acoustics' is the science of the study of..........
(1) Light
(2) Sound
(3) Electricity
(4) Magnetism
Noise pollution is measured in the unit called……….
(1) Micron
(2) Decibel
(3) Ohms
(4) Ampere
'Heavy Water' is used in which of the following types of
industries?
(1) Sugar
(2) Nuclear Power
(3) Textile
(4) Coal
11. Baichung Bhutia is a well known..........
(1) Music Director of Indian films
(2) Sports Personality
(3) Journalist
(4) Politician
12. 'Richter Scale' is used to measure which of the following?
(1) Intensity of Tsunami Waves
(2) Intensity of Earthquake
(3) Density of salt in Sea water
(4) Flow of electric current
13. CAS is associated with which of the following?
(1) Legal System Reforms
(2) Piped gas line
(3) Cable T.V.
(4) Mobile phone regulation
14. Tata Steel acquired the Corus, a steel giant situated in...
(1) South Africa
(2) Ukraine
(3) Australia
(4) Britain
15. Which of the following is the abbreviated name of the
Organization/Agency working in the field of Space
Research?
(1) ISBN
(2) ISRO
(3) INTELSET
(4) INTACH
16.
Which of the following best explains 'e-governance'?
(1) Improving the functioning of government
(2) Teaching government employees the basics of
computing
(3) Delivery of public services through internet
(4) Framing of cyber-laws of chatting on internet
17. 'Handshaking' in Networking parlance means
(1) Connecting computers to a hub
(2) Distributed Networks
(3) Having same operating system on different
computers
(4) Sending e-mail
18. VAT stands for
(1) Value and Tax
(2) Value Added Tax
(3) Virtual Action Tasks
(4) Virtual Assessment Technique
19. Alzheimer's disease is the ailment of which of the following
organs /parts of the human body?
(1) Kidney
(2) Heart
(3) Liver
(4) Brain
20. Global warming is a matter of concern amongst the nations
these days. Which of the following countries is the largest
emitter of greenhouse gases in the World?
(1) U.S.A.
(2) China
(3) India
(4) Britain
21. Which of the following books has been written by Bill
Gates?
(1) Microsoft Secrets
(2) The Road Ahead
(3) The Elephant Paradigm
(4) e-commerce
22. Which of the following is the name of the social network
service run by the Google on the internet?
(1) Online Space
(2) Orkut
(3) Net-Space
(4) Wikipedia
23. India had a Plan holiday:
(1) after the China-India War of 1962
(2) after the drought of 1966
(3) after the liberation of Bangladesh in 1971
(4) after the India-Pakistan War in 1965
24. In the Constitution of India promotion of International
peace and security is included in the(1) Preamble of the Constitution
(2) Directive Principles of State Policy
(3) Fundamental Duties
(4) Ninth Schedule
25. Which of the following States/ parts of India is completely
land locked having no contact with sea?
(1) Karnataka
(2) Orissa
(3) Maharashtra
(4) North-East
26. TRAI regulates the functioning of which of the following
services?
(1) Telecom
(2) Trade
(3) Port
(4) Transport
27. At present for the ATMs in India, the most commonly used
net-work communication mode is..........
(1) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT)
(2) General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)
(3) Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA)
(4) Dial-in Connection
28. Match List-I (Place) with List -II (State) and select the
correct answer using the codes given below the Lists:
List-I (Place)
List-II (State)
A. Sriharikota
1. Karnataka
B. Thumba
2. Andhra Pradesh
C. Hasan
3. Orissa
D. Chandipur
4. Kerala
5. Tamil Nadu
Code:
A B C D
(1) 1
3
5
4
(2) 2
4
1
3
(3) 1
4
5
3
(4) 2
3
1
4
29. Who is the author of the book 'Future Shock'?
(1) Alvin Toffler
(2) Tom Peters
(3) Napoleon Hill
(4) Kenneth Blanchard
30.
Apex fares are…..
(1) More than the normal fare
(2) Less than the normal fare
(3) Offered only to corporate clients
(4) Applicable to late night flights only
31. Separation of the Judiciary from the executive in public
service of the State is enjoined by….
(1) The preamble of the Constitution of India
(2) A judicial decision
(3) The seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India
(4) A directive Principle of State Policy
32. Which one amongst the following is the oldest Dynasty?
(1) Pallava Dynasty
(2) Chola Dynasty
(3) Maurya Dynasty
(4) Gupta Dynasty
33. OPEC is a group of countries which are………
(1) Exporting oil
(2) Producing cotton
(3) Rich and developed
(4) Developing and poor
34. Intel Company mainly produces……….
(1) Hard disks
(2) VCDs
(3) Monitors
(4) Microprocessors
35. Who amongst the following is the M.D./Chairman of one of
the major Steel Companies?
(1) L. N. Mittal
(2) K. K. Birla
(3) Vijaypat Singhania
(4) Mukesh Ambani
36. Who is the President of Nasscom?
(1) Som Mittal
(2)
(3) Pramod Desai
(4)
Narayana Murthy
Devang Mehta
37. Which of the following awards is not given for excellence in
the field of literature?
(1) Booker Prize
(2) Nobel Prize
(3) Pulitzer Price
(4) Arjun Award
38. 'Singur', which was in news, is a place in..........
(1) Orissa
(2) West Bengal
(3) Jharkhand
(4) Bihar
39. Who amongst the following is the author of the book series
named as 'Harry Potter'?
(1) J. K. Rowling
(2) Lindsay Lohan
(3) Julia Roberts
(4) Sandra Bullock
40. Which of the following Satellites helps Direct to Home
Television Service in India?
(1) Matsat
(2) Edusat
(3) Insat-4B
(4) Insat-1B
41. 'West Bank' is situated at the western side of the river.........
(1) Mississippi
(2) Amazon
(3) Nile
(4) Jordan
42. Which of the following phenomenon is considered
responsible for 'Global Warming'?
(1) Greenhouse Gas Effect
(2) Fox Fire
(3) Dry Farming
(4) Radioactivity
43. Which of the following instruments is not issued by a bank?
(1) Demand Draft
(2) Pay Order
(3) National Saving Certificate
(4) Credit Card
44. Name of Jyoti Randhawa is associated with which of the
following games
(1) Golf
(2) Badminton
(3) Hockey
(4) Chess
45. The Chalukya King who defeated Harshavardhana on the
banks of the Narmada was:
(1) Pulakesin II
(2) Srimukha
(3) Mangalesa
(4) Kirtivarman I
46. Who amongst the following was India's official candidate
for the post of UNO's Secretary General?
