Sixth Central Pay Commission: DRDO facing attrition problem: Defence Minister
20 Oct 2008, 2214 hrs IST, PTI
NEW DELHI: Country's premier defence research organisation DRDO is facing the attrition problems as 785 defence scientists have resigned in the last three years.
The government has offered various incentives for scientists in the Sixth Central Pay Commission (CPC) report, the Lok Sabha was informed on Monday.
"A number of incentives were recommended by the CPC, which have been accepted and implemented by the government, " defence minister A K Antony said in a written reply to a question on exodus of scientists from DRDO.
Incentives to arrest the attrition rate in DRDO include providing career enhancement opportunities to scientists by granting them study leaves, sending them to attend conferences and seminars and long term training courses.
"DRDO is providing study leaves to scientists for acquiring higher qualifications like PhDs, Masters Degrees. Scientists are sponsored to go and attend conferences and seminars and for long term courses for research both within and outside the country," Antony said.
The minister added that a lot of stress was being laid upon by DRDO to mentor young scientists along with improving their work environment and social life in DRDO campuses.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Sixth pay commission: 584 Army officers seek pre-mature retirement: Antony
Sixth pay commission: 584 Army officers seek pre-mature retirement: Antony
New Delhi, Oct 20: As many as 584 officers from the Army have sought pre-mature retirement from services since March this year but the Government said it was not due to resentment over the sixth pay commission recommendations.
"No officer of navy, air force has sought pre-mature retirement on the ground of dissatisfaction with the Six Central Pay Commission report. However, in the Army, since March 2008, a total number of 584 officers have applied for premature retirement/resignation," Defence Minister A K Antony said replying to a question in the Lok Sabha.
Antony said the officials seek retirement on the "ground of non-empanelment, compassionate ground, low medical category, failure to acquire minimum technical qualification and better employment in civil life".
"From this, it cannot be ascertained that they have sought an exit due to resentment against the Sixth Pay Commission Report," he said.
The Defence Services, led by their Chiefs, have refused to implement the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations, alleging that their status and honour were compromised.
Antony, while replying to a question by BJP's V K Malhotra and Santosh Gangwar, said the Services had submitted a detailed representation to the Government brining out certain issues arising out of the Sixth Pay Commission report.
"The Government has reached a decision on most of the issues," he said adding that a few more subsequent issues have been raised by the Services namely grant of higher grade pay to Service officers, placement of Lt-Col and equivalents in Pay Band 4 and reinstatement of pensionary weightages for Personnel Below Officer Rank (PBOR).
The Centre on September 25 set up a committee headed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee with Antony and Finance Minister P Chidambaram as members to look into the grievances of the armed forces.
"The Government has decided that External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee will look into the issues raised by the Services and give recommendations in consultation with the Defence Minister and Finance Minister," Antony said.
After the government notification was issued on August 29, issues of "anomalies" in the pay for officers were first raised by Air chief Fali Homi Major in his letter in his capacity as acting Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee.
Chiefs of Navy and Army too have voiced their resentment in letters to the government.
The armed forces are demanding that the government place Lieutenant-Colonels and their equivalents in Pay Band-4, ensure parity in Grade Pay of officers from Captains to Brigadiers with their civilian counterparts, accord the Higher Administrative Grade Plus status in pay scales to Lieutenant Generals and restore 70 per cent pensionary benefits to jawans.
Mukherjee held discussions with Chidambaram last week on the issue after consultations with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Girl asks Rahul about safety of women in Delhi Ramnagar (Uttarakhand), Oct 20 (PTI) Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, who began his three-day tour to Uttarakhand today, was asked by a young girl why women are not safe in Delhi.
"Girls are not safe in Delhi. What is your Congress government doing in this regard," was the poser to Rahul. "I cannot say what the government is doing. Political leaders do not have much information. I will definitely look into the matter," said Rahul, as he faced a volley of questions from college girls at Ramnagar.
As he arrived in this Corbett City, Rahul drove to Dhikuli area where he interacted with nearly 2,000 girls from different colleges of Kumaon region.
Another girl asked Rahul why the voice of the youth is being suppressed in Congress.
To this question, Rahul said: "It is not true. NSUI is a very good organisation where we welcome new talent and one can easily create a niche at the national level."
The programme "Talaash Nai Pratibha Ki" (search for new talent) was organised by NSUI in which its top leaders like Meenakshi Natrajan and Amrita Dhawan were also present.
Earlier in the town, police took into custody nearly a dozen ABVP workers for showing black flags and raising slogans against Rahul.
Savitri Sharma asked Rahul whether he took a bath after having food with Dalits.
"You wait for another four years, you will get the answer in Uttar Pradesh," was his refrain.
When a girl wanted to know about his reaction to the alleged beating of north Indians in Mumbai, Rahul said some political parties are indulging in petty politics for small gains.
Bureau Report
http://www.zeenews.com/
New Delhi, Oct 20: As many as 584 officers from the Army have sought pre-mature retirement from services since March this year but the Government said it was not due to resentment over the sixth pay commission recommendations.
"No officer of navy, air force has sought pre-mature retirement on the ground of dissatisfaction with the Six Central Pay Commission report. However, in the Army, since March 2008, a total number of 584 officers have applied for premature retirement/resignation," Defence Minister A K Antony said replying to a question in the Lok Sabha.
Antony said the officials seek retirement on the "ground of non-empanelment, compassionate ground, low medical category, failure to acquire minimum technical qualification and better employment in civil life".
"From this, it cannot be ascertained that they have sought an exit due to resentment against the Sixth Pay Commission Report," he said.
The Defence Services, led by their Chiefs, have refused to implement the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations, alleging that their status and honour were compromised.
Antony, while replying to a question by BJP's V K Malhotra and Santosh Gangwar, said the Services had submitted a detailed representation to the Government brining out certain issues arising out of the Sixth Pay Commission report.
"The Government has reached a decision on most of the issues," he said adding that a few more subsequent issues have been raised by the Services namely grant of higher grade pay to Service officers, placement of Lt-Col and equivalents in Pay Band 4 and reinstatement of pensionary weightages for Personnel Below Officer Rank (PBOR).
The Centre on September 25 set up a committee headed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee with Antony and Finance Minister P Chidambaram as members to look into the grievances of the armed forces.
"The Government has decided that External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee will look into the issues raised by the Services and give recommendations in consultation with the Defence Minister and Finance Minister," Antony said.
After the government notification was issued on August 29, issues of "anomalies" in the pay for officers were first raised by Air chief Fali Homi Major in his letter in his capacity as acting Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee.
Chiefs of Navy and Army too have voiced their resentment in letters to the government.
The armed forces are demanding that the government place Lieutenant-Colonels and their equivalents in Pay Band-4, ensure parity in Grade Pay of officers from Captains to Brigadiers with their civilian counterparts, accord the Higher Administrative Grade Plus status in pay scales to Lieutenant Generals and restore 70 per cent pensionary benefits to jawans.
Mukherjee held discussions with Chidambaram last week on the issue after consultations with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Girl asks Rahul about safety of women in Delhi Ramnagar (Uttarakhand), Oct 20 (PTI) Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, who began his three-day tour to Uttarakhand today, was asked by a young girl why women are not safe in Delhi.
"Girls are not safe in Delhi. What is your Congress government doing in this regard," was the poser to Rahul. "I cannot say what the government is doing. Political leaders do not have much information. I will definitely look into the matter," said Rahul, as he faced a volley of questions from college girls at Ramnagar.
As he arrived in this Corbett City, Rahul drove to Dhikuli area where he interacted with nearly 2,000 girls from different colleges of Kumaon region.
Another girl asked Rahul why the voice of the youth is being suppressed in Congress.
To this question, Rahul said: "It is not true. NSUI is a very good organisation where we welcome new talent and one can easily create a niche at the national level."
The programme "Talaash Nai Pratibha Ki" (search for new talent) was organised by NSUI in which its top leaders like Meenakshi Natrajan and Amrita Dhawan were also present.
Earlier in the town, police took into custody nearly a dozen ABVP workers for showing black flags and raising slogans against Rahul.
Savitri Sharma asked Rahul whether he took a bath after having food with Dalits.
"You wait for another four years, you will get the answer in Uttar Pradesh," was his refrain.
When a girl wanted to know about his reaction to the alleged beating of north Indians in Mumbai, Rahul said some political parties are indulging in petty politics for small gains.
Bureau Report
http://www.zeenews.com/
Sixth Central Pay Commission: Resentment Among Personnel Against Report of Sixth Pay Commission
Sixth Central Pay Commission: Resentment Among Personnel Against Report of Sixth Pay Commission
Monday, October 20, 2008
Lok Sabha
The Services had submitted a detailed representation to the Government bringing out certain issues arising out of the report of the Sixth Central Pay Commission. The Government has decided on most of the issues. Subsequently, few more issues have been raised by the Services viz. grant of higher grade pay to Service officers, placement of Lt. Col. and equivalent in PB-4, reinstatement of pensionary weightages for Personnel Below Officer Rank (PBOR), providing HAG + Pay Band for Lt. Generals and equivalent holding post of Principal Staff Officer, Director Generals, Controllers, etc.
No officer of Navy, Air Force has sought pre-mature retirement (PMR) on the ground of dis-satisfaction with the Sixth Central Pay Commission Report. However, in the Army, since March, 2008 a total number of 584 officers (less Army Medical Corps/Army Dental Corps & Military Nursing Service) have applied for pre-mature retirement/resignation on ground of non-empanelment, compassionate ground, low medical category, failure to acquire minimum technical qualification and better employment in civil life. However, from this it cannot be ascertained that they have sought an exit due to resentment against Sixth Pay Commission Report.
The Government have decided that the Minister of External Affairs will look into the issues raised by the Services and give recommendations, in consultation with the Defence Minister and the Finance Minister.
This information was given by Defence Minister Shri AK Antony in a written reply to Prof Vijay Kumar Malhotra and Shri Santosh Gangwar in Lok Sabha today.
