Jaipur literature festival to see top economists

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The Asian Age, Sanjay Bohra | Jaipur : Top international names from the world of economics and business, including Sebastian Mallaby, Arvind Subramanian, Thomas Piketty, Amitabh Kant, Nigel Harris and Niall Ferguson, will gather to discuss business issues and successes in the 9th edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival. Wealthy, powerful, and potentially dangerous, hedge-fund managers have emerged as the stars of 21st-century capitalism. Based on unprecedented access to the industry, Sebastian Mallaby’s book, More Money than God: Hedge Funds and the Making of the New Elite, provides the first authoritative history of hedge funds. In a session of the same name, in discussion with Mihir Sharma, hedge funds are explored from their origins in the 1960s and 1970s to their role in the financial crisis of 2007-9. Another international big-hitter in economics writing, Thomas Piketty’s ground-breaking book, Capital in the Twenty-First Century, analyses a unique collection of data from 20 countries, ranging as far back as the 18th century, to uncover key economic and social patterns. At the festival he will discuss his theories with fellow economic historians and writers on finance Sebastian Mallaby and Arvind Subramanian, moderated by Pratap Bhanu Mehta in a session called “Capital”. Questions about the long-term evolution of inequality, the concentration of wealth, and the prospects for economic growth at the heart of the political economy fascinate celebrated economist and professor of economics at the Paris School of Economics, Thomas Piketty. In “The Politics of Inequality” he will join with his former pupil, Mihir Sharma, to talk about his most recent book of the same name. The government’s “Make In India” campaign aims to attract foreign investment in job-creating manufacturing industries, and the slogan has established a strong brand image. A well-informed panel, including secretary in the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion Amitabh Kant; CMD of Biocon Ltd Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw; Dr Mehta, the former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India; A. Didar Singh, secretary-general of Ficci; and Ford’s Nigel Harris will discuss the prospects, success and stumbling blocks in the path of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Make in India” campaign. Pandemonium is Jaipur-born Piyush Pandey’s brilliant and incisive book on advertising which brings alive all aspects of the persuasion industry and explores the sources and inspirations of creative communication. He will be in conversation with Suhel Seth on contemporary Indian advertising and how to move minds and wallets with the power of focused narrative. The journey from small town to visionary promoter of a global brand is captured in Subhash Chandra’s new memoir being launched at Jaipur Literature Festival. In the “Z Factor” he’ll talk about the highs and lows on his way to becoming a pioneer in the Indian television entertainment industry. Source: The Asian Age

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Who let the dogs out, into our wilds?

By Dharmendra Khandal: Recently, I visited five different sanctuaries of Rajasthan where I saw active predators in most of these areas. But they were not natural predators, but feral dogs. Some were chasing chinkaras while others were chasing neelgai. The locals there told me that these dogs injured or killed some wild animal in their area every other day. Sometimes they would manage to rescue the wild animal and chase out the dogs, but the fact is that these canines have become a growing menace in many wildlife areas today. The bigger sanctuaries are comparatively safe because wild animals can escape inside the forest. Also, the leopards and tigers, which are the predators of these canines, restrict the intrusion of these dogs. Not so the smaller wildlife areas where there are no such big cats. The canines here are therefore more fearless and can be seen chasing wild animals even in densely forested areas. A small area of desert that is protected by the local community has 500 chinkaras and regularly some animal or the other is injured by these dogs. I also saw carcasses of domestic animals and butcher waste around the region, that are attracting the dogs to the area. I suggested to the community head that they should not throw the carcasses in the forest areas but they said waste dumping was not in their hands as people stealthily threw the garbage and carcasses at night to avoid been seen. Is there any solution to this problem? Animal lovers, however, don’t see it as a problem, presenting the argument that dogs are also part of ecosystem and these neo-predators are now balancing the ecology of our jungles too. They, therefore, have a right to live too. But the figures speak for themselves — globally, there exist about 500 million stray dogs and in India, 20 to 30,000 people die every year because of rabies. Recently, a news came to light that canine distemper virus can cause trouble to tigers too. The National Tiger Conservation Authority issued an alert letter to all reserve directors and suggested vaccination of stay dogs around the tiger reserves. Rabies and CDV can be controlled through vaccination, but what happens to the dogs who are killing wild animals directly? Possibly, we can control their population through sterilisation but that has to be ethically and legally correct. Many people say that if we want to save our wildlife areas, we have to continuously kill or remove the dogs. They say that even after sterilisation, these dogs may not infect wild animals but will still continue to kill them. They also argue that there is no fund and trained manpower available to sterilise this unbounded number of stray dogs. Dog numbers are increasing with human population and one key reason is bad garbage management. This is also an indicator of the fragmenting web of our ecosystem. We do need to get some important wild areas dog-free, but of course, after following due procedure. (The writer is a conservation biologist at Tiger Watch, Ranthambore) Source: Article

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Rs.550 crore given for alternate medicine systems: Azad