(1) Mr. Shyam Saran
(2) Dr. C. Rangarajan
(3) Mr. Shashi Tharoor
(4) Mr. Vijay Nambiar
47. In India, Census is done after a gap of every..........
(1) Five years
(2) Seven years
(3) Eight years
(4) Ten years
56. The weight of a Basket Ball is…..
(1) 400-500 ounce
(2) 500-600 gm
(3) 567-650 ounce
(4) 567-650 gm
48. Prof. Muhammad Yunus, the recipient of the Nobel Peace
Prize 2006, is the exponent of which of the following
concepts in the field of banking?
(1) Core Banking
(2) Micro Credit
(3) Retail Banking
(4) Real Time Gross Settlement
57. Which of the following food stuff contains almost all
ingredients of a balanced diet?
(1) Meat
(2) Milk
(3) Chicken
(4) Fish
49. Polly Umrigar was a well known..........
(1) Cricketer
(2) Tennis Player
(3) Golfer
(4) Chess Player
50. David Cameron has taken over as the Prime Minister of…
(1) Italy
(2) Canada
(3) France
(4) Britain
51. The National Game of India is
(1) Cricket
(2) Football
(3) Hockey
(4) Badminton
52. The amount of Blood that comes out from ventricle, per
minute is called
(1) Cardiac cycle
(2) Cardiac output
(3) Cardiac volume
(4) Ventricle volume
53. A long distance runner must consume more quantity of
(1) Fat
(2) Protein
(3) Carbohydrate
(4) Minerals
54. Ranga Swami Cup is awarded in
(1) Hockey
(2)
(3) Cricket
(4)
Football
Volleyball
55. Who among the following Indian rulers was a
contemporary of Akbar?
(1) Rani Durgawati
(2) Ahilya Bai
(3) Martanda Varma
(4) Raja Sawai Jai Singh
58. Against which country 'Maradona' scored the goal of the
century?
(1) Brazil
(2) Germany
(3) Italy
(4) England
59. The length and width of a volley ball court is
(1) l7x9metre
(2) l8x9metre
(3) l9xl0metre
(4) 20 x 10 metre
60. Consider the following statements related to Raja
Rammohan Roy:
1.
He advocated widow remarriage.
2.
He strongly .advocated for the abolition of Sati system
3.
He advocated the promotion of English education.
Which of these statements is/are correct?
(1) 1 only
(2) 1 and 2
(3) 2 and 3
(4) 1, 2, and 3
61. The height of human being is measured by
(1) Vernier scale
(2) Weighing scale
(3) Stadio meter
(4) Dynamometer
62. Name the first Indian woman who won the Gold Medal in
Asian games……….
(1) P. T. Usha
(2) Sunita Rani
(3) Shayni Abrahim
(4) Kamaljit Sandhu
63. Which of the following game's playground has 'bonus line'?
(1) Basketball
(2) Hockey
(3) Kabaddi
(4) Volleyball
64. Tissue culture is:
(1) growing of tiny plant fragments in a nutrient solution
(2) a system of physical exercise for the regeneration of
body tissues
(3) growing of plant fragments on tissue paper
(4) culturing of bacteria on tissue paper
73. In one millilitre of blood, the number of platelets is stated
to be about
(1) 1,00,000
(2) 2,00,000
(3) 3,00,000
(4) 4,00,000
65. Apparatus to measure fat percentage in body is
(1) Anthropometer
(2) Tensiometer
(3) Skinfold Meter/Caliper
(4) Flesometer
74. Davis Cup is associated with
(1) Hockey
(2) Volleyball
(3) Baseball
(4) Lawn Tennis
66. One of the methods of Teaching is?
(1) Writing story
(2) Writing
(3) Demonstration
(4) Search
75. The amount of calories required by an adult of average body
weight per day is
(1) 1500 calorie
(2) 2000 calorie
(3) 2500 calorie
(4) 3000 calorie
67. The cause of postural defects/deformities is?
(1) Balanced diet
(2) Malnutrition
(3) Extra diet
(4) Sickness
68. The six distinct schools of Indian philosophy–Vedanta,
Mimamsa, Sankhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Valsesika became fully
articulated during the:
(1) Vedic age
(2) Gupta age
(3) Kushana age
(4) Mauryan age
69. ‘Long bones’ work in human body is
(1) To give strength
(2) To give shelter
(3) To work as lever
(4) To provide base for muscular joint
70. During muscular contraction, if there is no change in the
size of muscle, this contraction is said to be
(1) Isometric
(2) Isotonic
(3) Isokinetic
(4) Kinetic
71. The number of Muscle pairs, found in human body is
(1) 200
(2) 250
(3) 300
(4) 350
72. The position of India in 1st Asian games was
(1) First
(2) Second
(3) Fifth
(4) Seven
76. Gautama Buddha attained ‘pari nirvana’ at:
(1) Lumbini
(2) Sarnath
(3) Kushinagar
(4) Bodh Gaya
77. In human body, 'Fartlek' developes
(1) Speed
(2)
(3) Strength
(4)
Endurance
Agility
78. The technique to swim fastest is
(1) Breast stroke
(2) Butterfly
(3) Free style
(4) Back stroke
79. Who among the following belongs to the period of
Kanishka?
1.
Buddhaghosa
2.
Nagarjuna
3.
Vasumitra
4.
Asvaghosa
Select the correct answer using the codes:
(1) 2, 3, and 4
(2) 1, 2, and 3
(3) 1, 3, and 4
(4) 1 and 4
80. After emulsion, the digestion of fat is done by an enzyme
called
(1) Renin
(2) Amylase
(3) Trypsin
(4) Lipase
81. Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched?
(1) Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya :
Bhopal
(2) Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture : Kolkata
(3) Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library : Lucknow
(4) Anthropological Survey of India (Headquarters) :
Kolkata
82. The maximum quantity in the diet of small children should
be of
(1) Protein
(2) Carbohydrate
(3) Minerals
(4) Vitamins
83. Olympia city is situated in which country of the world?
(1) Greece
(2) Germany
(3) Italy
(4) China
84. The Fundamental Duties of the Indian citizens were laid
down by which of the following Amendments to the
Constitution of India?
(1) 40th Amendment
(2) 41st Amendment
(3) 42nd Amendment
(4) 43rd Amendment
85. 'Set Shot' is related to
(1) Snooker
(3) Basketball
(2)
(4)
Squash
Golf
90. Prof. Raghuram Rajan is/was associated as Chief
Economist of:
(1) World Trade Organization
(2) World Bank
(3) International Monetary Fund
(4) Economic and Social Council of the UNO
91. The autobiography Living History has been authored by–
(1) Margaret Atwood
(2) Benazir Bhutto
(3) Hillary Clinton
(4) Monica Lewinsky
92. Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched?