Samir/RAJ
Source: http://pib.nic.in/
Tags: Sixth Pay Commission,6th Pay Commission,6th Central Pay Commission
Monday, October 20, 2008
Lok Sabha
The Services had submitted a detailed representation to the Government bringing out certain issues arising out of the report of the Sixth Central Pay Commission. The Government has decided on most of the issues. Subsequently, few more issues have been raised by the Services viz. grant of higher grade pay to Service officers, placement of Lt. Col. and equivalent in PB-4, reinstatement of pensionary weightages for Personnel Below Officer Rank (PBOR), providing HAG + Pay Band for Lt. Generals and equivalent holding post of Principal Staff Officer, Director Generals, Controllers, etc.
No officer of Navy, Air Force has sought pre-mature retirement (PMR) on the ground of dis-satisfaction with the Sixth Central Pay Commission Report. However, in the Army, since March, 2008 a total number of 584 officers (less Army Medical Corps/Army Dental Corps & Military Nursing Service) have applied for pre-mature retirement/resignation on ground of non-empanelment, compassionate ground, low medical category, failure to acquire minimum technical qualification and better employment in civil life. However, from this it cannot be ascertained that they have sought an exit due to resentment against Sixth Pay Commission Report.
The Government have decided that the Minister of External Affairs will look into the issues raised by the Services and give recommendations, in consultation with the Defence Minister and the Finance Minister.
This information was given by Defence Minister Shri AK Antony in a written reply to Prof Vijay Kumar Malhotra and Shri Santosh Gangwar in Lok Sabha today.
Samir/RAJ
Source: http://pib.nic.in/
Tags: Sixth Pay Commission,6th Pay Commission,6th Central Pay Commission
Sixth Pay Commission: Armed forces short of 13,830 officers
Sixth Pay Commission: Armed forces short of 13,830 officers
The armed forces are facing a shortage of 13,830 officers. This was stated by Defence Minister A K Antony while replying to a question in Parliament on shortage of officers in the armed forces.
"There is a shortage of 11,119 officers in army, 13,59 officers in navy and 13,52 officers in air force. Armed forces have 53,849 officers against a sanctioned strength of 67,679," Antony said.
The Defence Minister listed the various steps taken up to tackle the shortfall of officers by the government. These steps include extension of Short Service Commission (SSC) officers, implementation of both phases of A V Singh Committee report and implementation of the Sixth Central Pay Commission (CPC) report.
"Tenure of SSC officers has been increased to 14 years, Phase 1 of A V Singh committee was implemented earlier, which resulted in upgrade of 750 Lieutenant-Colonel level posts to the Colonel level,” he said.
"Phase 2 of the report has also been cleared for implementation creating or upgrading 1,896 additional posts in ranks of Colonel, Brigadier, Major-General and Lieutenant- General and equivalents in other two services," the Defence minister said.
Antony said implementation of the 6th pay commission recommendations will help in arresting shortfall of officers in armed forces.
Source: http://howrah.org/
Tags: Sixth Pay Commission,6th Pay Commission,6th Central Pay Commission
The armed forces are facing a shortage of 13,830 officers. This was stated by Defence Minister A K Antony while replying to a question in Parliament on shortage of officers in the armed forces.
"There is a shortage of 11,119 officers in army, 13,59 officers in navy and 13,52 officers in air force. Armed forces have 53,849 officers against a sanctioned strength of 67,679," Antony said.
The Defence Minister listed the various steps taken up to tackle the shortfall of officers by the government. These steps include extension of Short Service Commission (SSC) officers, implementation of both phases of A V Singh Committee report and implementation of the Sixth Central Pay Commission (CPC) report.
"Tenure of SSC officers has been increased to 14 years, Phase 1 of A V Singh committee was implemented earlier, which resulted in upgrade of 750 Lieutenant-Colonel level posts to the Colonel level,” he said.
"Phase 2 of the report has also been cleared for implementation creating or upgrading 1,896 additional posts in ranks of Colonel, Brigadier, Major-General and Lieutenant- General and equivalents in other two services," the Defence minister said.
Antony said implementation of the 6th pay commission recommendations will help in arresting shortfall of officers in armed forces.
Source: http://howrah.org/
Tags: Sixth Pay Commission,6th Pay Commission,6th Central Pay Commission
Sixth Pay Commission: Too serious a business to be left to the car dealer
Sixth Pay Commission: Too serious a business to be left to the car dealer
When you buy a car, usually the car dealer offers first-year insurance free of cost. Instead of passively accepting this freebie, look closely at the policy to see if it offers you comprehensive and adequate cover
September and October have always been favourable months for car manufacturers as the festive season propels their sales higher. This year, besides festive fervour, the Sixth Pay Commission's payouts have filled car showrooms to the brim with prospective buyers. According to industry estimates and company figures, in September the top six manufacturers in India notched up a 2.4 per cent year-on-year rise in car sales.
If you are buying a car this season, pay heed to the insurance cover and make sure that it is comprehensive and adequate. Vehicle insurance protects you against several risks: theft, damage, death of driver or passenger, and damage caused by your car to some other vehicle, person or property. Although tailor-made covers have not debuted in the market yet, cut throat competition is working in the interest of consumers. With the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) freeing up prices in the general insurance space — motor, fire and engineering — in January this year, there is much scope for you to bargain and get the best possible rate.
Tumbling rates, soaring discounts
Motor insurance consists of two main parts: own damage and third-party liability. According to the law of the land, every vehicle owner must have at least third-party liability cover. The regulator has freed only the own damage insurance cover rates so far. Depending on the size and the make of the car, own damage rates have come down almost 20 to 40 per cent. Says Rahul Aggarwal, chief executive officer, Optima Brokers: "The premium for a comprehensive insurance cover has fallen between 25 and 40 per cent depending on the type of car. The fall has been more in case of premium cars that cost Rs 10 lakh and above. For smaller cars like the Santro and Maruti Alto, the drop has been nearly 20 per cent."
While the regulator freed up pricing in January, the premium rates fell steeply only during the last four months. Insurers initially started off by offering 10 per cent discount, then slowly graduated to 20 per cent, and now are giving discounts as high as 40 per cent.
Main components of the policy
A vehicle insurance cover has the following main components:
Own damage. This cover entitles you to claim compensation in the event of damage or theft of your vehicle. Various factors dictate the premium of a standard policy: type of vehicle, its engine capacity, its age, and the region in which it is registered. While these are the broad parameters, the exact premium for your car is calculated on the basis of its insured declared value (IDV). When buying a policy, never compromise on this value as this is the amount that the insurance company will pay you if your car gets completely damaged or stolen. Beware: a steep discount in premium might mean a lower IDV. While buying the policy always ask for the exact IDV to get an idea of the insurance amount you are likely to get in case of a casualty. The IDV of a vehicle declines with age (insurers generally give a depreciation schedule for up to five years).
Third party. According to the Insurance Act, it is compulsory to have third-party liability cover. In metropolitian cities it becomes imperative to have such a cover due to higher chances of accidents.
"Third party liability under the insurance law in India is unlimited," says M. Ramadoss, chairman and managing director, Oriental General Insurance. That means if you hit a person on the road, then the liability is unlimited. In case of property damage, the liability is limited to Rs 7.5 lakh.
Points to remember
Here are key aspects that you should keep in mind while buying vehicle insurance:
Premium. The insurance regulator has freed the pricing of products but not the wordings. Therefore, the whole industry is selling more or less the same product. Pricing is the only tool in their hands for driving sales. Use this to your advantage. "A customer must insist on getting quotes from different companies. Ask a friend who has the same car what premium he pays. By doing a bit of legwork and haggling, a customer can get discounts as high as 40-50 per cent," says Ramadoss.
You can bargain for a lower premium in case you have a no-claim (or fairly low claim record) history. “Longer the claim history, higher is the premium levied by companies,”says Eswaranatarajan N., head, motor insurance, ICICI Lombard General Insurance.
Moreover, keep in mind that you can transfer the vehicle insurance from your old vehicle to the new one. “The no-claim bonus goes with the driver and not with the vehicle. So when you sell a vehicle and buy a new one, the no-claim bonus from the earlier vehicle can be transferred to the new one,” he adds.
Co-payment clause. Watch out for the co-payment clause, also known as excess. While offering a lower premium, insurers pass on some of the risk to the customer using this clause. In case of a claim, the expense will then have to be borne by both the insurer and the insured. Hence, avoid the co-payment clause even if it means paying a higher premium.
Claims and customer service. These are the two most important criteria that should be kept in mind while buying or renewing a policy. Today one out of every three vehicles meets with an accident. Hence customer service plays an prominent role. According to Darvesh Panchal, practice leader, Prudent Brokers, "The ease of getting a claim settled without any hassles is a big factor in motor insurance. Always look for companies that offer cashless facility (i.e., they get the vehicle repaired at an empanelled garage). Also check out what other value-added services they provide."
A few dealers or brokers help their customers in getting the claim. "The most important thing to look for in the dealer or the intermediary is the services he offers. See how qualified and geared up the intermediary is to provide claim support and information," says Aggarwal.
In case of total loss or theft, it takes more than three months to settle the claim. In case of theft, the insured has to lodge a complaint in the local police station and wait till it issues a non-traceable report. The process takes about three months. And needless to add, it requires you to make several rounds of the court and the police station. It is only after this report is submitted that the insurance company starts its work of paying you the claim. Any help that you can get from the broker or dealer will come as welcome relief.
More regulatory changes needed
While the regulator has freed up pricing control, general insurance companies do not yet enjoy the freedom to alter the wordings of the policy. Says Eswaranatarajan N., “Today only the premiums have been de-tarriffed and not the products. What we sell in the market is basically one product with a common set of policy wordings. To open up the market and in the interest of the consumer, it is anticipated that the regulator will introduce flexibility in wordings and allow new products.”
N.K. Kedia, director (marketing), Iffco Tokio General Insurance too feels the same. “Freedom in wordings would allow us to come out with innovative products. The industry would then develop on the lines of matured markets. This move will be in the consumer's interest as it will allow introduction of new products, and lead to greater choice."
Ramadoss of Oriental Insurance is of the view that greater regulatory vigil is the need of the hour. “There should be strict vigilance against uninsured vehicles. The government should take action against them. Because so many vehicles remain uninsured, there is a lot of leakage of premium. After this is taken care of, premium rates will come down further,” he says.