New Delhi, July 12 (IANS) More than Rs.550 crore have been given to various states for establishing centres for alternate medicine like homeopathy and ayurveda as part of the National Rural Health Mission, union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said Friday. For mainstreaming of alternate systems of medicine under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), grants-in-aid amounting to more than Rs.550 crore have been given to the state and Union Territory governments, Azad said, addressing a function here. The money would be used for establishment of new facilities of homeopathy, ayurveda, siddha and unani streams of medicine in 803 primary health centres, 113 community health centres and 24 district hospitals, and for upgradation of 379 such hospitals and 415 dispensaries. “We have a pluralistic healthcare delivery system, where the government provides opportunities to every recognised medical system to develop and be practised, with a view to provide integrated and holistic healthcare,” he said. “We are open to patronising best practices and proven standards for the benefit of the people. That is why naturopathy is also a recognised system in India,” he said. State governments like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh have recognised naturopathy. Azad said India had incorporated traditional medical services in the public health delivery system since the 1960s. Source: Dainik-Disha

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Reliance divests ETV Channels investments to TV18 Broadcast Limited

Media News Line: Mumbai: RIL today announced that a part of the interest owned by it in the ETV Channels is being divested to TV18 Broadcast Limited (TV18). As a part of the deal, Infotel Broad Band Services Limited (“Infotel”), a subsidiary of RIL, has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with TV18 and Network18 Media and Investments Limited (Network18) for preferential access to all their content for distribution through the 4G Broadband Network being set up by it. As per the Memorandum of Understanding, Infotel shall have preferential access to (i) the content of all the media and web properties of Network 18 and its associates and (ii) programming and digital content of all the broadcasting channels of TV18 and its associates on a first right basis as a most preferred customer. Infotel is setting up a pan India world class 4th Generation Broadband Network using state of the art technologies. Infotel expects to take a leadership position in content distribution through broadband technology through a host of devices. Digital content from entertainment, news, sports, music, weather, education and other genres will be a key driver to increase consumption of broadband. RIL, through investments of about Rs.2600 crores, by its group companies, currently holds interest in various ETV Channels being operated and managed by Eenadu Group viz. (i) 100% economic interest in regional news channels, namely ETV Uttar Pradesh, ETV Madhya Pradesh, ETV Rajasthan, ETV Bihar and ETV Urdu channel (“News Channels”) (ii) 100% economic interest in ETV Marathi, ETV Kannada, ETV Bangla, ETV Gujarati and ETV Oriya (“Entertainment Channels”) and (iii) 49% economic interest in ETV Telugu and ETV Telugu News (“Telugu Channels”). A part of the above investments comprising of 100% interest in News Channels, 50% interest in Entertainment Channels and 24.50% interest in Telugu Channels is being profitably divested to TV18 Broadcast Limited. Network18 and TV18 have today announced that both the companies are raising funds for the acquisition of ETV Channels through a Rights Issue. Independent Media Trust (“Trust”), a trust set up for the benefit of Reliance Industries Limited, has agreed to fund the Promoters of Network 18 and TV18 to enable them to subscribe to the proposed Rights Issue announced by both the companies today. The Promoter Companies of Network18 and TV18 and the Trust have entered into a Term Sheet under which the Trust would be subscribing to the Optionally Convertible Debentures to be issued by the Promoter Companies. Reliance will leverage its deep understanding of the Indian markets - consumer insights, technological expertise, and the ability to build & manage scale - to make this a “win win” partnership. This will create value and be accretive to the shareholders of RIL. Source: Media News Line

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Astha: Sprucing up product portfolio for girls

Astha the girls brand aimed at 1 to 14 years old is sprucing up its collections with new products. In fact, the brand keeps adding new products to its portfolio every year to add more depth to its offerings for the category. Aiming for a 33 percent growth this year, the company is optimistic about the season ahead. “Summer was a failure but the season ahead will be very good. And Dusshera and Diwali festivals ahead are providing the much needed impetus. Retailers see good sales during the festive season so we have to ensure that we deliver them the required quantity on time,” says an optimistic Pravin Ravani, Director, Astha Creation. Established in 2006, Astha is a family run business driven by passion for excellence. It provides its customers quality, care and service. “Astha means trust. And that’s the principle on which we work. Since 2007, we have grown by 33 per cent. Our mission is to be quality-oriented and work with good clients, supply in various ways and keep the factory unit in good order,” says Ravani. The product range includes western outfits, party wear and free size kurtis. Highlighting the collection, Ravani says, “We began with western outfits and in the third year, we introduced party wear. This collection has frocks, gowns and lacha-cholis. Western wear has skirt tops, denim, legging sets, capris. Every year, I plan to launch a product. And next year, we will probably have night wear. We also gift our customers some accessory with each garment.” The brand is present in 14 states—Haryana, Uttarakhand, UP, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra, Karnataka, Kerala, MP, Bihar, Jharkhand, Punjab. “We supply to 1,500 MBOs and will add another 50 to 100 MBOs during the next two or three months,” Ravani sums up. Source: Fashion United

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Indian CSP powers towards national solar mission targets