(1) Jacques Chirac : President of France
(2) Gerhard Schroeder : Chancellor of Germany
(3) Silvio Berlusconi : Prime Minister of Italy
(4) Jean Chrétien : President of Austria
93. Blood gets de-oxygenated in
(1) Muscle
(2) Nerves
(3) Lungs
(4) Heart
94. Goniometer measures
(1) Agility
(3) Speed
(2)
(4)
Strength
Flexibility
86. The weight of Javelin for women is
(1) 600 gm
(2) 800 gm
(3) 825 gm
(4) 700gm
95. Bauxite is the principal ore of:
(1) Copper
(2) Aluminum
(3) Iron
(4) Zinc
87. Strategy 'Fast break' is related to the game of
(1) Athletics
(2) Basketball
(3) Swimming
(4) Boxing
96. Brass is an alloy of which of the following pairs of metals?
(1) Aluminum and Copper
(2) Chromium and Tin
(3) Copper and Tin
(4) Copper and Zinc
88. Jharkhand does not share boundary with
(1) West Bengal
(2) Orissa
(3) Chhattisgarh
(4) Madhya Pradesh
97. In which one of the following animals is respiration done by
skin?
(1) Flying fish
(2) Sea horse
(3) Frog
(4) Chameleon
89. Bhimbetka, which was been conferred the status of World
Heritage Site, is situated in:
(1) Orissa
(2) Rajasthan
(3) Madhya Pradesh
(4) Bihar
98. Rovers Cup is associated with the game
(1) Basket Ball
(2) Chess
(3) Boxing
(4) Football
99. What is manufactured from the iron that we obtain from
our diet?
(1) Blood cells
(2) Haemoglobin
(3) Bone Marrow
(4) Protoplasm
100. The highest sports award of India is
(1) Arjun Award
(2) Dronacharya Award
(3) Rajeev Gandhi Khel Ratan
(4) Padam Vibhushan
101. The landing arena of High Jump will be
(1) 5x4mts
(2) 5x5mts
(3) 5 x 3 mts
(4) 5 x 6 mts
102. Blood is purified in the human body by
(1) Carbon dioxide
(2) Nitrogen
(3) Oxygen
(4) Hydrogen
103. Name the vitamin which is water soluble
(1) Vitamin A
(2) Vitamin B
(3) Vitamin E
(4) Vitamin K
104. Salivary gland produces
(1) Ptyalin
(3) Pepsin
(2)
(4)
Adrenal
Renin
105. Which one of the following bacteria helps in improving the
soil fertility?
(1) Clostridium
(2) Rhizobium
(3) Salmonella
(4) Staphylococcus
106. Name the disease which is categorized as psychosomatic
disease
(1) Diabetes
(2) Asthma
(3) Tuberculosis
(4) Small pox
107. Which one of the following is a vitamin?
(1) Citric acid
(2) Folic acid
(3) Glutamic acid
(4) Linoleic acid
108. How much protein a working woman must take in every
day?
(1) 27gm
(2) 46gm
(3) 30gm
(4) 37gm
109. Which of the following line is related to volleyball?
(1) Bonus line
(2) Baulk line
(3) Attack line
(4) Service line
110. To which of the following chambers of the heart is the aorta
connected?
(1) Left ventricle
(2) Right ventricle
(3) Right auricle
(4) Left auricle
111. The longest muscle in human body is
(1) Sartorius
(2) Biceps
(3) Deltoid
(4) Lattismus Dorsi
112. Which one of the following varieties of coal is considered
the best quality?
(1) Anthracite
(2) Bituminous
(3) Lignite
(4) Peat
113. Who of the following discovered the laws of planetary
orbits?
(1) Galileo Galilee
(2) Nicholas Copernicus
(3) Johannes Kepler
(4) Isaac Newton
114. Through which one among the following materials does
sound travel slowest?
(l) Air
(2) Glass
(3) Water
(4) Wood
115. Which one of the following is used in preparing match
sticks?
(1) Chile saltpetre
(2) Indian saltpetre
(3) Red phosphorus
(4) Sodium bicarbonate
116. Consider the following pairs:
1. Rewalsar lake :
2. Nakki lake :
3. Renuka lake :
Himachal Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Uttarakhand
Which of the above pairs is/are correct?
(1) l only
(2) 1 and 2 only
(3) 2 and 3only
(4) 1, 2 and 3
117. Which National Highway connects Chennai and
Vishakhapatnam?
(1) NH 4
(2) NH 5
(3) NH 6
(4) NH 8
118. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer by
using the codes given below the lists:
List-I
List-II
(Scientist)
(Well known as)
A. Birbal Sahni
1. Mathematician
B. Ramanujan Srinivasa
2. Paleobotanist
C. Sir C.V. Raman
3. Botanist
D. Sir J. C. Bose
4. Physicist
Codes:
(A) (B) (C) (D)
(1) 3
1
4
2
(2) 2
1
4
3
(3) 3
4
1
2
(4) 2
4
1
3
124. From which year did Saka era begin?
(1) 78 B.C.
(2) 78 A.D.
(3) l78 A.D.
(4) 278 A.D.
125. When did Cricket World Cup start?
(1) 1970
(2) 1975
(3) 1979
(4) 1973
126. Reason of constipation is due to
(1) Less functioning of large intestine
(2) Extra eating
(3) Less make of water
(4) More intake of water
127. What was the Mascot of First Asian Games held that was at
New Dethi?
(1) Jantar Mantar
(2) Kutub Minar
(3) Lotus flower
(4) Appu
119. Which of the following game's team consists of both men
and women players?
(1) Corfball
(2) Netball
(3) Softball
(4) Handball
128. The weight of a hockey ball approximately is
(1) 5.5 ounce to 5.75 ounce
(2) 5 ounce to 5.5 ounce
(3) 6 ounce to 6.5 ounce
(4) 5.75 ounce to 6 ounce
120. How many types of joints are there in human body?
(1) 2
(2) 3
(3) 6
(4) 9
129. How many events are there in Heptathlan?
(1) 5
(2) 6
(3) 7
(4) 9
121. Which of the famous Hockey player has written the book
'Golden Hattrick'?
(1) Ajit Pal Singh
(2) Dhyan Chand
(3) Balbir Singh
(4) Surjit Singh
130. In which country Indian women cricket team won the Test
series for the first time ?
(1) New Zealand
(2) South Africa
(3) Australia
(4) England
122. Which of the following vitamin do we get from Sun rays?
(1) Vitamin A
(2) Vitamin B
(3) Vitamin C
(4) Vitamin D
131. 'Pele' is related to which game?
(1) Cricket
(2) Horse Riding
(3) Swimming
(4) Football
123. The Phenomenon of 'total internal reflection” is observed
in which one of the following?
(1) Glowing tube light
(2) Light passing through lens
(3) Sparkling diamond
(4) Twinkling star
132. By which hormone High Blood Sugar level can be
controlled in stomach?