Till these regulatory changes come about, make the best of the current regime and get yourself a comprehensive cover at the lowest possible cost.
Source: http://www.financialexpress.com/
When you buy a car, usually the car dealer offers first-year insurance free of cost. Instead of passively accepting this freebie, look closely at the policy to see if it offers you comprehensive and adequate cover
September and October have always been favourable months for car manufacturers as the festive season propels their sales higher. This year, besides festive fervour, the Sixth Pay Commission's payouts have filled car showrooms to the brim with prospective buyers. According to industry estimates and company figures, in September the top six manufacturers in India notched up a 2.4 per cent year-on-year rise in car sales.
If you are buying a car this season, pay heed to the insurance cover and make sure that it is comprehensive and adequate. Vehicle insurance protects you against several risks: theft, damage, death of driver or passenger, and damage caused by your car to some other vehicle, person or property. Although tailor-made covers have not debuted in the market yet, cut throat competition is working in the interest of consumers. With the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) freeing up prices in the general insurance space — motor, fire and engineering — in January this year, there is much scope for you to bargain and get the best possible rate.
Tumbling rates, soaring discounts
Motor insurance consists of two main parts: own damage and third-party liability. According to the law of the land, every vehicle owner must have at least third-party liability cover. The regulator has freed only the own damage insurance cover rates so far. Depending on the size and the make of the car, own damage rates have come down almost 20 to 40 per cent. Says Rahul Aggarwal, chief executive officer, Optima Brokers: "The premium for a comprehensive insurance cover has fallen between 25 and 40 per cent depending on the type of car. The fall has been more in case of premium cars that cost Rs 10 lakh and above. For smaller cars like the Santro and Maruti Alto, the drop has been nearly 20 per cent."
While the regulator freed up pricing in January, the premium rates fell steeply only during the last four months. Insurers initially started off by offering 10 per cent discount, then slowly graduated to 20 per cent, and now are giving discounts as high as 40 per cent.
Main components of the policy
A vehicle insurance cover has the following main components:
Own damage. This cover entitles you to claim compensation in the event of damage or theft of your vehicle. Various factors dictate the premium of a standard policy: type of vehicle, its engine capacity, its age, and the region in which it is registered. While these are the broad parameters, the exact premium for your car is calculated on the basis of its insured declared value (IDV). When buying a policy, never compromise on this value as this is the amount that the insurance company will pay you if your car gets completely damaged or stolen. Beware: a steep discount in premium might mean a lower IDV. While buying the policy always ask for the exact IDV to get an idea of the insurance amount you are likely to get in case of a casualty. The IDV of a vehicle declines with age (insurers generally give a depreciation schedule for up to five years).
Third party. According to the Insurance Act, it is compulsory to have third-party liability cover. In metropolitian cities it becomes imperative to have such a cover due to higher chances of accidents.
"Third party liability under the insurance law in India is unlimited," says M. Ramadoss, chairman and managing director, Oriental General Insurance. That means if you hit a person on the road, then the liability is unlimited. In case of property damage, the liability is limited to Rs 7.5 lakh.
Points to remember
Here are key aspects that you should keep in mind while buying vehicle insurance:
Premium. The insurance regulator has freed the pricing of products but not the wordings. Therefore, the whole industry is selling more or less the same product. Pricing is the only tool in their hands for driving sales. Use this to your advantage. "A customer must insist on getting quotes from different companies. Ask a friend who has the same car what premium he pays. By doing a bit of legwork and haggling, a customer can get discounts as high as 40-50 per cent," says Ramadoss.
You can bargain for a lower premium in case you have a no-claim (or fairly low claim record) history. “Longer the claim history, higher is the premium levied by companies,”says Eswaranatarajan N., head, motor insurance, ICICI Lombard General Insurance.
Moreover, keep in mind that you can transfer the vehicle insurance from your old vehicle to the new one. “The no-claim bonus goes with the driver and not with the vehicle. So when you sell a vehicle and buy a new one, the no-claim bonus from the earlier vehicle can be transferred to the new one,” he adds.
Co-payment clause. Watch out for the co-payment clause, also known as excess. While offering a lower premium, insurers pass on some of the risk to the customer using this clause. In case of a claim, the expense will then have to be borne by both the insurer and the insured. Hence, avoid the co-payment clause even if it means paying a higher premium.
Claims and customer service. These are the two most important criteria that should be kept in mind while buying or renewing a policy. Today one out of every three vehicles meets with an accident. Hence customer service plays an prominent role. According to Darvesh Panchal, practice leader, Prudent Brokers, "The ease of getting a claim settled without any hassles is a big factor in motor insurance. Always look for companies that offer cashless facility (i.e., they get the vehicle repaired at an empanelled garage). Also check out what other value-added services they provide."
A few dealers or brokers help their customers in getting the claim. "The most important thing to look for in the dealer or the intermediary is the services he offers. See how qualified and geared up the intermediary is to provide claim support and information," says Aggarwal.
In case of total loss or theft, it takes more than three months to settle the claim. In case of theft, the insured has to lodge a complaint in the local police station and wait till it issues a non-traceable report. The process takes about three months. And needless to add, it requires you to make several rounds of the court and the police station. It is only after this report is submitted that the insurance company starts its work of paying you the claim. Any help that you can get from the broker or dealer will come as welcome relief.
More regulatory changes needed
While the regulator has freed up pricing control, general insurance companies do not yet enjoy the freedom to alter the wordings of the policy. Says Eswaranatarajan N., “Today only the premiums have been de-tarriffed and not the products. What we sell in the market is basically one product with a common set of policy wordings. To open up the market and in the interest of the consumer, it is anticipated that the regulator will introduce flexibility in wordings and allow new products.”
N.K. Kedia, director (marketing), Iffco Tokio General Insurance too feels the same. “Freedom in wordings would allow us to come out with innovative products. The industry would then develop on the lines of matured markets. This move will be in the consumer's interest as it will allow introduction of new products, and lead to greater choice."
Ramadoss of Oriental Insurance is of the view that greater regulatory vigil is the need of the hour. “There should be strict vigilance against uninsured vehicles. The government should take action against them. Because so many vehicles remain uninsured, there is a lot of leakage of premium. After this is taken care of, premium rates will come down further,” he says.
Till these regulatory changes come about, make the best of the current regime and get yourself a comprehensive cover at the lowest possible cost.
Source: http://www.financialexpress.com/
Sixth Pay Commission: Sixth pay panel triggers hike for PSU employees
Sixth Pay Commission: Sixth pay panel triggers hike for PSU employees
20 Oct, 2008, 0123 hrs IST,Dheeraj Tiwari, ET Bureau
NEW DELHI: The government has finally decided to revise the pay scales of employees working in 69 public sector undertakings (PSUs) on the lines of the Sixth Pay Commission offered to central government staff.
The benefit of pay revision will be allowed only to employees of those CPSUs that are not making losses and are in a position to absorb the additional expenditure from their own resources without any budgetary support.
The PSUs include Mahanagar Telecom Nigam (MTNL), Indian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), NHPC and North-Eastern Electric Power Corporation (Neepco) among others. These PSUs follow the central dearness allowance pattern and are governed by a separate high power pay committee.
“The pay scales of the employees will be revised with effect from January 2006. It will be now up to the board of directors of the respective public sector company to consider the pay revision, keeping in mind the affordability and capacity of the CPSU. They’ll have to submit a proposal to their respective administrative ministry, which will approve the proposal with the concurrence of its financial advisor,” a department of public enterprise official said.
As per the recommendations, there will also be a revision in city compensatory allowance, house rent allowance and dearness allowance (DA).
Already in April this year, the government had increased the DA for PSUs by 6% with effect from January this year.
“This will make a stronger case for the early implementation of the second pay revision committee report for the companies following the industrial dearness allowance pattern. However, not all companies following the CDA pattern will be able to adopt the new pay revisions as some of them are sick or loss-making units,” the official said.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/
20 Oct, 2008, 0123 hrs IST,Dheeraj Tiwari, ET Bureau
NEW DELHI: The government has finally decided to revise the pay scales of employees working in 69 public sector undertakings (PSUs) on the lines of the Sixth Pay Commission offered to central government staff.
The benefit of pay revision will be allowed only to employees of those CPSUs that are not making losses and are in a position to absorb the additional expenditure from their own resources without any budgetary support.
The PSUs include Mahanagar Telecom Nigam (MTNL), Indian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), NHPC and North-Eastern Electric Power Corporation (Neepco) among others. These PSUs follow the central dearness allowance pattern and are governed by a separate high power pay committee.
“The pay scales of the employees will be revised with effect from January 2006. It will be now up to the board of directors of the respective public sector company to consider the pay revision, keeping in mind the affordability and capacity of the CPSU. They’ll have to submit a proposal to their respective administrative ministry, which will approve the proposal with the concurrence of its financial advisor,” a department of public enterprise official said.
As per the recommendations, there will also be a revision in city compensatory allowance, house rent allowance and dearness allowance (DA).
Already in April this year, the government had increased the DA for PSUs by 6% with effect from January this year.
“This will make a stronger case for the early implementation of the second pay revision committee report for the companies following the industrial dearness allowance pattern. However, not all companies following the CDA pattern will be able to adopt the new pay revisions as some of them are sick or loss-making units,” the official said.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/
Bharti Airtel to launch internet TV
Bharti Airtel to launch internet TV
According to a top company official, Airtel plans to launch its commercial services in six cities soon.
Bharti Airtel is going great guns into the media business. After launching the DTH service, they have started a trial run of their proposed internet protocol television (IPTV) services in New Delhi and are now planning to launch its commercial services in six cities soon, according to their top official.
President of Telemedia Services of the company, Atul Bindal told reporters during the launch of Airtel's DTH service in Kolkata "We are currently covering 1,000 households in New Delhi on a pilot basis. Issues like infrastructure capabilities and different pricing models are being tried there."
Since it requires a very high bandwidth, Airtel would restrict IPTV to metros like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad, as of now, where the broadband speeds of up to 8 Mbps are available.
When asked, Mr. Bindal declined to comment about the date of IPTV launch, but he said "We will soon be having services like IPTV, DTH, landline telephone and mobile telephony. Various combo packages are being worked out."