Experts at CSP Today believe important steps have been taken to sustain concentrating solar power (CSP) or solar thermal electric growth in India. Companies such as Siemens and Areva have announced that they have received orders from Indian developers to supply turbines for Phase I projects of the National Solar Mission, the deadline for completion of which is 31 March 2013.It was announced last week that the Indian state of Rajasthan is accepting bids from solar developers for 2 X 50MW of new solar thermal projects. This will amount to 100MW of solar thermal capacity that will be awarded on a competitive basis. The pre-bidding process took place on 3 January 2012, with the closing date for all bids set for 30 January. The Rajasthan solar policy was launched last year with the ambitious target of installing 12 GW of solar by 2022. Currently, nine projects are under development and with the second highest irradiation levels in India; it is no surprise that the project pipeline continues to increase in Rajasthan. However, despite this announcement there is still doubt surrounding India’s ability to fulfil the targets set under the National Solar Mission. Currently, five of the seven projects developed under the NSM are situated in Rajasthan, and many experts have doubted the ability for all these projects to be completed by their 31 March 2013 deadline. Industry discussion this week has centred on the progress made on current projects, and whether or not CSP will remain an important part of India’s renewables future. Experts at CSP Today have revealed important steps that indicate project developers will meet the deadlines set under the NSM. Siemens, General Electric and Areva have announced that they have received orders from Indian developers to supply turbines for Phase I projects. Godawari Power & Ispat, Megha Engineering, Reliance Power, Coporate Ispat Alloys and Lanco, all developing projects under the NSM, have placed these orders and are believed to have begun construction. In addition Areva is supplying their Compact Linear Fresnel Reflector technology to Reliance Power, whilst Lauren-Jyoti has confirmed that they are carrying out the engineering and construction work for Godawari Power & Ispat’s 50-MW plant. Although the two new projects in Rajasthan will be developed under the state’s solar policy, the ability for India to successfully build existing plants on time and on budget will surely have a knock on effect on any future CSP development. It remains clear that the successful implementation of CSP projects in India is crucial if CSP is to remain a dominant technology for years to come.Leading CSP companies are due to meet in New Delhi on 14-15 March, at the 3rd Concentrated Solar Thermal Power Summit India, where the progress made by Indian developers and the impact this has had on CSP’s future will form an important part of the discussion..Source: Renewable Energy Magazine

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Desi brands cash in on foreign names

Amidst the tough competition from global brands, several desi brands seem to have found out a way to make a place for themselves. The new trend being followed by a handful of Indian brands is to name their labels in such a fashion that it sounds international. Sample this: Munich Polo. Do not mistake it as an international brand for it’s an India-based children’s wear brand. Although being Indian, in order to make an impression on the minds of the customers, Munich Polo has positioned itself as a German brand. Its website uses German language and also depicts the rich cultural history of Munich. According to the brand, it uses Munich’s rich heritage to draw inspiration for its apparel designs. To add further to the trend, the brand uses fair-skinned children as models to give the brand an authentic German look and feel. What’s more Munich Polo recently launched its premium kids’ wear stores in New Delhi. And Munich Polo is not alone, there are other too who have established themselves as foreign brands, Da Milano, Franco Leone and La Opala are just some of them. Experts say the trend will gain momentum as more and more Indian brands will try to look and sound foreign to make the most of rising aspirations of foreign-label. Take Da Milano for example, a high-end leather accessory label it presents itself as an Italian brand. Similarly, Franco Leone the Delhi-based premium footwear brand too bears an Italian name. Vikram Bhamri, Director of Franco Leone points out that his father had bought the brand from two Italian designers called Franco and Leone. Hence, the brand was named Franco Leone. He also said that keeping names which sounds international makes a lot of sense. It gives the business a boost. According to him, it is the Indian mindset that plays a major role. In India, people love and easily accept European and American fashion because it is aspirational. Franco Leone has Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor as its brand ambassador. Veteran adman Piyush Pandey thinks that a foreign brand can be a double-edged sword. If it doesn’t deliver its promise, it is doomed to bomb. He says that consumers cannot be fooled as they are not stupid. If one claims to be an Italian brand and doesn’t deliver the Italian quality, consumers won’t buy it. Pandey points out that there are international brands with Indian names too. But, only names cannot be sold, it is the quality that matters. Just by labeling brand with foreign names, Indian brands will not become a foreign brand and vice-versa. For example, French jewelry house Boucheron that has a perfume exotically branded Jaipur. Calling it Jaipur doesn’t make it an Indian brand, he said.  Source: Fashion United

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Rahul Gandhi Appointed Vice-President of Congress

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News - Bullet:  Jaipur /  New  Delhi:  Rahul  Gandhi  was  today  named  the Congress Vice-President, making him officially the number two in the India's oldest party. Congress party spokesperson Janardan Dwivedi told reporters that the decision to elevate Rahul Gandhi was taken by the Congress Working Committee, the party's highest decision making body, at its 'Chintan Shivir' in Jaipur. "With his appointment as Vice-President of the Congress party today, Rahul Gandhi has been elevated to number two position in the party," Dwivedi said. "This decision will greatly strengthen the party and the hands of the Congress President," he said. Crackers went off at 10 Janapath, Sonia Gandhi's residence by party workers who were elated to see the
Gandhi scion taking up a larger responsibility in the party. Similar scenes were witnessed outside the ‘Chintan Shivir’ venue. The wish from the party's rank and file got amplified through the 130 odd Youth Congress and NSUI leaders at the conclave. Congress sources said many chief ministers including Prithviraj Chavan of Maharashtra, Vijay Bahuguna of Uttarakhand, Ashok Gehlot of Rajasthan and Bhupinder Singh Hooda of Haryana told the party leadership that "Rahul should get a bigger role now". Rahul, who heads the party's 2014 poll coordination panel, shared the stage Friday with his mother and party chief Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other senior Congress leaders. "He (Rahul) represents the demographic dividend. We want him to lead in 2014 but he has to take the final call," Minister of State (independent charge) for Power Jyotiraditya Scindia said. Congress MP from Lakshadweep, Hamdulla Saeed said: "We want to see him (Rahul) lead in all spheres." Pawan Godara, who heads the Youth Congress in Rajasthan, and is a delegate at the party's 'Chintan Shivir' or introspection camp, said young leaders wanted Rahul to lead the party in the next general elections. It is also because of the 42-year-old Gandhi that the conclave at Jaipur has seen such a large contingent from the Youth Congress and the party's student wing, National Students' Union of India. Rahul, who has said he is ready for a bigger role, played a key role in deciding who gets a cabinet berth in Oct 2012 government reshuffle. Who is Rahul Gandhi?: 42-year-old Rahul Gandhi, a member of the Parliament of India, representing the Amethi constituency. Rahul Gandhi is the General Secretary of the ruling Congress party. He is also the Chairman of the Congress coordination panel for 2014 Lok Sabha polls. He is the son of Rajiv Gandhi and incumbent Congress president Sonia Gandhi, and the grandson of Feroze Gandhi and Indira Gandhi. Rahul was born on 19 June 1970, he attended the Doon School, St Stephen's College, completed his BA from Rollins College, Florida.Rahul Gandhi completed his M Phil from Trinity College, Cambridge and worked for private firms in London and Mumbai. In September 2007 when he was appointed general secretary in charge of the Youth Congress (IYC) and the National Students Union of India (NSUI), Rahul Gandhi promised to reform youth politics. He has been made the Working President or Secretary General so that he gets a higher profile for projection in the next Lok Sabha elections. Party workers insisted that the party needed to have a young leader to connect with the youth and the sentiment among partymen was for giving larger and predominant role to Rahul Watch: Rahul Gandhi to get bigger role