(1) Glucose
(2) Insulin
(3) Thyroxin
(4) Non-Apinefreen
133. The life span of Red Blood corpuscles is not more than
(1) 120 days
(2) 130 days
(3) 140 days
(4) 150 days
143. The Olympic games in 2016 will be held at
(1) London
(2) America
(3) Holland
(4) Brazil
134. What is the resting stroke volume per beat of heart?
(1) 20-40 ml
(2) 40-60 ml
(3) 60-80 ml
(4) 80-100 ml
144. The measuring instrument of Blood pressure is
(1) Steadiometer
(2) Menometer
(3) Sphygmomanometer
(4) Dynamometer
135. The length of trachea (wind pipe) in an adult person is
about
(1) 20 cm
(2) 15 cm
(3) 10 cm
(4) 05 cm
145. The minimum number of players required in a team to
start a Basketball match is?
(1) 4
(2) 5
(3) 3
(4) 12
132. The normal temperature of a healthy human being is
(1) 98.4° F
(2) 95.5° F
(3) 96.6° F
(4) 97.4° F
146. What is Blood?
(1) Tissue
(2) Liquid Tissue
(3) Blood Platelets
(4) Special Tissue
137. Are heavy exercises good for sound sleep?
(1) Yes
(2) No
(3) Sometimes
(4) Never
138. Balanced diet contains
(1) Protein
(2) Vitamin
(3) Carbohydrates
(4) All of the above
149. Select the correct sequence in the decreasing order of
contribution to the forest-cover of India:
(1) Dense forest—Open forest— Mangrove forest
(2) Open forest—Dense forest—Mangrove forest
(3) Dense forest—Mangrove forest—Open forest
(4) Open forest—Mangrove forest—Dense forest
Banana
Potato
141. Fatigue comes during training due to
(1) Lactic acid
(2) Adrenal
(3) Carbon Di Oxide
(4) pH-Factors
142. What energy do minerals supply to the body?
(1) Chemical
(2) Electrical
(3) Thermal
(4) No energy
70%
90%
148. Who declares the 'Olympic games close'
(1) Chairman JOC
(2) President IOC
(3) Secretary IOC
(4) Prime Minister of the country
139. The longest bone in human body is?
(1) Ulna
(2) Tibia
(3) Femur
(4) Humerus
140. The main source of vitamin 'A' is?
(1) Egg
(2)
(3) Carrot
(4)
147. Water percentage in plasma is
(1) 60%
(2)
(3) 80%
(4)
150. During a hockey match, if the ball is stuck in the
Goalkeeper's pads then the game is restarted
(1) By Bully
(2) By centre back pass
(3) By hit from outside 'D'
(4) By toss
151. Which one of the following European countries borders
Atlantic Ocean?
(1) Portugal
(2) Austria
(3) Finland
(4) Romania
152. Consider the following statements:
1.
Greenland is an overseas territory of France.
2.
Bermuda, an overseas territory of UK, is situated in
Western Atlantic.
3.
State of Bahrain is situated in the Persian Gulf.
(1) 1, 2, and 3
(2) 2 only
(3) 2 and 3
(4) 1 and 3
153. The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a living entity
because it can:
(1) move from one cell to another
(2) disturb host cell respiration
(3) undergo auto-reproduction
(4) cause disease in the host
154. Match List-I (Tennis Player) with List-II (Country) and
select the correct answer using the codes given below the
Lists:
List-I (Tennis Player)
List-II (Country)
A. Justine Henin-Hardenne 1. Belgium
B. Kim Clijsters
2. England
C. Tim Henman
3 Australia
D. Andy Roddick
4. US
5. Spain
Code:
A
B C D
(1) 1
4
3
4
(2) 5
1
2
3
(3) 1
1
2
4
(4) 5
4
3
2
155. The width of a lane in an athletic track is?
(1) 1.20 mt
(2) 1.21 mt
(3) 1.19 mt
(4) 1.22 mt
156. Which of the following countries is not included in 0-8
(Group of eight industrialized countries)
(1) Italy
(2) Russia
(3) Holland
(4) Canada.
1.
In India, the maximum part of electric energy is
generated by the hydroelectric plants.
2.
In India, the maximum part of electric energy is
generated by the thermal power plants.
3.
Neyveli Lignite Corporation Ltd. is located in Tamil
Nadu
(1) 2 and 3
(2) l and 3
(3) 2 only
(4) 3 only
158. The layer of the atmosphere which makes radio
communication possible is
(1) troposphere
(2) tropopause
(3) ionosphere
(4) stratosphere
1.
The main constituent of LPG is Butane.
2.
The main constituent of Biogas is Methane.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(1) 1 only
(2) 2 only
(3) Both l and 2
(4) Neither 1 nor 2
160. Among the following elements, which one is not present in
pure sugar?
(1) Carbon
(2) Hydrogen
(3) Nitrogen
(4) Oxygen
161. Five Year Plans in India are finally approved by the:
(1) Union Cabinet
(2) President on the advice of Prime Minister
(3) National Development Council
(4) Planning Commission
162. In India, the power to increase the number of judges in the
Supreme Court lies with:
(1) The President of India
(2) The Chief Justice of India
(3) The Union Ministry of Law
(4) The Parliament of India
163. Bank rate is the rate at which the Reserve Bank of India
provides loans to:
(1) Public Sector Undertakings
(2) Scheduled Commercial Banks
(3) Private Cooperate Sector
(4) Non-Banking Financial Institutions
164. Geeta Chandran is well known as a /an:
(1) Bharatnatyam dancer
(2) Classical Carnatic vocalist
(3) Film director
(4) Exponent of Violin
165. Who of the following was the first speaker of the Lok
Sabha?
(1) G. S. Dhillon
(2) G. V. Mavalankar
(3) Hukam Singh
(4) K. S. Hegde
168. Which one of the following metals is found in 'plaster of
paris'?
(1) Calcium
(2) Magnesium
(3) Potassium
(4) Sodium
166. Who of the following is associated with Tashkent
agreement?
(1) Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru
(2) Lal Bahadur Shastri
(3) Indira Gandhi
(4) Morarji Desai
169. International Date line passes through which of 'the
following?
(1) Atlantic ocean
(2) Black sea
(3) Mediterranean sea
(4) Pacific ocean'
167. Simon Commission was appointed to look into the working
of the:
(1) Indian Councils Act, 1892
(2) Government of India Act, 1909
170 . The Non-Cooperation movement was called off as a result
of agitation at which one of the following places?
(1) Calcutta
(2) Champaran
(3) Chauri Chaura
(4) Meerut
=
Answers to General knowledge
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
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28.
Ans.(4)
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Ans.(4)
Ans.(2)
Ans.(2)
Ans.(3)
Ans.(4)
Ans.(2)
Ans.(3)
Ans.(1)
Ans.(2)
Ans.(4)
Ans.(2)
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Ans.(4)
Ans.(1)
Ans.(1)
Ans.(2)
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
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56.