Airtel currently has 2.5 milion Telemedia customers for both landline and broadband, whom it plans to target with IPTV services. Mr. Bindal also added that the recent guidelines by the I&B ministry about downloading IPTV content has prompted Airtel to work aggressively on its IPTV launch.
Source: techtree.com
According to a top company official, Airtel plans to launch its commercial services in six cities soon.
Bharti Airtel is going great guns into the media business. After launching the DTH service, they have started a trial run of their proposed internet protocol television (IPTV) services in New Delhi and are now planning to launch its commercial services in six cities soon, according to their top official.
President of Telemedia Services of the company, Atul Bindal told reporters during the launch of Airtel's DTH service in Kolkata "We are currently covering 1,000 households in New Delhi on a pilot basis. Issues like infrastructure capabilities and different pricing models are being tried there."
Since it requires a very high bandwidth, Airtel would restrict IPTV to metros like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad, as of now, where the broadband speeds of up to 8 Mbps are available.
When asked, Mr. Bindal declined to comment about the date of IPTV launch, but he said "We will soon be having services like IPTV, DTH, landline telephone and mobile telephony. Various combo packages are being worked out."
Airtel currently has 2.5 milion Telemedia customers for both landline and broadband, whom it plans to target with IPTV services. Mr. Bindal also added that the recent guidelines by the I&B ministry about downloading IPTV content has prompted Airtel to work aggressively on its IPTV launch.
Source: techtree.com
Sixth Pay Commission: Paramilitary forces unhappy with pay panel
Sixth Pay Commission: Paramilitary forces unhappy with pay panel
Sudhi Ranjan Sen
Saturday, October 18, 2008, (New Delhi)
For the UPA government, the Sixth Pay Commission has created more problems than it has solved. The paramilitary -- the third largest force in the world -- too is unhappy over the recommendations and feels cheated.
Mohinder Lal was a star of the Border Security Force. But despite his 35 years in the force and medals for shooting competitions, he couldn't go beyond Deputy Inspector General.
Most cadre officers of the paramilitary face hit a promotion and pay barrier unlike their counterparts in the military. And this is taking a toll on recruitments.
Individual officers have written to the Home Minister and Congress president Sonia Gandhi saying that pay panel recommendations are unacceptable.
A delegation has also met External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukerjee who heads the committee reviewing the pay and perks of the armed forces.
The paramilitary are demanding more senior level post for cadre officers instead of IPS officers and parity with military specially in the cutting edge level of lieutenant Colonels.
Most of the BSF spends 90 per cent of their career guarding the borders or fighting insurgencies.
"People will join the paramilitary but good people will not come anymore," said Mohinder Lal, Deputy Inspector General, BSF.
Like the military, the points raised by paramilitary is valid and has serious implications. But what is surprising and baffling is the inability of bureaucracy to deal with them satisfactorily.
Source: http://www.ndtv.com/
Sudhi Ranjan Sen
Saturday, October 18, 2008, (New Delhi)
For the UPA government, the Sixth Pay Commission has created more problems than it has solved. The paramilitary -- the third largest force in the world -- too is unhappy over the recommendations and feels cheated.
Mohinder Lal was a star of the Border Security Force. But despite his 35 years in the force and medals for shooting competitions, he couldn't go beyond Deputy Inspector General.
Most cadre officers of the paramilitary face hit a promotion and pay barrier unlike their counterparts in the military. And this is taking a toll on recruitments.
Individual officers have written to the Home Minister and Congress president Sonia Gandhi saying that pay panel recommendations are unacceptable.
A delegation has also met External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukerjee who heads the committee reviewing the pay and perks of the armed forces.
The paramilitary are demanding more senior level post for cadre officers instead of IPS officers and parity with military specially in the cutting edge level of lieutenant Colonels.
Most of the BSF spends 90 per cent of their career guarding the borders or fighting insurgencies.
"People will join the paramilitary but good people will not come anymore," said Mohinder Lal, Deputy Inspector General, BSF.
Like the military, the points raised by paramilitary is valid and has serious implications. But what is surprising and baffling is the inability of bureaucracy to deal with them satisfactorily.
Source: http://www.ndtv.com/
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Barack Obama - Barack Obama website - Official Barack Obama website - Barack Obama Biography
www.barackobama.com : Official Barack Obama website
Barack Obama
aka Barack Hussein Obama, Jr.
(1961–)
Barack Obama is the junior U.S. Senator from Illinois and the 2008 Democratic presidential nominee.
During their third and final presidential debate, Obama and Republican presidential nominee John McCain clashed sharply over
tax policies and some of the heated rhetoric that had been tossed between their campaigns.
McCain accused Obama of waging "class warfare" with his tax plans and said his proposals would harm the economy."
"Why would you want to increase anybody's taxes right now?" McCain asked.
Obama countered that he would cut taxes for 95 percent of earners while raising it on the richest Americans, those making
more than $250,000 a year.
"When it comes to economic policies, essentially what you're proposing is four more years of the same thing, and it hasn't
worked," Obama responded.
The debate was held October 15, 2008, at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, on Long Island, with CBS' Bob Schieffer
moderating.
Obama and McCain also held debates on September 26 in Oxford, Mississippi, and October 7 in Nashville, Tennessee. The vice
presidential nominees, Republican Sarah Palin and Democrat Joe Biden, met for their only debate on October 2 in St. Louis,
Missouri.
Voters cast their ballots on Election Day, which is November 4.
Barack Hussein Obama was born Aug. 4, 1961, in Honolulu, Hawaii. His father, Barack Obama, Sr., was born of Luo ethnicity in
Nyanza Province, Kenya. He grew up herding goats with his own father, who was a domestic servant to the British. Although
reared among Muslims, Obama, Sr., became an atheist at some point.
Obama’s mother, Ann Dunham, grew up in Wichita, Kansas. Her father worked on oil rigs during the Depression. After the
Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, he signed up for service in World War II and marched across Europe in Patton’s army.
Dunham’s mother went to work on a bomber assembly line. After the war, they studied on the G. I. Bill, bought a house through
the Federal Housing Program, and moved to Hawaii.
Meantime, Barack’s father had won a scholarship that allowed him to leave Kenya pursue his dreams in Hawaii. At the time of
his birth, Obama’s parents were students at the East–West Center of the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
Obama’s parents separated when he was two years old and later divorced. Obama’s father went to Harvard to pursue Ph. D.
studies and then returned to Kenya.
His mother married Lolo Soetoro, another East–West Center student from Indonesia. In 1967, the family moved to Jakarta, where
Obama’s half-sister Maya Soetoro–Ng was born. Obama attended schools in Jakarta, where classes were taught in the Indonesian
language.
Four years later when Barack (commonly known throughout his early years as "Barry") was ten, he returned to Hawaii to live
with his maternal grandparents, Madelyn and Stanley Dunham, and later his mother (who died of ovarian cancer in 1995).
He was enrolled in the fifth grade at the esteemed Punahou Academy, graduating with honors in 1979. He was only one of three
black students at the school. This is where Obama first became conscious of racism and what it meant to be an
African–American.
In his memoir, Obama described how he struggled to reconcile social perceptions of his multiracial heritage. He saw his
biological father (who died in a 1982 car accident) only once (in 1971) after his parents divorced. And he admitted using
alcohol, marijuana and cocaine during his teenage years.
After high school, Obama studied at Occidental College in Los Angeles for two years. He then transferred to Columbia
University in New York, graduating in 1983 with a degree in political science.
After working at Business International Corporation (a company that provided international business information to corporate
clients) and NYPIRG, Obama moved to Chicago in 1985. There, he worked as a community organizer with low-income residents in
Chicago’s Roseland community and the Altgeld Gardens public housing development on the city’s South Side.
It was during this time that Obama, who said he "was not raised in a religious household," joined the Trinity United Church
of Christ. He also visited relatives in Kenya, which included an emotional visit to the graves of his father and paternal
grandfather.
Obama entered Harvard Law School in 1988. In February 1990, he was elected the first African–American editor of the Harvard
Law Review. Obama graduated magna cum laude in 1991.
After law school, Obama returned to Chicago to practice as a civil rights lawyer, joining the firm of Miner, Barnhill &
Galland. He also taught at the University of Chicago Law School. And he helped organize voter registration drives during Bill
Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign.
Obama published an autobiography in 1995 Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance. And he won a Grammy for the
audio version of the book.
Obama’s advocacy work led him to run for the Illinois State Senate as a Democrat. He was elected in 1996 from the south side
neighborhood of Hyde Park.
During these years, Obama worked with both Democrats and Republicans in drafting legislation on ethics, expanded health care
services and early childhood education programs for the poor. He also created a state earned-income tax credit for the
working poor. And after a number of inmates on death row were found innocent, Obama worked with law enforcement officials to
require the videotaping of interrogations and confessions in all capital cases.
In 2000, Obama made an unsuccessful Democratic primary run for the U. S. House of Representatives seat held by four-term
incumbent candidate Bobby Rush.
Following the 9/11 attacks, Obama was an early opponent of President George W. Bush’s push to war with Iraq. Obama was still
a state senator when he spoke against a resolution authorizing the use of force against Iraq during a rally at Chicago’s
Federal Plaza in October 2002.
"I am not opposed to all wars. I'm opposed to dumb wars," he said. "What I am opposed to is the cynical attempt by Richard
Perle and Paul Wolfowitz and other arm-chair, weekend warriors in this Administration to shove their own ideological agendas
down our throats, irrespective of the costs in lives lost and in hardships borne."
"He's a bad guy," Obama said, referring to Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. "The world, and the Iraqi people, would be better
off without him. But I also know that Saddam poses no imminent and direct threat to the United States, or to his neighbors,
that the Iraqi economy is in shambles, that the Iraqi military a fraction of its former strength, and that in concert with
the international community he can be contained until, in the way of all petty dictators, he falls away into the dustbin of
history."
"I know that even a successful war against Iraq will require a U. S. occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost,
with undetermined consequences," Obama continued. "I know that an invasion of Iraq without a clear rationale and without
strong international support will only fan the flames of the Middle East, and encourage the worst, rather than best, impulses
of the Arab world, and strengthen the recruitment arm of al-Qaeda."