Rahul must work hard to be perceived as a dynamic leader: New Delhi: It is said that once the conqueror, Taimur the ‘Lame’, talked to the famous historian and sociologist, Ibn Khuldun, about the fate of dynasties. Khuldun said that the glory of a dynasty seldom lasted beyond four generations. The first generation inclined towards conquest, the second towards administration. The third, freed of the necessity to conquer or  administer, was left with the pleasurable task of spending the wealth of its ancestors on cultural pursuits. Consequently, by the fourth generation, a dynasty had usually spent its wealth as well as human energy. Hence, the downfall of each royal house is embedded in the very process of its rising. According to Khuldun, it was a natural phenomenon and could not be avoided. Set in the democratic world of our contemporary history, the rise and fall of the Nehru-Gandhi family suggests the soundness of Khuldon’s pronouncement. Jawaharlal Nehru was the architect, while Indira Gandhi expanded his achievements by emerging as one of the most powerful personalities of the 20th century. Sanjay and later Rajiv Gandhi experimented a lot and paid heavily. Now the fourth generation of Rahul Gandhi perhaps has good intentions, but things are not clicking at all. It would be too much to expect that Rahul Gandhi would take a leaf out of his grandmother’s book of life. In 1947, when communal troubles were at their peak, Indira Gandhi was spotted amid a bloodthirsty mob, rescuing a family that had given up hope. There was no security ring around her, but armed with extraordinary moral courage, she left the rioters stunned with her sharp tongue and pace.  Why was Rahul silent? Rahul Gandhi’s silence over the ghastly rape and murder in Delhi has been most baffling. Like millions of his fellow countrymen, he may have been too numbed by its brutality and felt helpless. Perhaps like the victim’s friend, he felt the futility of lighting candles and spending sleepless nights at India Gate and Jantar Mantar. But the youth icon missed a good opportunity to empathize with young and old alike. Both ‘Bharat’ and ‘India’ were looking at him with expectation. He did not have to offer any instant solution. All that was required of him was an admission of collective failure, of something going horribly wrong and of the need to change — in utter disregard of the line of thinking in North and South Blocks of Raisina Hills and among his own spin doctors. Rahul Gandhi waited, thinking things would settle down but the momentum was lost. It was far from what Indira Gandhi had done several years ago, in spite of being out of power when the Belchi massacre occurred. She flew to Patna, motored into the countryside and then, because the monsoons had made the roads impassable, reached Belchi on elephant back. It was late at night and she shone a torch on her face so the villagers could recognize her. The next morning, a stark black and white picture of Indira Gandhi entering Belchi, alone but undaunted, frail but fearless, her strong profile silhouetted against the black night, was on all the front pages. It signalled her return to politics. It also proved something more important. There was no one in Indian politics who could compete with her. It requires common sense to comprehend situations. When reckless statements were made at alarming speed, someone like Rahul Gandhi needed to advocate change — be it in archaic laws, the police, the judiciary, the bureaucracy or in a mindset. He needed to say something close to what he loves saying, “There is a need to change thevyavastha [system].” Next, he could have asked for the removal of sex-offenders from the Congress, pressed for the passage of the women’s reservation bill, for police reforms and so on. More immediately, he could have used his influence within the United Progressive Alliance to remove the Delhi lieutenant governor (who has already completed his term in April, 2012), the police chief and perhaps the chief minister. He should have recalled how the Mumbai chief minister and the then home minister were asked to quit days after 26/11 attack. There was nothing specific against Vilasrao Deshmukh or Shivraj Patil, but their exit at that time had acted as a balm. The subsequent 2009 Lok Sabha polls, too, vindicated that the UPA’s moral high ground had helped the Congress. Current task more daunting for the Gandhi scion: Rahul Gandhi’s current task is more daunting than Rajiv Gandhi’s in 1981-83. Today, under Sonia Gandhi’s leadership, Rahul has many challenges and the clock is ticking fast towards the May, 2014 general elections. Apart from reviving the Congress, an organization that is being controlled from the centre and has had its grassroots structure diminished considerably, Rahul Gandhi has to act as an interface between party workers across the country, strike up a rapport with present and future UPA allies and justify every action the Manmohan Singh government takes under a grim economic situation and coalition compulsions. It is an open secret that as in the 2008 nuclear deal between India and the United States of America, Rahul Gandhi is backing the prime minister on pushing economic reforms. But his spin doctors do not want him to take any credit for opening doors to foreign direct investment in retail. Many All India Congress committee office-bearers feel that Rahul Gandhi’s support for the rise in prices of diesel and liquefied petroleum gas and his declared support for controversial measures like FDI in retail could prove costly. So while he convinced his mother that the prime minister needed a free hand in this matter, his stamp is missing. As a result, in the public eye, he is seen as a leader who is shying away from taking a firm stand on key economic issues pertaining to the lives and livelihoods of millions. Rahul Gandhi’s experiments with the Youth Congress and the National Students Union of India have shown little dividends. Even diehard Congressmen see little wisdom in his personally interviewing aspirants for the post of Youth Congress chief. Instead of acting as a factory of young leadership, the Youth Congress of 2004-2012 produced a band of young members of parliament but most of them are young dynasts. Their presence discouraged the grassroots workers who realized that the leaders were parachuted from the top. Rahul himself candidly admitted that the Gandhi ‘tag’ helped him emerge on top. In the Congress’s ‘chintan shivir’ at Jaipur, the party is trying hard to pick up the threads. It has coined a slogan, “Pehle hoga nari samman, phir hoga bharat nirman.” Rahul Gandhi is asking for the inclusion of gender-sensitive subjects in the school curriculum, a hard line against Pakistan and tougher laws to deal with rape and crimes against women. Nothing succeeds like success, Rahul’s future depends on the party’s success in winning the coming assembly polls in 10 states, keeping workers’ motivation high and bringing an element of moral value in every UPA-Congress action. He has to be perceived as active and visible, intermingling with both the Congress rank and file and the aam admi. If Rahul Gandhi wishes to prove Ibn Khuldun’s prophecy-theory wrong, he must deliver to the best of his abilities in the 2014 elections Source: News-Bullet, With eye on LS polls, Congress ‘Samvad Baithak’ begins in Surajkund: New Delhi: After a strong attack on the Opposition and its detractors at the November 4 rally, Congress top brass assembled on Friday at Surajkund to embark on manifesto implementation and discuss the current politico-economic situation in the country with an eye on the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. All party leaders including Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi left behind their red beacon cars and traveled in two buses from Congress HQ too Surajkund in Haryana. The ‘Samvad Baithak’, will set the agenda for larger brainstorming at Chintan Shivir to be held at Rajasthan in January next year. –UNI, PM, Sonia Gandhi inaugurate Ghat Ki Guni tunnel: Hindustan Times, Jaipur on Saturday got a safer alternative to its accident-prone connector to NH-11 with the inauguration of Ghat Ki Guni twin-tube tunnel by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in the presence of chief minister Ashok Gehlot. With a combined length of 2,800 metres, the twin-tube tunnel, bored through Jhalana hills at a cost of Rs. 150 crore, would help ease traffic congestion on the existing connector and systematise vehicular flow at the Eastern Gateway of the city. Before this, vehicles had no option but to pass through a narrow passage at Ghat Ki Guni, leading to massive traffic jams on the accident-prone two km serpentine road which rose in a steep slope towards the National Highway 11 to Agra. Image: photobucket.com