Ans.(1)
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Ans.(4)
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Ans.(1)
Ans.(4)
Ans.(2)
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Ans.(3)
Ans.(4)
Ans.(1)
Ans.(3)
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Ans.(1)
Ans.(3)
Ans.(4)
Ans.(2)
Ans.(1)
Ans.(4)
Ans.(3)
Ans.(2)
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Ans.(1)
Ans.(1)
Ans.(4)
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63.
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70.
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81.
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83.
84.
Ans.(2)
Ans.(4)
Ans.(2)
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Ans.(3)
Ans.(4)
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Ans.(1)
Ans.(3)
Ans.(3)
Ans.(2)
Ans.(4)
Ans.(3)
Ans.(1)
Ans.(2)
Ans.(2)
Ans.(2)
Ans.(4)
Ans.(3)
Ans.(3)
Ans.(4)
Ans.(3)
Ans.(1)
Ans.(4)
Ans.(1)
Ans.(1)
Ans.(1)
Ans.(4)
85.
86.
87.
88.
89.
90.
91.
92.
93.
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95.
96.
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98.
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111.
112.
Ans.(3)
Ans.(1)
Ans.(2)
Ans.(4)
Ans.(3)
Ans.(3)
Ans.(3)
Ans.(4)
Ans.(4)
Ans.(4)
Ans.(2)
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Ans.(3)
Ans.(4)
Ans.(2)
Ans.(3)
Ans.(3)
Ans.(3)
Ans.(2)
Ans.(1)
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Ans.(1)
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Ans.(4)
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Ans.(1)
Ans.(1)
113.
114.
115.
116.
117.
118.
119.
120.
121.
122.
123.
124.
125.
126.
127.
128.
129.
130.
131.
132.
133.
134.
135.
136.
137.
138.
139.
140.
141.
Ans.(3)
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142. Ans.(4)
143. Ans.(4)
144. Ans.(3)
145. Ans.(2)
146. Ans.(2)
147. Ans.(4)
148. Ans.(1)
149. Ans.(2)
150. Ans.(1)
151. Ans.(1)
152. Ans.(3)
153.Ans. (1)
154. Ans.(3)
155. Ans.(4)
156. Ans.(3)
157. Ans.(1)
158. Ans.(3)
159. Ans.(3)
160. Ans.(3)
161. Ans.(3)
162. Ans.(4)
163. Ans.(2)
164. Ans.(1)
165. Ans.(2)
166. Ans.(2)
167. Ans.(3)
168. Ans.(1)
169. Ans.(4)
170. Ans.(3)
Toyota Logo
T
he Toyota automobile company as it began, specialized
in making cars, but now is a leading pioneer in bus,
trucks, robot manufacturer as also in truck, auto and
financial service providers. The Toyota logo is a simple one,
derived from a Japanese word meaning 'eight' which was thought
of as bringing luck and success which the company's journey
cannot be denied of.
The Toyota logo, much like the
company itself, is recognized as a
paramount in the world of
automobiles. The logo speaks of
simplicity and elegance with a sleek
look, upbringing style, attraction and
philosophy all at one place.
DesignElementsoftheToyotalogo:
The unique design of the Toyota logo not only symbolizes
great quality but also ties the tradition of its founders by the
Japanese culture behind it. The parallel ovals represent the
company's trust to its customers and a promise of satisfaction.
ShapeoftheToyotalogo:
The shape of the Toyota logo is elliptical, appearing as an oval
slightly elongated from the horizontal sides. Furthermore, there
are three ellipses symbolizing the heart of the customer; the
product and the great advancements in the technology that the
company has made.
ColoroftheToyotalogo:
The main colors used in the Toyota logo are red and white,
both speaking of their own beauty. The ellipses are made in
either red with a white background or seen as metallic;
sequentially giving the Toyota logo a sleek and an elegant look.
FontoftheToyotalogo:
The font of the Toyota logo is simple Roman style saying
'Toyota' which is brief enough to let the customer know of it.
Simple yet graceful, the fonts give the Toyota logo the beauty that
it is worth of.
Today, the Toyota Company forms a signpost in the quality
automobiles recognized and trusted all over. The Toyota logo
likewise is exclusive in its layout and provides motivation to the
customers of its luxurious soothe and quality product.
BMW Logo
E
stablished in 1913, the BMW
Company has touched the
height of success, with immense
accomplishment. BMW, which stands
for Bayerische Motoren Werke or
Bavarian Motor Company, is based in
Munich, Germany. BMW is also the
parent firm of MINI and Rolls-Royce car
brands. Undoubtedly, the blue and
white BMW logo is a fundamental ingredient for the company's
prosperous attitude. The BMW logo has been minutely altered
through the years but still continues to compel a strong
corporate image.
DesignElementsoftheBMWLogo:
BMW logo portrays a solid corporate picture of the company.
The BMW logo is said to be designed to signify Bavaria- as the
company's manufacturing site. It has proved to be one of the
most distinguished corporate designs that epitomize its
eminent panache.
ShapeofBMWLogo:
A thick black ring, bordered by the sleek silver lining,
showcases the BMW logo in an elegant fashion. The gap in the
ring of BMW logo is further divided into four quadrants, with
alternating shades of blue and white. The quarters of the BMW
logo also reflect the spinning propeller of the aircraft, designed
with a stylish conduct.
ColorofBMWLogo:
BMW logo comprises strong colors, casting a great
impression on the spectator about the firm. Blue, black and
white hues compliment to form such a logo that defines the chic
character of the firm, which cannot be described in words. The
quarters of the BMW logo are shaded as white and blue whereas
the thick ring is colored in the black shade, projecting powerful
nature of the firm.
FontofBMWLogo:
The letters “BMW”, arranged at the top half of the black ring
in the BMW logo, are inscribed in a non-serif font. This font
totally represents the simplicity of the BMW logo, holding a solid
corporate picture. The easy font of the BMW logo informs the
spectator that the company has certainly touched the height of
achievement and continues to pursue it.