The war with Iraq began in 2003 and Obama decided to run for the U.S. Senate open seat vacated by Republican Peter
Fitzgerald. In the 2004 Democratic primary, he won 52 percent of the vote, defeating multimillionaire businessman Blair Hull
and Illinois Comptroller Daniel Hynes.
That summer, he was invited to deliver the keynote speech in support of John Kerry at the 2004 Democratic National Convention
in Boston. Obama emphasized the importance of unity, and made veiled jabs at the Bush administration and the diversionary use
of wedge issues.
"We worship an awesome God in the blue states, and we don't like federal agents poking around our libraries in the red
states," he said. "We coach Little League in the blue states, and yes, we've got some gay friends in the red states. There
are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq, and there are patriots who supported the war in Iraq. We are one people, all of us
pledging allegiance to the Stars and Stripes, all of us defending the United States of America."
After the convention, Obama returned to his U.S. Senate bid in Illinois. His opponent in the general election was suppose to
be Republican primary winner Jack Ryan, a wealthy former investment banker. However, Ryan withdrew from the race in June
2004, following public disclosure of unsubstantiated sexual allegations by Ryan's ex wife, actress Jeri Ryan.
In August 2004, diplomat and former presidential candidate Alan Keyes, who was also an African American, accepted the
Republican nomination to replace Ryan. In three televised debates, Obama and Keyes expressed opposing views on stem cell
research, abortion, gun control, school vouchers and tax cuts.
In the November 2004 general election, Obama received 70% of the vote to Keyes's 27%, the largest electoral victory in
Illinois history. Obama became only the third African American elected to the U.S. Senate since Reconstruction.
Sworn into office January 4, 2005, Obama partnered with Republican Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana on a bill that expanded
efforts to destroy weapons of mass destruction in Eastern Europe and Russia. Then with Republican Sen. Tom Corburn of
Oklahoma, he created a website that tracks all federal spending.
Obama was also the first to raise the threat of avian flu on the Senate floor, spoke out for victims of Hurricane Katrina,
pushed for alternative energy development and championed improved veterans´ benefits. He also worked with Democrat Russ
Feingold of Wisconsin to eliminate gifts of travel on corporate jets by lobbyists to members of Congress.
His second book, The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream, was published in October 2006.
In February 2007, Obama made headlines when he announced his candidacy for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination. He
was locked in a tight battle with former first lady and current U.S. Senator from New York, Hillary Rodham Clinton until he
became the presumptive nominee on June 3, 2008.
Obama met his wife, Michelle, in 1988 when he was a summer associate at the Chicago law firm of Sidley & Austin. They were
married in October 1992 and live in Kenwood on Chicago's South Side with their daughters, Malia (born 1998) and Sasha (born 2001).
Source: http://www.biography.com/
Barack Obama
aka Barack Hussein Obama, Jr.
(1961–)
Barack Obama is the junior U.S. Senator from Illinois and the 2008 Democratic presidential nominee.
During their third and final presidential debate, Obama and Republican presidential nominee John McCain clashed sharply over
tax policies and some of the heated rhetoric that had been tossed between their campaigns.
McCain accused Obama of waging "class warfare" with his tax plans and said his proposals would harm the economy."
"Why would you want to increase anybody's taxes right now?" McCain asked.
Obama countered that he would cut taxes for 95 percent of earners while raising it on the richest Americans, those making
more than $250,000 a year.
"When it comes to economic policies, essentially what you're proposing is four more years of the same thing, and it hasn't
worked," Obama responded.
The debate was held October 15, 2008, at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, on Long Island, with CBS' Bob Schieffer
moderating.
Obama and McCain also held debates on September 26 in Oxford, Mississippi, and October 7 in Nashville, Tennessee. The vice
presidential nominees, Republican Sarah Palin and Democrat Joe Biden, met for their only debate on October 2 in St. Louis,
Missouri.
Voters cast their ballots on Election Day, which is November 4.
Barack Hussein Obama was born Aug. 4, 1961, in Honolulu, Hawaii. His father, Barack Obama, Sr., was born of Luo ethnicity in
Nyanza Province, Kenya. He grew up herding goats with his own father, who was a domestic servant to the British. Although
reared among Muslims, Obama, Sr., became an atheist at some point.
Obama’s mother, Ann Dunham, grew up in Wichita, Kansas. Her father worked on oil rigs during the Depression. After the
Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, he signed up for service in World War II and marched across Europe in Patton’s army.
Dunham’s mother went to work on a bomber assembly line. After the war, they studied on the G. I. Bill, bought a house through
the Federal Housing Program, and moved to Hawaii.
Meantime, Barack’s father had won a scholarship that allowed him to leave Kenya pursue his dreams in Hawaii. At the time of
his birth, Obama’s parents were students at the East–West Center of the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
Obama’s parents separated when he was two years old and later divorced. Obama’s father went to Harvard to pursue Ph. D.
studies and then returned to Kenya.
His mother married Lolo Soetoro, another East–West Center student from Indonesia. In 1967, the family moved to Jakarta, where
Obama’s half-sister Maya Soetoro–Ng was born. Obama attended schools in Jakarta, where classes were taught in the Indonesian
language.
Four years later when Barack (commonly known throughout his early years as "Barry") was ten, he returned to Hawaii to live
with his maternal grandparents, Madelyn and Stanley Dunham, and later his mother (who died of ovarian cancer in 1995).
He was enrolled in the fifth grade at the esteemed Punahou Academy, graduating with honors in 1979. He was only one of three
black students at the school. This is where Obama first became conscious of racism and what it meant to be an
African–American.
In his memoir, Obama described how he struggled to reconcile social perceptions of his multiracial heritage. He saw his
biological father (who died in a 1982 car accident) only once (in 1971) after his parents divorced. And he admitted using
alcohol, marijuana and cocaine during his teenage years.
After high school, Obama studied at Occidental College in Los Angeles for two years. He then transferred to Columbia
University in New York, graduating in 1983 with a degree in political science.
After working at Business International Corporation (a company that provided international business information to corporate
clients) and NYPIRG, Obama moved to Chicago in 1985. There, he worked as a community organizer with low-income residents in
Chicago’s Roseland community and the Altgeld Gardens public housing development on the city’s South Side.
It was during this time that Obama, who said he "was not raised in a religious household," joined the Trinity United Church
of Christ. He also visited relatives in Kenya, which included an emotional visit to the graves of his father and paternal
grandfather.
Obama entered Harvard Law School in 1988. In February 1990, he was elected the first African–American editor of the Harvard
Law Review. Obama graduated magna cum laude in 1991.
After law school, Obama returned to Chicago to practice as a civil rights lawyer, joining the firm of Miner, Barnhill &
Galland. He also taught at the University of Chicago Law School. And he helped organize voter registration drives during Bill
Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign.
Obama published an autobiography in 1995 Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance. And he won a Grammy for the
audio version of the book.
Obama’s advocacy work led him to run for the Illinois State Senate as a Democrat. He was elected in 1996 from the south side
neighborhood of Hyde Park.
During these years, Obama worked with both Democrats and Republicans in drafting legislation on ethics, expanded health care
services and early childhood education programs for the poor. He also created a state earned-income tax credit for the
working poor. And after a number of inmates on death row were found innocent, Obama worked with law enforcement officials to
require the videotaping of interrogations and confessions in all capital cases.
In 2000, Obama made an unsuccessful Democratic primary run for the U. S. House of Representatives seat held by four-term
incumbent candidate Bobby Rush.
Following the 9/11 attacks, Obama was an early opponent of President George W. Bush’s push to war with Iraq. Obama was still
a state senator when he spoke against a resolution authorizing the use of force against Iraq during a rally at Chicago’s
Federal Plaza in October 2002.
"I am not opposed to all wars. I'm opposed to dumb wars," he said. "What I am opposed to is the cynical attempt by Richard
Perle and Paul Wolfowitz and other arm-chair, weekend warriors in this Administration to shove their own ideological agendas
down our throats, irrespective of the costs in lives lost and in hardships borne."
"He's a bad guy," Obama said, referring to Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. "The world, and the Iraqi people, would be better
off without him. But I also know that Saddam poses no imminent and direct threat to the United States, or to his neighbors,
that the Iraqi economy is in shambles, that the Iraqi military a fraction of its former strength, and that in concert with
the international community he can be contained until, in the way of all petty dictators, he falls away into the dustbin of
history."
"I know that even a successful war against Iraq will require a U. S. occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost,
with undetermined consequences," Obama continued. "I know that an invasion of Iraq without a clear rationale and without
strong international support will only fan the flames of the Middle East, and encourage the worst, rather than best, impulses
of the Arab world, and strengthen the recruitment arm of al-Qaeda."
The war with Iraq began in 2003 and Obama decided to run for the U.S. Senate open seat vacated by Republican Peter
Fitzgerald. In the 2004 Democratic primary, he won 52 percent of the vote, defeating multimillionaire businessman Blair Hull
and Illinois Comptroller Daniel Hynes.
That summer, he was invited to deliver the keynote speech in support of John Kerry at the 2004 Democratic National Convention
in Boston. Obama emphasized the importance of unity, and made veiled jabs at the Bush administration and the diversionary use
of wedge issues.
"We worship an awesome God in the blue states, and we don't like federal agents poking around our libraries in the red
states," he said. "We coach Little League in the blue states, and yes, we've got some gay friends in the red states. There
are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq, and there are patriots who supported the war in Iraq. We are one people, all of us
pledging allegiance to the Stars and Stripes, all of us defending the United States of America."
After the convention, Obama returned to his U.S. Senate bid in Illinois. His opponent in the general election was suppose to
be Republican primary winner Jack Ryan, a wealthy former investment banker. However, Ryan withdrew from the race in June
2004, following public disclosure of unsubstantiated sexual allegations by Ryan's ex wife, actress Jeri Ryan.
In August 2004, diplomat and former presidential candidate Alan Keyes, who was also an African American, accepted the
Republican nomination to replace Ryan. In three televised debates, Obama and Keyes expressed opposing views on stem cell
research, abortion, gun control, school vouchers and tax cuts.