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Dove: EBOs and new products in the pipeline

Optimistic about clocking a growth of 20 to 25 per cent in the forthcoming seasons, Dove Creations is looking forward to adding tops and loungewear to its product basket by 2013. As Director-duo, Manisha and Neeraj Jain say, “We are hoping for good sales since bookings have been positive.” Explaining further about the new product categories they add, “We recently launched a range in the junior wear segment and are already into woolens. Right now we make only bottom wear but plan to get into tops and lounge wear under Dove brand by summer ’13.” Initially starting off as an Indian wear brand, the company gradually introduced Indo-western wear. “We launched Dove in 2005 and in the April 2010, we acquired a brand called Madrona. Under Dove, we manufacture ethnic wear and under Madrona, we offer our Indo western range,” elaborates Jain. The collection includes woolen kurtis, woolen tops, woolen coats, woolen pants, woolen tunics, mufflers, shawls and leggings. In woolen bottom wear, the range includes leggings, churidars, bandhgalas, jeggings, pants and pajamas. “Offering quality products at reasonable prices is our company’s mantra and we stick to consistency in innovative designs,” Jain explains. Starting with a small corporate chain store, today the company has 450 dealers supplying to big retailers. Covering the northern region comprising of the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Bihar, Jharkhand, Haryana, Delhi, UP, Uttaranchal, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chattisgarh in a span of five years, the collections are available with over 800 MBOs like C&M, Big Life Ritu Wears and six or seven Ludhiana direct factory outlets. Apart from launching an e-commerce platform expansion in Tier II and Tier III cities is also on the anvil. As per its retail strategy, the company is now planning to step into Gujarat, Maharashtra and the south. “That means we will add at least 200 MBOs. In large formats, we supply to Lifestyle and Reliance Trends. Next year we will open exclusive outlets starting with the north in places like Delhi and Punjab,” Jain adds. Source: Fashion United