=
Business trivia
r
After three decades and more than 220 million units, Sony
has stopped selling its Walkman cassette player in
Japan, admitting that the gadget could not keep up in the
digital age. Cherished by a generation of joggers, school
children and music fans since its launch in 1979, the
Walkman evolutionised the way people listened to music
but has since been overtaken by another icon of the modern
era–the iPod. The July 1, 1979, roll-out of the portable
cassette player helped transform Sony into a global
electronics powerhouse. The Japanese giant sold 30,000
Walkmans in the first two months after its launch, and 50
million within a decade.
r
Eurocopter, a company owned by European consortium,
European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co. NV (EADS),
has become the first global chopper company to open an
office in India.
r
Pfizer Inc has decided to acquire King Pharmaceuticals, a
move that will bolster the pharma major's presence in the
pain treatment segment.
r
Bharti Airtel will partner telecom
equipment suppliers Ericsson and
Huawei to expand and manage its
mobile network in Bangladesh.
r
Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and
Development (AFPPD) hosted a conference in Manila,
Philippines, in March 2010, on indigenous peoples,
climate change and rural poverty.
r
From April 1, 2010 consumers in 13 cities of India,
including Delhi and Mumbai, shifted to use of
environment friendly Euro-IV complaint petrol and diesel.
r
The ceiling for payment of gratuity to private sector
employees has been raised from Rs 3.5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.
r
The Union Cabinet has approved the proposal to declare
Andaman and Nicobar set of Ports as a major port and
establish the Andaman and Nicobar Port Trust with its HQ
at Port Blair.
r
The UAE has become the world's fourth biggest weapons
importer. China, India and South Korea are the top three
arms importers, in that order.
r
“Exercise Milan” was the largest naval war game hosted
by India, in February 2010, with the participation of 12
navies of the Asia-Pacific region.
r
According to the Liveability Index 2010, prepared jointly
by the CII and the Institute for Competitiveness, Delhi is
the best city to live in, followed by Mumbai. A liveable city,
according to the report, is not just an urbanised area in an
urbanised region defined by the presence of a municipality.
Liveability refers to an urban system that contributes to the
physical, social and mental well being and personal
developments of all its inhabitants.
r
The Rail Coach Factory
(RCF) at Jalandhar has
developed India's first airconditioned, double-decker
prototype coach. The Railways
has decided to introduce these
coaches on the 'yuva' trains.
r
Indian Standard Time (IST) is set in accordance with the
82.5 degree East longitude. While India has just one time
zone, Russia has 11 times zones, USA 10, Australia 9, and
Canada 6. France and its dominions have 12 time zones and
UK and its overseas territories use 8 time zones.
r
Under Project Saraswati, which is the first of its kind in
India, ONGC proposes to dig deep–more than half a
kilometre–into aquifers along the path the ancient
Saraswati river is once believed to have taken.
r
The per capita income of India in 2009-10 was Rs 43,749
according to the advance estimates of Central Statistical
Organistation. It was Rs 40,141 in 2008-09. After taking
inflation into account, per capita income is estimated to
grow by 5.4 per cent at Rs 33,540 in 2009-10, against Rs
31,821 during 2008-09.
r
Vancouver, Canada has been named as the world's most
liveable city. Delhi and Mumbai are placed at 113th and
117th, respectively, in the survey conducted by Economist
Intelligence Unit (EIU). Among the top ten are four
Australian cities–Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide.
Zimbabwe's Harare is ranked lowest.
r
Morarji Desai holds the record of
presenting the Union Budget in the Lok
Sabha ten times. Yashwant Sinha has
presented seven Budgets and C.D.
Deshmukh and P. Chidambaram have
done it six times.
r
The first 600 MW unit of the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi
Thermal Power project at Khedar, near Hisar, Haryana
became operational on February 10, 2010. The coal
handling capacity of the plant, at 2,400 tonnes per hour, is
the highest in India.
r
The fifth global steel summit was held in Goa in
February 2010 to serve as a forum to strengthen ties
between steel makers and miners.
r
Contribution of exports to the economic expansion during
2009-10 is estimated to fall to 18.6 per cent from 23.5 per
cent in 2008-09.
r
South Africa hosted the Champions League Twenty20
cricket tournament in September 2010. In 2009, India had
hosted the tournament. The tournament featured 12
teams, including three from 2010 IPL.
r
r
r
Decline in oilseeds production, appreciation of rupee
against dollar and zero import duties during most of 2009
has made India the largest edible oil importer in 2009, a
slot it took surpassing China. Import of crude edible oil to
India saw a huge jump of 35% to a record 8.4 million tonne
(mt) in 2009. India's edible oil imports comprise almost
80% of palm oil.
Reserve Bank of India, along with the Securities and
Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has allowed recognised
stock exchanges to launch futures currency trading in
euro-rupee, pound sterling-rupee and yen-rupee. Futures
trading in dollars-rupee was already allowed.
With an economic freedom score of 53.8, India has been
rated the 124th freest economy in the world, according
to the 16th Annual Index of Economic Freedom, released
by The Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal.
Hong Kong and Singapore finished 1st and 2nd in the
rankings for the 16th straight year.
r
Ashok Leyland has launched India's
first electric plug-in CNG hybrid bus,
named Hybus.
r
Recovery from the global economic
downturn is faster in India compared
HYBUS
with other countries in the world, as consumers here are
more willing to spend, according to the Nielsen Global
Consumer Confidence survey. India ranked second,
with 117 points in the fourth quarter of 2009, behind
Indonesia, which has 119 points. Globally, consumer
confidence has remained stable at 87 per cent. Apart from
India and Indonesia, Hong Kong, China, Singapore and
Brazil are where recovery is accelerating. About 17 per cent
Indians think that job prospects in the country would be
'excellent' and 66 per cent think that it would be 'good' in
the next 12 months.
r
The revised estimates of the national income that took
into account 2004-05 prices have calculated the per capita
income of India at Rs 40,141 in 2008-09. The old method of
income calculation had pegged per capita at 37,490 for
2008-09. On an annual basis, the new per capita income
rose 13.3 per cent compared to the previous year (2007-08).
The new series of calculating the national income changed
the base year to 2004-05 from 1999-2000 earlier.
r
American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating
one (1) olive from each salad served in first-class.
r
Infinity Retail is the retail arm of TATA.
r
Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar mission has been
setup to create an enabling policy framework for the
deployment of 20,000 MW of solar power in 2020.
r
Luxury EXperiment in the US is the full form of the
famous brand “LEXUS”.
r
Arvind Mills own the brands Arrows, Flying Machine
and Excalibur.
r
Big Bazaar has launched a campaign titled Power of
One. This initiative encourages customers to add One
Rupee to their bill towards donation to a social cause. Big
Bazaar makes an equal contribution and donates the entire
proceeds to an NGO called Save the Children India. The
brand anthem 'Khushiyon se Bhari Jholi' connects with
the customers at an emotional level positioning
r
International hotel chain Hilton Hotel bought out
Trident Hotels chain in India for its operation.
a
Gmail backkup
G
mail has an estimated 190 million users worldwide.
Many even have multiple accounts, the forwarding and
'send mail as' features of Gmail actively encouraging
this practice.
Which is why it was a rude shock to roughly 40,000 Gmail
users when they logged, only to find that all their data-emails,
attachments, chats, contacts and documents-had vanished, and
their accounts had been reset. The only thing these unlucky
users had in their inbox were the automated 'Welcome to Gmail'
emails.
However, all was not lost as Gmail keeps multiple copies of
the data (even including offline, tape-based backup of user data)
and they set about restoring the bug that caused the problem.