In the November 2004 general election, Obama received 70% of the vote to Keyes's 27%, the largest electoral victory in
Illinois history. Obama became only the third African American elected to the U.S. Senate since Reconstruction.
Sworn into office January 4, 2005, Obama partnered with Republican Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana on a bill that expanded
efforts to destroy weapons of mass destruction in Eastern Europe and Russia. Then with Republican Sen. Tom Corburn of
Oklahoma, he created a website that tracks all federal spending.
Obama was also the first to raise the threat of avian flu on the Senate floor, spoke out for victims of Hurricane Katrina,
pushed for alternative energy development and championed improved veterans´ benefits. He also worked with Democrat Russ
Feingold of Wisconsin to eliminate gifts of travel on corporate jets by lobbyists to members of Congress.
His second book, The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream, was published in October 2006.
In February 2007, Obama made headlines when he announced his candidacy for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination. He
was locked in a tight battle with former first lady and current U.S. Senator from New York, Hillary Rodham Clinton until he
became the presumptive nominee on June 3, 2008.
Obama met his wife, Michelle, in 1988 when he was a summer associate at the Chicago law firm of Sidley & Austin. They were
married in October 1992 and live in Kenwood on Chicago's South Side with their daughters, Malia (born 1998) and Sasha (born 2001).
Source: http://www.biography.com/
Sarah Silverman: Jesus Is Magic
Sarah Silverman: Jesus Is Magic
Sarah Silverman: Jesus Is Magic is a 2005 comedy written by Sarah Silverman. It is notable for its edgy jokes and comedic
style. It was directed by Liam Lynch and distributed by Roadside Attractions.
The movie is a concert film consisting of 72 minutes of clips taken from Silverman's previous stand-up show of the same name,
interspersed with flashbacks and comedic sketches. Silverman addresses a number of issues, including religion, AIDS, The
Holocaust, race, sexism, political parties, the disabled, the homeless, and midgets. Silverman also performs several original
songs in the film.
The film was released November 11, 2005 in eight theatres. Receiving positive reviews, it made just under $125,000 opening
weekend. Its performance led to an expanded release in as many as 57 theatres, resulting in a box office take of more than
$1.2 million. The movie was released on DVD on June 6, 2006 in the United States and on June 13 in Canada. A soundtrack CD
was also released featuring most of the musical numbers, excerpts from Silverman's stand-up comedy, and several additional
non-movie songs.
Sarah Silverman
Directed by Liam Lynch
Written by Sarah Silverman
Starring Sarah Silverman
Laura Silverman
Brian Posehn
Music by Liam Lynch
Sarah Silverman
Distributed by Roadside Attractions
Release date(s) 2005
Running time 72 min.
Country USA
Language English
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Silverman:_Jesus_Is_Magic
Sarah Silverman: Jesus Is Magic is a 2005 comedy written by Sarah Silverman. It is notable for its edgy jokes and comedic
style. It was directed by Liam Lynch and distributed by Roadside Attractions.
The movie is a concert film consisting of 72 minutes of clips taken from Silverman's previous stand-up show of the same name,
interspersed with flashbacks and comedic sketches. Silverman addresses a number of issues, including religion, AIDS, The
Holocaust, race, sexism, political parties, the disabled, the homeless, and midgets. Silverman also performs several original
songs in the film.
The film was released November 11, 2005 in eight theatres. Receiving positive reviews, it made just under $125,000 opening
weekend. Its performance led to an expanded release in as many as 57 theatres, resulting in a box office take of more than
$1.2 million. The movie was released on DVD on June 6, 2006 in the United States and on June 13 in Canada. A soundtrack CD
was also released featuring most of the musical numbers, excerpts from Silverman's stand-up comedy, and several additional
non-movie songs.
Sarah Silverman
Directed by Liam Lynch
Written by Sarah Silverman
Starring Sarah Silverman
Laura Silverman
Brian Posehn
Music by Liam Lynch
Sarah Silverman
Distributed by Roadside Attractions
Release date(s) 2005
Running time 72 min.
Country USA
Language English
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Silverman:_Jesus_Is_Magic
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Sixth Pay Commission: Gujarat employees to Strike on Nov 5
Sixth Pay Commission: Gujarat employees to Strike on Nov 5
There seems to be a wide-spread anger in the government employee committee in Gujarat state regarding the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations. The Gujarat government employees are planning mass strike on November 5, 2008 or better to say take a Mass Casual leave. This strike is against the delay by the government in implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations.
It is expected that around 8 lakh employees will be taking part in the mass strike across entire Gujarat. The protest is because the salary hike of Sixth Pay Commission recommendation is not yet implemented. The employee organization, called Gujarat Rajya Karmachari Mahamandal convened by Girish Raval has also threatened that if the implementation is not made till Diwali, the protest will be intensified.
As per the news, a 5-member Cabinet sub-committee, set up to study the implications of the Commission’s recommendations, had on Monday last, submitted its report to the government, suggesting that it could be implemented in the state.
Despite the "positive" report submitted by a sub-committee headed by Finance Minister Vajubhai Vala, the Modi government was dilly-dallying in announcing the implementation of the Commission’s recommendations, he said.
The Mahamandal leader said that apart from the Central government, six other state governments had announced that they will implement the recommendations in toto. But, the Gujarat government continues to keep its employees on tenterhooks, he said.
What is the stand of the Gujarat Government in implementing the Sixth Pay Commission Recommendations?
The state Finance Department official are putting the blame on the additional burden of about Rs 3,000 crore in the first year when it decides to implement the Commission’s recommendations for its employees with retrospective effect from January 2006.
Later, the government would have to shoulder an additional burden of Rs 1,000 crore annually if the recommendations hiking the employees’ salaries were implemented in toto, at par with the Central government employees.
There are over eight lakh government employees, including those serving in the state-owned Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) in Gujarat. Besides, there are over two lakh pensioners in the state, who will also benefit from the Sixth Pay Commission’s recommendations.
Source: http://www.khabrein.info/
There seems to be a wide-spread anger in the government employee committee in Gujarat state regarding the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations. The Gujarat government employees are planning mass strike on November 5, 2008 or better to say take a Mass Casual leave. This strike is against the delay by the government in implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations.
It is expected that around 8 lakh employees will be taking part in the mass strike across entire Gujarat. The protest is because the salary hike of Sixth Pay Commission recommendation is not yet implemented. The employee organization, called Gujarat Rajya Karmachari Mahamandal convened by Girish Raval has also threatened that if the implementation is not made till Diwali, the protest will be intensified.
As per the news, a 5-member Cabinet sub-committee, set up to study the implications of the Commission’s recommendations, had on Monday last, submitted its report to the government, suggesting that it could be implemented in the state.
Despite the "positive" report submitted by a sub-committee headed by Finance Minister Vajubhai Vala, the Modi government was dilly-dallying in announcing the implementation of the Commission’s recommendations, he said.
The Mahamandal leader said that apart from the Central government, six other state governments had announced that they will implement the recommendations in toto. But, the Gujarat government continues to keep its employees on tenterhooks, he said.
What is the stand of the Gujarat Government in implementing the Sixth Pay Commission Recommendations?
The state Finance Department official are putting the blame on the additional burden of about Rs 3,000 crore in the first year when it decides to implement the Commission’s recommendations for its employees with retrospective effect from January 2006.
Later, the government would have to shoulder an additional burden of Rs 1,000 crore annually if the recommendations hiking the employees’ salaries were implemented in toto, at par with the Central government employees.
There are over eight lakh government employees, including those serving in the state-owned Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) in Gujarat. Besides, there are over two lakh pensioners in the state, who will also benefit from the Sixth Pay Commission’s recommendations.
Source: http://www.khabrein.info/
Eva Longoria is still a size zero
Eva Longoria is still a size zero
New York (ANI): Hollywood actress Eva Longoria has said that despite gaining weight for her role as a frazzled mom in
Desperate Housewives, she is still a size zero. Longoria, who is married to Tony Parker, insisted that she still fits in her
old clothes and has just gone rounder.
"I never went up a size, I just got rounder," The New York Daily News quoted Longoria, as telling Allure magazine. "I'm still
a size zero," she added.
The 33-year-old actress, who plays Gabrielle in Desperate Housewives, recently donned ultra skinny jeans to rebuff her
pregnancy rumours. "I'm just fat," Longoria told a French TV show recently.
Source: http://entertainment.oneindia.in/
Sixth Pay Commission: Realty cools but home retail still hot
Sixth Pay Commission: Realty cools but home retail still hot
Tanvi Shukla
Thursday, October 16, 2008 03:46 IST
Despite tight purse strings, furniture and home accessories are flying off the shelves
MUMBAI: The real estate market is facing tough times, home loans have become expensive and consumers have tightened their purse strings. But there is one related sector that is still growing at 35% —home retail.
Simply put, buyers are still spending on furniture and home décor accessories at organised retail outlets.
@Home, the Rs 150-crore lifestyle furniture retail venture of Nilkamal Ltd, saw its same store sales grow at 42% in the first half of FY09. Same store sales is a statistic used to compare sales of stores that have been open for a year or more.
Manish Parekh, the director of Nilkamal Ltd, said the @Home venture hasn’t witnessed a slowdown. “The middle and upper-middle class still have access to high disposable incomes with steady increments continuing. Also, the Sixth Pay Commission has brought in a new segment of consumers for us,” he added.
One of the consumers in this new segment is the ‘normally conservative’ Rama Tiwari, a Pune resident and wife of a retired railways officer. Thanks to the Sixth Pay Commission, she can now indulge some of her wants. “I recently bought a couch for Rs 70,000 from one of the big showrooms. Our new house is still under construction, but since we have the money now, we might as well buy what we will need someday,” she said.
The organised home furnishings and décor business has a small base and so, is expected to post healthy growth. The fact that it hasn’t seen a slowdown despite the global economic turmoil is good news for those in the business. Interestingly, though the option of consumer loans exists, less than 5% of sales are through these loans. This means that consumers do have cash in hand.
So what are people buying? “Showpieces, artefacts, paintings, artificial flowers and furniture sell the most,” Parekh said.