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Out of 421 GCs passing out of IMA

Gentlemen Cadets (GC) from the country passing out at this year’s Indian Military Academy (IMA) parade on December 8, Uttar Pradesh has the maximum share with a total of 76 GCs coming from the most populous state of the country.The demographic statistics of GCs passing out of 131 regular and other parallel courses released by the IMA today had Uttar Pradesh topping the list followed by Haryana with 50 GCs. Uttarakhand stands third with 46 GCs (10.92 per cent). The youth of the small hill state of Uttarakhand with a population of over 1 crore have shown excellent results in terms of its representation in the academy in recent years.There are 30 GCs from Maharashtra, 25 from Rajasthan, 23 from Madhya Pradesh, 22 from Himachal Pradesh, 20 each from Punjab and Delhi and 11 from Kerala. Similarly, 14 GCs from the trouble-torn state of Jammu and Kashmir will pass out whereas four GCs are from the terror-infested Manipur in the North-East. Nagaland and Tripura have one GC each. There are 10 GCs from West Bengal and 13 GCs each from Andhra Pradesh and Bihar. Five GCs are from Tamil Nadu and nine are from the southern state of Karnataka.The Union Territory of Chandigarh has four GCs. Jharkhand too has five GCs. Five GCs are from Gujarat, four are from Assam, two from Chattisgarh, five GCs are from Orissa and two GCs from Meghalaya. Among other highlights of the parade, there is one GC from Nepal who has opted to join the Indian Army. According to the Indo-Nepal Friendship Treaty, Nepalese citizens can be absorbed as commissioned officers in the Indian Army. Source: Atrashastra, Image: photobucket.com

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First Solar engaged for 50 MW in solar projects in India

First Solar, Inc. will partner with Kiran Energy and Mahindra Solar One to build two PV solar power plants totaling 50 MW in India's Rajasthan state. The two adjacent projects, which together will be one of India's largest PV installations upon completion, are part of the second batch of utility-scale solar projects concluded under India's Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (NSM). "First Solar looks forward to working with two leading companies like Kiran and Mahindra Solar One to support India's renewable energy goals, and we are pleased they selected our technology as the best solution for the high ambient temperatures and diffuse sunlight conditions here," said Sujoy Ghosh, First Solar's India Country Head. The NSM aims to install 20,000 MW of new solar electricity generating capacity by 2022. First Solar will supply more than 585,000 of its advanced, thin-film solar modules for the two projects of 30 MWDC and 20 MWDC. Construction on both projects is expected to begin this year and be completed in the first quarter of 2013. "This is a very exciting project for us," said Pramoda Karkal, Chief Operating Officer of Kiran Energy, "especially so because Kiran Energy, as well as our joint venture, Mahindra Solar One, will own the largest solar power plant aggregation in a single location in India. "We are also very happy about our partnership with First Solar, which is providing its world-class PV technology. This will enable us to create a high-quality solar plant that could rank among the best in the country in terms of quality, uptime and output," he said. Together, the side-by-side projects are expected to produce an average of more than 85,000 megawatt-hours of clean electricity per year, equivalent to the annual electricity needs of more than 97,000 average Indian households. They will also displace more than 80,000 metric tons of CO2 per year based on the national averages. Source:  Renewable Energy Magazine, Image: photobucket.com

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Yuvraj hits majestic double ton in Duleep Trophy

Hyderabad: Yuvraj Singh carried on from where he left on Sunday as he completed a well-deserved double century to put North in a comfortable position at stumps on the second day of their Duleep Trophy semi-final against Central Zone on Monday. Undefeated on 133 overnight, Yuvraj scored a magnificent 208 off only 241 balls with the help of 33 boundaries and three huge sixes as North managed a commendable 451 in 119.2 overs. Central then crawled to 146 for five in 58 overs when stumps were drawn. They still need 306 runs to get an all-important first innings lead which now looks highly unlikely. It was another day which was dominated by Yuvraj's blade as he added 75 runs to his overnight score and in the process scored 58 of those runs in boundaries. He added 13 more fours to his 20 hits and another big six to the couple he hit off Murali Kartik on Sunday. However, the lower middle-order of the North Zone couldn't provide him a lot of support as he was the only player who attacked the Central bowling. Yuvraj was finally removed by India discard Murali Kartik who caught the batsman off his own bowling. The Central openers Tanmay Srivastava and Vineet Saxena sedately added 64 runs in 30-odd overs but their defensive approach only increased the pressure on the team. While Srivastava was run-out after making 23 off 89 balls, Saxena's painstaking innings of 33 made off 115 balls ended when Amit Mishra got him caught by Yuvraj. However, it was Delhi speedster Parvinder Awana who did the crucial job of removing the in-form Rajasthan duo of Ashok Menaria and Robin Bist. Brief Scores: North Zone 451 all out in 119.2 overs (Yuvraj Singh 208, Shikhar Dhawan 121, M Kartik 4/120, P Kumar 4/92). Central Zone 146/5 (V Saxena 33, Parvinder Awana 2/29). *** Source: News Bullet

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Wildlife News: 12 peacocks found dead in Bhilwara