Google later identified the issue as a software bug in a recently
released storage software update.
More than the number of users affected, this obviously got
far more attention than it deserved and outlined the importance
of not using Gmail as the sole repository for several gigabytes of
critical data.
If the recent Gmail bug scared you enough to act, here are
seven different ways to back up all your Gmail data so that any
disruption in services, no matter how rare, won't affect you in the
least:
In the event of another software bug or system crash, the
chances of all Gmail accounts being compromised is minimal.
Even when Gmail rolls out new features, they do so in phases and this is primarily to identify and fix any teething issues.
Therefore, all you have to do is create another Gmail account
and import all mails and contacts from your primary account.
highest in the world for any free email provider. And they want to
make it all the more easier if you decide to make the switch from
any other free email account to Hotmail.
To do the switch, Hotmail has tied up with TrueSwitch
(trueswitch.com). TrueSwitch is normally a paid service that
makes it easy to transfer all your email from one account to
another. In this case, Hotmail will bear the expense, if you decide
to switch. But you can use this feature to back up your Gmail data
and still keep on using Gmail.
To use the service, head to secure5.trueswitch.com/winlive
and enter all the required credentials.
Gmail-Backup is a software tool which you can download for
free from gmail-backup.com. To use it, you need to have IMAP
access activated in Gmail. To do this, sign in to your Gmail
account, click on the little 'gear' icon in the top right corner and
click 'Mail Settings'.
To do this, sign in to your new Gmail account, click on the
little 'gear' icon in the top right corner and click 'Mail Settings'.
Here, under 'Accounts and Import' you'll be able to import mail
from your old account.
Here, under 'Forwarding and POP/IMAP', you can enable
IMAP access. Gmail-backup will use IMAP access to create a
complete backup of your accounts data on your hard drive.
Hotmail may have lost out to Gmail when it comes to number
of features, but they still have an estimated 364 million users-the
Depending on how much data you have and the speed of your
internet connection, this could take quite a while. Your
computer and internet connection will need to be active for the
duration of the transfer.
The softwate also has a restore function, to copy locally
stored data back into a Gmail account. Gmail-backup's website
also has a forum which can address any issues you may have.
Another free solution for email backup, Mailstore
(mailstore.com) can access multiple online email inboxes using
POP3 or IMAP access. The process is easy enough; just
download the free software and enter in your email credentials.
Like Gmail-backup, Mailstore has an online community which
can address backup problems.
Gmail Keeper (gmailkeeper.com) offers a Gmail-specific
backup tool that is easy to understand and can backup all folders
and labels in Gmail (including the inbox, sent mail, starred mail,
drafts and so on). It can backup everything as a .ZIP file to your
hard drive. It also offers the ability to back up multiple Gmail
accounts at the same time.
Backupify (backupify.com) can backup all kinds of online
services that you use, such as Gmail, Google Docs, Picasa,
Twitter, Flickr, Facebook, Zoho and Blogger. Once backed up,
you can search through, download or restore the data at any time.
Three plans are offered; a free plan that can backup up to 5
accounts with a storage limit of 2GB per account, a Pro 100 plan
that can back up 25 different accounts with 20GB storage per
account for $4.99 a month and a Pro 500 plan that can back up an
unlimited number of accounts with unlimited storage for $19.99
a month.
This is a no-brainer, and should be done even if you continue
to use online access for Gmail and other accounts. Any email
client like Mozilla's Thunderbird (mozillamessaging.com/
thunderbird), Eudora (eudora.com), Apple Mail, Outlook,
Outlook Express or Windows Live Mail can be used to download
your mail.
You need to enable POP3 in Gmail (once again in the
'Forwarding and POP/IMAP' in the Mail Settings area of Gmail).
The settings are simple enough; incoming server name is
pop.gmail.com, protocol is POP, port is 995 and your Gmail
username and password will have to be entered, of course.
a
International Games/Sports and Trophies
Games/Sports
Air Races
Badminton
Badminton (Women)
Basketball
Cricket
Cricket
Cricket
Cricket
Cricket
Football
Football
Football
Golf
Golf
Golf
Golf
Hockey
Trophies/Awards
King's Cup
Thomas Cup
Uber Cup
William's Cup
Ashes
Benson and Hedges
World Cup
Reliance Cup
Rothman's Trophy
Colombo Cup
Merdeka Cup
European Champions Cup
Canada Cup
Rydet Cup
Walker Cup
Eisenhower Cup
World Cup
Games/Sports
Hockey
Hockey
Horse Race
Horse Steeple Chase Race
Lawn Tennis
Lawn Tennis
Lawn Tennis
Lawn Tennis
Polo
Table Tennis
Table Tennis (Men)
Table Tennis (Women)
Tennis
Weight-lifting
World Soccer Cup
Yacht Racing
Trophies/Awards
Essande Champions Cup
Rene Frank Trophy
Derby
Grand National
Davis Cup
Wightman Cup
Edgbaston Cup
Grand Prix
Westchester Cup
Grand Prix
Swaythling Cup
Corbitton Cup
U. Thant Cup
World Cup
Jules Rimet Trophy
American Cup
Brand icon
Britannia
T
he story of one of India's favourite brands reads almost
like a fairy tale. Once upon a time, in 1892 to be precise,
a biscuit company was started in a nondescript house in
Calcutta (now Kolkata) with an initial investment of Rs. 295.
The company we all know as Britannia today.
The beginnings might have been humble-the dreams were
anything but. By 1910, with the advent of electricity, Britannia
mechanised its operations, and in 1921, it became the first
company east of the Suez Canal to use imported gas ovens.
Britannia's business was flourishing. But, more importantly,
Britannia was acquiring a reputation for quality and value. As a
result, during the tragic World War II, the Government reposed
its trust in Britannia by contracting it to supply large quantities
of "service biscuits" to the armed forces.
As time moved on, the biscuit market continued to grow…
and Britannia grew along with it. In 1975, the Britannia Biscuit
Company took over the distribution of biscuits from Parry's who
till now distributed Britannia biscuits in India.
In the subsequent public issue of 1978, Indian shareholding
crossed 60%, firmly establishing the Indianness of the firm. The
following year, Britannia Biscuit Company was re-christened
Britannia Industries Limited (BIL). Four years later in 1983, it
crossed the Rs. 100 crores revenue mark.
On the operations front, the company was making equally
dynamic strides. In 1992, it celebrated its Platinum Jubilee. In
1997, the company unveiled its new corporate identity - "Eat
Healthy, Think Better" - and made its first foray into the dairy
products market. In 1999, the "Britannia Khao, World Cup Jao"
promotion further fortified the affinity consumers had with
'Brand Britannia'.
Britannia strode into the 21st Century as one of India's
biggest brands and the pre-eminent food brand of the country. It
was equally recognised for its innovative approach to products
and marketing: the Lagaan Match was voted India's most
successful promotional activity of the year 2001 while the
delicious Britannia 50-50 Maska-Chaska became India's most
successful product launch.