Mahesh Shah, the chief executive officer of HomeTown, the home improvement format of retail giant Future Group, added that furniture is still selling ‘like hot cakes’. “Modular kitchens and wardrobes are very popular. We have seen a certain amount of downtrading, but being a value retailer, we will only benefit from such a trend,” Shah said.
Of the Rs 70,000-crore furniture market, just Rs 3,500-4,000 crore comprises organised retail, led by HomeTown, @Home and Lifestyle retail chain.
However, the consumer seems to have shifted from calling a carpenter to make furniture to buying completely designed and matched furniture sets from a showroom. This shift is what is driving the home retail segment.
At HomeTown, same store sales growth stood at 30.3% for the month of September. The group intends to add seven more stores by the end of this year.
But not everyone is witnessing similar growth. The same store sales at Godrej Interio, the furniture division of Godrej Industries, grew at an average of just 15% over the last year. Subodh Mehta, senior general manager, Godrej Interio (home division), said, “We are growing but the fact is that people are not buying houses with the same momentum as they were. That has brought down our same store sales growth from 30% to 15%.”
Godrej Interio might be an exception more than the rule. The industry is betting big on home retail, especially décor and accessories, and its expansion plans are on track.
Though shying away from buying new homes, consumers are going in for interior decoration, opting for expensive tiles, designer drapes and elaborate colour schemes, even if it is for a cramped one-bedroom-hall house.
With dreams of a new house postponed, they’re content to make the most of what they have. The retailers aren’t complaining.
Source: http://www.dnaindia.com/
Tanvi Shukla
Thursday, October 16, 2008 03:46 IST
Despite tight purse strings, furniture and home accessories are flying off the shelves
MUMBAI: The real estate market is facing tough times, home loans have become expensive and consumers have tightened their purse strings. But there is one related sector that is still growing at 35% —home retail.
Simply put, buyers are still spending on furniture and home décor accessories at organised retail outlets.
@Home, the Rs 150-crore lifestyle furniture retail venture of Nilkamal Ltd, saw its same store sales grow at 42% in the first half of FY09. Same store sales is a statistic used to compare sales of stores that have been open for a year or more.
Manish Parekh, the director of Nilkamal Ltd, said the @Home venture hasn’t witnessed a slowdown. “The middle and upper-middle class still have access to high disposable incomes with steady increments continuing. Also, the Sixth Pay Commission has brought in a new segment of consumers for us,” he added.
One of the consumers in this new segment is the ‘normally conservative’ Rama Tiwari, a Pune resident and wife of a retired railways officer. Thanks to the Sixth Pay Commission, she can now indulge some of her wants. “I recently bought a couch for Rs 70,000 from one of the big showrooms. Our new house is still under construction, but since we have the money now, we might as well buy what we will need someday,” she said.
The organised home furnishings and décor business has a small base and so, is expected to post healthy growth. The fact that it hasn’t seen a slowdown despite the global economic turmoil is good news for those in the business. Interestingly, though the option of consumer loans exists, less than 5% of sales are through these loans. This means that consumers do have cash in hand.
So what are people buying? “Showpieces, artefacts, paintings, artificial flowers and furniture sell the most,” Parekh said.
Mahesh Shah, the chief executive officer of HomeTown, the home improvement format of retail giant Future Group, added that furniture is still selling ‘like hot cakes’. “Modular kitchens and wardrobes are very popular. We have seen a certain amount of downtrading, but being a value retailer, we will only benefit from such a trend,” Shah said.
Of the Rs 70,000-crore furniture market, just Rs 3,500-4,000 crore comprises organised retail, led by HomeTown, @Home and Lifestyle retail chain.
However, the consumer seems to have shifted from calling a carpenter to make furniture to buying completely designed and matched furniture sets from a showroom. This shift is what is driving the home retail segment.
At HomeTown, same store sales growth stood at 30.3% for the month of September. The group intends to add seven more stores by the end of this year.
But not everyone is witnessing similar growth. The same store sales at Godrej Interio, the furniture division of Godrej Industries, grew at an average of just 15% over the last year. Subodh Mehta, senior general manager, Godrej Interio (home division), said, “We are growing but the fact is that people are not buying houses with the same momentum as they were. That has brought down our same store sales growth from 30% to 15%.”
Godrej Interio might be an exception more than the rule. The industry is betting big on home retail, especially décor and accessories, and its expansion plans are on track.
Though shying away from buying new homes, consumers are going in for interior decoration, opting for expensive tiles, designer drapes and elaborate colour schemes, even if it is for a cramped one-bedroom-hall house.
With dreams of a new house postponed, they’re content to make the most of what they have. The retailers aren’t complaining.
Source: http://www.dnaindia.com/
Sixth Pay Commission: Government staff to go on mass leave in protest
Sixth Pay Commission: Government staff to go on mass leave in protest
Ahmedabad, October 15 Anger against delay in implementation of pay panel’s recommendations
Over eight lakh Government employees across Gujarat will go on a day’s mass casual leave on November 5, to protest against the government’s delay in announcing the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission’s recommendations to hike employees’ salaries.
“We have already served an ultimatum to the government that the employees will go on a mass CL on November 5. We have also decided to intensify our agitation if the government fails to make an announcement on the Commission’s recommendations before Diwali,” said Girish Raval, Convenor of the Gujarat Rajya Karmachari Mahamandal.
Raval told Newsline today that a five-member Cabinet sub-committee, set up to study the implications of the Commission’s recommendations, had on Monday last, submitted its report to the government, suggesting that it could be implemented in the state.
Despite the “positive” report submitted by a sub-committee headed by Finance Minister Vajubhai Vala, the Modi government was dilly-dallying in announcing the implementation of the Commission’s recommendations, he said.
The Mahamandal leader said that apart from the Central government, six other state governments had announced that they will implement the recommendations in toto. But, the Gujarat government continues to keep its employees on tenterhooks, he said.
The various government employees’ bodies in the state expected that the government would take a decision on this issue at the weekly Cabinet meeting on Wednesday. But, the Cabinet failed to take a decision on this, causing a great deal of disappointment among lakhs of its employees, Raval said.
Meanwhile, a senior official in the state Finance Department said the government would have to entail an additional burden of about Rs 3,000 crore in the first year when it decides to implement the Commission’s recommendations for its employees with retrospective effect from January 2006.
Later, the government would have to shoulder an additional burden of Rs 1,000 crore annually if the recommendations hiking the employees’ salaries were implemented in toto, at par with the Central government employees, the official said.
There are over eight lakh government employees, including those serving in the state-owned Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) in Gujarat. Besides, there are over two lakh pensioners in the state, who will also benefit from the Sixth Pay Commission’s recommendations.
Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/
Ahmedabad, October 15 Anger against delay in implementation of pay panel’s recommendations
Over eight lakh Government employees across Gujarat will go on a day’s mass casual leave on November 5, to protest against the government’s delay in announcing the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission’s recommendations to hike employees’ salaries.
“We have already served an ultimatum to the government that the employees will go on a mass CL on November 5. We have also decided to intensify our agitation if the government fails to make an announcement on the Commission’s recommendations before Diwali,” said Girish Raval, Convenor of the Gujarat Rajya Karmachari Mahamandal.
Raval told Newsline today that a five-member Cabinet sub-committee, set up to study the implications of the Commission’s recommendations, had on Monday last, submitted its report to the government, suggesting that it could be implemented in the state.
Despite the “positive” report submitted by a sub-committee headed by Finance Minister Vajubhai Vala, the Modi government was dilly-dallying in announcing the implementation of the Commission’s recommendations, he said.
The Mahamandal leader said that apart from the Central government, six other state governments had announced that they will implement the recommendations in toto. But, the Gujarat government continues to keep its employees on tenterhooks, he said.
The various government employees’ bodies in the state expected that the government would take a decision on this issue at the weekly Cabinet meeting on Wednesday. But, the Cabinet failed to take a decision on this, causing a great deal of disappointment among lakhs of its employees, Raval said.
Meanwhile, a senior official in the state Finance Department said the government would have to entail an additional burden of about Rs 3,000 crore in the first year when it decides to implement the Commission’s recommendations for its employees with retrospective effect from January 2006.
Later, the government would have to shoulder an additional burden of Rs 1,000 crore annually if the recommendations hiking the employees’ salaries were implemented in toto, at par with the Central government employees, the official said.
There are over eight lakh government employees, including those serving in the state-owned Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) in Gujarat. Besides, there are over two lakh pensioners in the state, who will also benefit from the Sixth Pay Commission’s recommendations.
Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/
Sixth Pay Commission: Centre to pump in Rs 30,000 crore through supplementary demand
Sixth Pay Commission: Centre to pump in Rs 30,000 crore through supplementary demand
Economy Bureau
Oct 16, 2008
After announcing a slew of measures to address concerns over inadequate liquidity, the government is expected to pump in at least another Rs 30,000 crore of cash when it raises the first and second batch of supplementary demand for grants in Parliament next week.
With its obligations under the Sixth Pay Commission, farm loan waiver and oil and fertiliser bonds, back of the envelope calculations reveal that this year it could rise to as much as Rs 60,000 crore. The government raised a total of Rs 53,703 crore in the first and second supplementary demand for grants in 2007-08.
Of this about Rs 30,000 crore is likely to be raised as cash while the balance would be matched through savings and recoveries by administrative departments and ministries. The money would come in handy at a time when the economy is reeling under a credit crisis.
In fact stressing that the domestic credit situation would improve, finance minister P Chidambaram had said last week, “Ten or 12 days from today, when the supplementary (spending bill) is passed, a substantial amount of liquidity will be infused into the market.”
Getting additional funds through the demand for grants for the fiscal will be a key issue for the UPA government since this is the last full session of the Lok Sabha before general elections are announced. Government functioning and more importantly implementation of key social sector programmes will be affected without the requisite funds.
Although the government is trying to cut down costs, it has to foot a heavy expenditure bill with payouts for the sixth pay commission pay out. As per the pay commission’s recommendations, the salary hikes will cost Rs 22,100 crore this fiscal, while the farm loans to be waived in three installments is estimated at Rs 71,680 crore. The government has also budgeted Rs 7,500 crore for fertiliser bonds. Oil bonds for the fourth quarter of 2007-08 amounting to Rs 14,956 crore and for the first quarter of 2008-09 estimated at Rs 24,408 crore will be issued after parliamentary nod.