1 June 2011, Twelve peacocks were found dead in a farm near the forest area at Hamirgarh at Bhilwara district on Tuesday. The reason behind the deaths are not clear. A team of forest officials have reached the spot to inquire in to, said a forest official. State president of People for Animals Babulal Jaju has demanded strong action against the guilty. Jaju approached the superintendent of police & officers of the forest department to bring the guilty to book. "The rising cases of poaching of peacocks in the district is due to the lackadaisical attitude of the police & the forest department. The head of forest forces & the CMO ought to take up the matter urgently," they said. The Wildlife Conservation Act 1972 provides for six years confinement & a fine of Rs 50,000 for killing the national bird. But in Rajasthan the crime seems unabated. The state has been seeing the poaching of peacocks in places like Haler, Ojaira, Jahajpur etc. "It is the incapability of the police & the forest department that the criminals have not been caught so far while the poaching of the national bird continues," they said. Recently, the Union surroundings minister Jairam Ramesh, concerned over the rise in peacock poaching, ordered a study to evaluate their number in the country. The ministry has asked the Bombay Natural History Society to get the study done.Read Full: Wildlife News: 12 peacocks found dead in Bhilwara:

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“Samvatsari”, The Festival Of Forgiveness

“No one is perfect” is a very old saying and applies to everyone on this earth. Every creature does some mistakes but, there exists a superpower which forgives them, which gives them another chance to start their life moving on the right path. We, human beings are more prone to committing mistakes. We hurt others with our thoughts, words and deeds. The sense of self is another reason which leads to disputes with our friends and loved ones. The sense of self is also the one which holds us from asking for forgiveness and forgiving others. “Samvatsari” is the festival of forgiveness, which is celebrated by Jains on the last day of Paryushan. This day arrives after the religious period of ‘Samvatsar / Paryushan’. This period of ‘samvatsar’ comes 50 days after and 70 days before the close of the Chaturmas [four months] period. Sometimes the ‘samvatsar’
may vary between 49 days after and  71 days before the close of the ‘Chaturmas’. Shwetamabar Jains celebrate Paryushan Parva over a period of eight days. Whereas in Digambar Jain sect, Paryushan is known as “Das Lakshan Parva” which is celebrated over a period of ten days and the last day is celebrated as “Samvatsari”. Jains seek forgiveness on this auspicious day from all creatures of the world they may have hurt knowingly or unknowingly by thoughts, words or actions, by uttering the phrase “Michhami Dukkadam”. “Michhami Dukkadam” is an ancient Prakrit phrase meaning “I beg your forgiveness”. People visit their friends and relatives to greet “Michhami Dukkadam” and pledge that no private dispute or quarrel may be taken beyond this day of “Samvatsari”. On this pious day of Samvatsari, Jains keep fasting and next day they take breakfast which is known as Parna. In Udaipur, Samvatsari is celebrated today by Sthaanak Vaasi Shwetambar Jains, whereas Murti Pujak Sangh celebrated the festival yesterday.“Source: Udaipurtimes

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Tiger cub spotted in Sariska

Jaipur, Aug 8 (IANS) A tigress in Rajasthan's Sariska Tiger Reserve has reportedly delivered a cub. On Tuesday, the tigress and the cub were captured on camera. This is encouraging news, Minister of Forest and Environment Bina Kak said here. The tigress has been spotted at Kalighati and Slopka areas of the sanctuary. Wild life officials are trying to secure more photographs of the animal. The Sariska reserve now has five adult tigers, of which three are females and two males. With a cub spotted now, the total number is now six. In 2004-05, the forest department and the Rajasthan government faced all-round criticism over the disappearance of tigers from Sariska. The state government then decided to relocate tigers from the Ranthambore National Park in Sawai Madhopur district to Sariska. The Sariska reserve, originally a hunting preserve of the erstwhile princely state of Alwar, was declared a wildlife reserve in 1955. It got the status of a National Park in 1979. Source: News Track India, Image: flickr.com

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Ghazal king Mehdi Hassan passes away

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Indian Express: India-born Ghazal legend Mehdi Hassan, the melodious voice behind evergreen hits like 'Patta patta, boota boota' and 'Kab ke Bichhare', died today following multiple organ failure at the age of 84. Mehdi Hassan wanted to visit India; meet Lata Mangeshkar, Big B Hassan, who had millions of fans in India and Pakistan, had been admitted to the Agha Khan Hospital in the southern port city of Karachi some days ago. He had been in a serious condition and was on ventilator. "My father passed away at 12:22 PM after a long battle against different ailments," his son Arif Hassan said. Hundreds of fans gathered at the hospital on learning of his death. Hassan was born into a family of traditional musicians at Luna village in India's Rajasthan state in 1927. His family migrated to Pakistan at the time of Partition in 1947. Hassan cut back on his performances in the late 1980s due to illness. Prime Minister Gilani expressed grief and sorrow at the death of Hussan. In a message, he said Hassan was "an icon who mesmerised music lovers not only in Pakistan but also in the subcontinent for many decades." Hassan, who last performed in India in 2000, wanted to visit the country again, a dream which remained unfulfilled. Arif had even received the visa in April for Hassan's treatment in an Indian hospital but they could not travel as singer's condition deteriorated. Considered one of the most successful ghazal singers of Pakistan, Hassan was trained in classical music by his father Ustad Azeem Khan and his uncle Ustad Ismail Khan who were both well respected classical musicians. He started to perform at a young age and his first concert was on Dhrupad and Kheyal with his elder brother. Hassan was bestowed with the title of Shahenshah-e-Ghazal (The King of Ghazal singing) by his fans for infusing a new breath of life in the art form. The legend also played an important role of the cultural ambassador between India and Pakistan and visited his birth country several times. Hassan started primarily as a thumri singer and earned recognition within the musical fraternity in Pakistan at the time when Ustad Barkat Ali Khan, Begum Akhtar and Mukhtar Begum were considered the stalwarts of ghazal singing. There was a time in Pakistan's film industry when a film was considered incomplete without Hassan's voice. In 2010, "Sarhadein" was released which has the first and last duet song "Tera Milna" by Mehdi Hassan and Lata Mangeshkar, who once called Hassan the "voice of God". Hassan recorded it in Pakistan in 2009, and Lata later heard the track and recorded her part in India in 2010 and it was later mixed together for a duet. Source:  Indian Express