In 2002, Britannia's New
Business Division formed a
joint venture with Fonterra,
the world's second largest
D a i r y C o m p a n y, a n d
Britannia New Zealand
Foods Pvt. Ltd. was born. In
recognition of its vision and
accelerating graph, Forbes Global rated Britannia 'One amongst
the Top 200 Small Companies of the World', and The Economic
Times pegged Britannia India's 2nd Most Trusted Brand.
Today, more than a century after those tentative first steps,
Britannia's fairy tale is not only going strong but blazing new
standards, and that miniscule initial investment has grown by
leaps and bounds to crores of rupees in wealth for Britannia's
shareholders. The company's offerings are spread across the
spectrum with products ranging from the healthy and
economical Tiger biscuits to the more lifestyle-oriented
Milkman Cheese.
Having succeeded in garnering the trust of almost one-third
of India's one billion population and a strong management at the
helm means Britannia will continue to dream big on its path of
innovation and quality. And millions of consumers will savour
the results, happily ever after.
1892: The Genesis - Britannia established with an
investment of Rs. 295 in Kolkata
1910 : Advent of electricity sees operations mechanised
1921: Imported machinery introduced; Britannia becomes
the first company East of the Suez to use gas ovens
1939 - 44: Sales rise exponentially to Rs.16,27,202 in 1939
During 1944 sales ramp up by more than eight times to
reach Rs.1.36 crore
1975: Britannia Biscuit Company takes over biscuit
distribution from Parry's
1978: Public issue - Indian shareholding crosses 60%
Ø
1979: Re-christened Britannia Industries Ltd. (BIL)
1999:"Britannia Khao World Cup Jao" - a major success!
Profit up by 37%
1983: Sales cross Rs.100 crore
1989: The Executive Office relocated to Bangalore
BIL enters the dairy products market
2000: Forbes Global Ranking - Britannia among Top 300
small companies
1992: BIL celebrates its Platinum Jubilee
1993: Wadia Group acquires stake in ABIL, UK and
becomes an equal partner with Groupe Danone in BIL
1994: Volumes cross 1,00,000 tons of biscuits
1997:
Re-birth - new corporate identity 'Eat Healthy, Think
Better' leads to new mission: 'Make every third Indian a
Britannia consumer'.
2001:
BIL ranked one of India's biggest brands
No.1 food brand of the country
Britannia Lagaan Match: India's most successful
promotional activity of the year
Ø Maska Chaska: India's most successful FMCG launch
Ø
Ø
Ø
Ø
2002: BIL launches joint venture with Fonterra, the world's
second largest dairy company
a
Fascinating Facts: you probably didn't know!
1. French was the official language of England for over 600 years.
2. In Ancient Greece, if a woman watched even one Olympic event, she was executed.
3. During a typical human life span, the human heart will beat approximately 2.5 billion times.
4. The Earth gets 100 tons heavier every day due to falling space dust.
5. At one 'feeding', a mosquito can absorb one and a half times its own weight in blood.
6. The world's youngest parents were 8 and 9 and lived in China in 1910.
7. While 7 men in 100 have some form of colour blindness, only 1 woman in 1,000 suffers from it.
8. The Moon was created when a rock the size of Mars slammed into Earth, shortly after the solar system began forming about 4.5
billion years ago.
9. The sound of E.T. walking was made by someone squishing her hands in jelly.
10. The picture of the Mona Lisa has no eyebrows, in her time it was the fashion to remove them.
11. The bike ridden by Steve McQueen in The Great Escape is the same bike ridden by the Fonz in Happy Days.
12. Romans used powdered mouse brains as toothpaste!
13. Snakes always keep their eyes open, even when they are asleep.
14. In Britain in 1571, a man could be fined for not wearing a wool cap.
15. In Ireland, wearing a Halloween costume could result in up to one year in prison.
16. The world's strongest beer is Samuel Adams' Triple Bock, which has reached 17% alcohol by volume. To obtain this level,
however, they used a champagne yeast.
17. An ant always falls over on its right side when intoxicated.
Book review
Angels and Demons
by Dan Brown
A
ngels and Demons is Dan's
Brown first Robert Langdon
t h r i l l e r. I t t a k e s p l a c e
chronologically before The Da Vinci
Code, although it doesn't matter which
book you read first. Both books involve
conspiracies within the Catholic church,
but Angels and Demons has more action
within Rome and the Vatican. Angels and
Demons is a fast paced thriller that
provides an entertaining escape for the
reader.
The novel opens with a gruesome
murder, details of which Brown unravels
in the first few chapters. The sit-up-inyour-seat plot is a combination of a
secret brotherhood that is long forgotten
and thought to have been mercifully
inactive, the Swiss CERN (Conseil Européen pour la Recherche
Nucléaire), the Vatican & Catholic Church, a papal conclave,
mysterious ambigrams, anti-matter particles, jets that can travel
15,000 miles per hour.
The book's main characters include a Harvard professor of
religious iconology, a beautiful nuclear research scientist and
physicist, a bitter and cold scientist in a wheelchair, and a brutal
assassin. The story is full of twists and can keep you reading
non-stop till the last page. In the last hundred or so pages Brown
blows it open and leads us to a surprise ending.
However, a word of caution – Do not muse over the factual
accuracy of details presented in the novel. Full points to Brown
for writing in such a way that every bit of historical information
seems like a convincing fact. He deserves credit for his attempt
at a seamless blend of real settings and fiction.
The philosophising on the eternal
conflict between religion and science
was food for thought and at one point,
questioning ideas of God and Science!
The underlying theme of the bookThere is a constant need for man to
believe in something higher than
himself- might be as old as time itself.
But the manner in which Brown
emphasizes it is quite unique.
Some of the more cynical fiction
readers may term Angels and Demons
'candy floss'. Candy floss or not, the book
is certainly full of flavour!
Pros
r
r
r
'Angels and Demons' is a
fast paced page turner.
The mix of religious and historical elements adds a
unique twist to the mystery.
Brown provides plenty of surprises.
Cons
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r
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If you are put off by graphic violence, some
descriptions may bother you.
The religious elements might offend some people,
especially Catholics.
Part of the ending is too far-fetched -- like an action
movie.
Description
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'Angels and Demons' by Dan Brown was first published
in 2000.
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
713 Pages
=
HadronColliderFacts
The large Hadron Collider is a massive particle accelerator used by physicists to study the smallest known particles. Two beams of
subatomic particles protons or lead ions will travel in opposite directions, colliding the two beams head-on at very high energy.
Some people are afraid that it will create strange matter which turns everything it touches into strange matter, meaning everything,
miniature big bangs.

Untitled - Student Resources Centre

Transcription

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