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Now, Aamir Khan to connect through radio

New Delhi, After being widely appreciated for his TV show 'Satyamev Jayate', actor Aamir Khan will now connect with millions of radio listeners in a programme called 'Dil Pe Lagi Aur Baat Bani'. From tomorrow, the show anchored by Aamir will be broadcast every Saturday at 11 am on primary channels of All India Radio covering Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan and West Bengal. It will be also available on all Vividh Bharati stations of AIR on Saturdays at 3.30 pm, a statement by Prasar Bharati said. 'Dil Pe Lagi Aur Baat Bani' aims at stringing together real-life incidents touching a common chord across people of the country. Source: Indian Express 

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Rel Power gets ADB funds for solar plant

Press Trust Of India, Jodhpur: To help boost private investment inrenewable energy, multilateral lending agency ADB today announced $103 million loan to Reliance Power for setting up a 100-MW solar plant in Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan. "I would like to to inform you that ADB has just agreed to extend financing for Reliance Power's 100-MW concentrated solar thermal plant which will be one of the largest solar power generation facilities in India and Asia as well," ADB director general (regional and sustainable development Department) S Chander said. He was addressing the inaugural session of the fourth Asia Solar Energy Forum here, which is being attended by several public and private sector experts, investors, and companies. The plant, which is expected to be completed in May, 2013, will cost around USD 415 million. Besides ADB, other bilateral agencies and local lenders will provide funds for the project. It will be the firstsolar energy plant built by Reliance Power, which is a listed company of the Reliance ADA Group. Under the government's ambitious Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (NSM) that started in January, 2010, the country aims to have 2,000 MW of installed solar power generation capacity by 2013, which would be further increased to 10,000 MW by 2017 and to 20,000 MW by 2022. Reliance Power was one of the successful bidders to develop 470 MW of concentrating solar power capacity under the first phase of the NSM. The plant will be located near Dhursar, Jaisalmer. The site has one of the highest levels of direct sunlight in the country. The plant is estimated to avoid more than 2.5 lakh tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions every year, compared to the energy produced by a conventional fossil fuel plant. The project will share a transmission line with the Dahanu solar power plant. which is also partly financed by the ADB. Source: Financial Express, Image: commons.wikimedia.org

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WB approves USD 109 million grant for Rajasthan

Financial Express, Washington: The World Bank  has  approved  a  USD 109 million grant for Rajasthan to promote water-efficient agriculture through sustainable and efficient use of resources in the desert state. The fund, approved yesterday for the Rajasthan Agricultural Competitiveness Project, is expected to benefit some 1,55,000 farmers, mainly those with small land holdings in the state. "Rajasthan has limited water resources and is facing an increasing constraint on its availability, in particular for agriculture. Improving productivity in irrigated agriculture and achieving  productivity gains in rain-fed farming are one of the great untapped opportunities of the agriculture sector in the state," said Venu Rajamony, Joint Secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs.  He noted that the initiatives under the project are expected to help farmers move from low value and water-guzzling crops to high value farming, as aimed in state's water policy of 2010.  It is also expected to increase productivity through efficient management of water and crops, improved farming technology, farmer organisations and market innovations in some 20 selected areas of around 10,000 hectares each across 10 Agro-Ecological Zones. The primary focus of the project is to reduce agricultural water footprint by improving harvest, capture, collection, delivery and distribution of water for crops and livestock dependent on various sources of the natural resource.  It also aims at efficient use of water in farms apart from increasing moisture and fertility in the soil and promote market-oriented production, a World Bank statement said."The agricultural sector needs an end-to-end approach ranging from water management to better agricultural practices and marketing," World Bank Country Director for India, Roberto Zagha said. He said the initiative will bring various related stand-alone efforts like "water user associations, agriculture technology transfer, farmer producer groups, and marketing development" under one umbrella "through a holistic approach" Image Link Flickr, Source: Financial Express

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Mahavir Jayanti

The most significant of all Jain festivals, Mahavir Jayanti rejoices the birth anniversary of Vardhaman Mahavir, the originator of Jainism and the 24th tirthankar (spiritual guru) of the faith. Mahavir was born sometime in the 7th century BC, and his birth anniversary is celebrated with much dedication at Jain temples across the country. Shrines and temples are decorated with
flags for the event, and on the day of the festival, the idol of the tirthankar is given a ceremony bath before being taken out, ensconced in a cradle, in a grand pageant. The tradition of donating money, food and clothing to the poor is also a vital feature of celebrating Mahavir Jayanti. Important Jain shrines such as Sri Mahavirji in Rajasthan; Girnar and Palitana in Gujarat; Parasnath Temple (Kolkata) and Pawapuri in Bihar host major celebrations to mark Mahavir Jayanti. ***

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