Source: http://www.financialexpress.com/
Economy Bureau
Oct 16, 2008
After announcing a slew of measures to address concerns over inadequate liquidity, the government is expected to pump in at least another Rs 30,000 crore of cash when it raises the first and second batch of supplementary demand for grants in Parliament next week.
With its obligations under the Sixth Pay Commission, farm loan waiver and oil and fertiliser bonds, back of the envelope calculations reveal that this year it could rise to as much as Rs 60,000 crore. The government raised a total of Rs 53,703 crore in the first and second supplementary demand for grants in 2007-08.
Of this about Rs 30,000 crore is likely to be raised as cash while the balance would be matched through savings and recoveries by administrative departments and ministries. The money would come in handy at a time when the economy is reeling under a credit crisis.
In fact stressing that the domestic credit situation would improve, finance minister P Chidambaram had said last week, “Ten or 12 days from today, when the supplementary (spending bill) is passed, a substantial amount of liquidity will be infused into the market.”
Getting additional funds through the demand for grants for the fiscal will be a key issue for the UPA government since this is the last full session of the Lok Sabha before general elections are announced. Government functioning and more importantly implementation of key social sector programmes will be affected without the requisite funds.
Although the government is trying to cut down costs, it has to foot a heavy expenditure bill with payouts for the sixth pay commission pay out. As per the pay commission’s recommendations, the salary hikes will cost Rs 22,100 crore this fiscal, while the farm loans to be waived in three installments is estimated at Rs 71,680 crore. The government has also budgeted Rs 7,500 crore for fertiliser bonds. Oil bonds for the fourth quarter of 2007-08 amounting to Rs 14,956 crore and for the first quarter of 2008-09 estimated at Rs 24,408 crore will be issued after parliamentary nod.
Source: http://www.financialexpress.com/
Sixth Pay Commission: Delhi govt's no to fee hike by pvt schools
Sixth Pay Commission: Delhi govt's no to fee hike by pvt schools
15 Oct 2008, 1756 hrs IST,PTI
NEW DELHI: Delhi Government is considering the demand of private schools to hike the fees ostensibly to pay their teachers as per the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission but will not concede to their proposal for a 50 per cent increase across the board.
The Government will not allow any across the board hike and the schools' demand will be examined on a case-by-case basis, a senior official of the Education Department said.
"We are considering their demand and a decision on this matter will be taken soon," the official said.
He said there was no question of accepting the demand for a 50 per cent hike as some schools have surplus money in their kitty to increase salaries of their teachers as per the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission.
"We will examine the financial health of each and every school before taking a decision on it," he said.
The private schools are demanding a hike of 50 per cent in fees ostensibly to pay salaries to their teachers on the lines of recommendations the Sixth Pay Commission. However, parents are opposing the move.
The BJP has termed the demand as unjustified and said any hike in school fees would be gross injustice with the guardians of the students studying in private schools.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/
15 Oct 2008, 1756 hrs IST,PTI
NEW DELHI: Delhi Government is considering the demand of private schools to hike the fees ostensibly to pay their teachers as per the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission but will not concede to their proposal for a 50 per cent increase across the board.
The Government will not allow any across the board hike and the schools' demand will be examined on a case-by-case basis, a senior official of the Education Department said.
"We are considering their demand and a decision on this matter will be taken soon," the official said.
He said there was no question of accepting the demand for a 50 per cent hike as some schools have surplus money in their kitty to increase salaries of their teachers as per the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission.
"We will examine the financial health of each and every school before taking a decision on it," he said.
The private schools are demanding a hike of 50 per cent in fees ostensibly to pay salaries to their teachers on the lines of recommendations the Sixth Pay Commission. However, parents are opposing the move.
The BJP has termed the demand as unjustified and said any hike in school fees would be gross injustice with the guardians of the students studying in private schools.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/
Sixth Pay Commission: Any govt decision on pay issue will be good for country: Army
Sixth Pay Commission: Any govt decision on pay issue will be good for country: Army
New Delhi, October 15: As the committee headed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee is looking into the armed forces’ grievances over their new pay scales, the army on Wednesday said any decision by the government on the issue will be for the good of the country and the Services.
“The pay anomalies issues is currently with the Cabinet and I am sure it will take care of it. Whatever it decides, it will be for the good of the country and the armed forces,” Vice-Chief of the Army, Lieutenant-General M L Naidu, said on the sidelines of an Army Postal Service Awards ceremony ihn New Delhi.
“They (the committee members) are our national leaders and they will keep all issues in mind before taking a decision. It (pay issues) is not a matter of our expectations,” Naidu said, replying to a query on the course of action the armed forces would take if all their expectations are not met by the Mukherjee committee.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had late last month set up the Mukherjee committee with Defence Minister A K Antony and Finance Minister P Chidambaram as members to consider the four “core issues” raised by the armed forces on what they called a “discriminatory” 6th Central Pay Commission (CPC) report.
In fact, the issues had snowballed into a controversy over the armed forces’ reluctance to implement the Cabinet decision on the CPC taken last month.
Consequently, the 1.5 million armed forces personnel took home their old pay scales in October, while their 3.5 million civilian counterparts got their revised pay scales under the CPC.
To another query, Naidu said pointing out some discrepancies in the CPC was not “defiance”, but professional duty (of the armed forces).
The armed forces are demanding that the government place Lieutenant-Colonels and their equivalents in Pay Band-4, ensure parity in Grade Pay of officers from Captains to Brigadiers with their civilian counterparts, accord the Higher Administrative Grade Plus status in pay scales to Lieutenant Generals and restore 70 per cent pensionary benefits to jawans.
To another question over the misuse of army’s combat fatigues by paramilitary and police forces, Naidu said the army had already informed the Centre and the state governments about it.
“Now, the state governments have taken very strict action, because they have realized that by not insisting on this, it is causing some confusing. Now they have done it (enforce laws against misuse of army uniforms). And hopefully it will be sorted out,” Naidu said.
Asked about the uniforms and camouflages being freely available in the open market, the army vice-chief said as far as clothes, low-quality products are concerned, they were available (but not the Army’s).
“A solution is being worked out and the Home Ministry is doing what is necessary to curb such sales. By law, sale of military uniform in the open market is banned. It should not be available. If it is, there is a separate enforcement agency working on curbing the sale of military uniform. In J&K, they are very actively curbing the sale,” he added.
Source: http://www.expressindia.com/
New Delhi, October 15: As the committee headed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee is looking into the armed forces’ grievances over their new pay scales, the army on Wednesday said any decision by the government on the issue will be for the good of the country and the Services.
“The pay anomalies issues is currently with the Cabinet and I am sure it will take care of it. Whatever it decides, it will be for the good of the country and the armed forces,” Vice-Chief of the Army, Lieutenant-General M L Naidu, said on the sidelines of an Army Postal Service Awards ceremony ihn New Delhi.
“They (the committee members) are our national leaders and they will keep all issues in mind before taking a decision. It (pay issues) is not a matter of our expectations,” Naidu said, replying to a query on the course of action the armed forces would take if all their expectations are not met by the Mukherjee committee.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had late last month set up the Mukherjee committee with Defence Minister A K Antony and Finance Minister P Chidambaram as members to consider the four “core issues” raised by the armed forces on what they called a “discriminatory” 6th Central Pay Commission (CPC) report.
In fact, the issues had snowballed into a controversy over the armed forces’ reluctance to implement the Cabinet decision on the CPC taken last month.
Consequently, the 1.5 million armed forces personnel took home their old pay scales in October, while their 3.5 million civilian counterparts got their revised pay scales under the CPC.
To another query, Naidu said pointing out some discrepancies in the CPC was not “defiance”, but professional duty (of the armed forces).
The armed forces are demanding that the government place Lieutenant-Colonels and their equivalents in Pay Band-4, ensure parity in Grade Pay of officers from Captains to Brigadiers with their civilian counterparts, accord the Higher Administrative Grade Plus status in pay scales to Lieutenant Generals and restore 70 per cent pensionary benefits to jawans.
To another question over the misuse of army’s combat fatigues by paramilitary and police forces, Naidu said the army had already informed the Centre and the state governments about it.
“Now, the state governments have taken very strict action, because they have realized that by not insisting on this, it is causing some confusing. Now they have done it (enforce laws against misuse of army uniforms). And hopefully it will be sorted out,” Naidu said.
Asked about the uniforms and camouflages being freely available in the open market, the army vice-chief said as far as clothes, low-quality products are concerned, they were available (but not the Army’s).
“A solution is being worked out and the Home Ministry is doing what is necessary to curb such sales. By law, sale of military uniform in the open market is banned. It should not be available. If it is, there is a separate enforcement agency working on curbing the sale of military uniform. In J&K, they are very actively curbing the sale,” he added.
Source: http://www.expressindia.com/
Sixth Pay Commission: Ministerial committee to resolve pay anomalies of armed forces shortly
Sixth Pay Commission: Ministerial committee to resolve pay anomalies of armed forces shortly
New Delhi, Oct 13(ANI): A ministerial committee led by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, set up to look into the armed forces’ grievance about pay anomalies, is likely to sort out the matter soon.
Mukherjee, who heads the three-member committee, said on Monday that he had discussed the matter with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Defence Minister A K Antony.
“Shortly, I am going to discuss with the Finance Minister P Chidambaram,” he told reporters here when asked about the issue.
Without giving details of his discussions with the Prime Minister, Mukherjee merely said: “I do hope we will be able to sort out the issue shortly.”
The Prime Minister set up the committee, which also includes Antony and Chidambaram, on September 25 in the wake of deep resentment in the armed forces, who complained that there were “anomalies” in the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations and that it had lowered the status of their officers.
After the government notification was issued on August 29, the issues of anomalies in the pay for officers was first raised by Air Chief Fali Homi Major in his letter in his capacity as acting Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC).
Chiefs of Navy and Army too have been voicing their resentment.
Antony has strongly favoured resolution of core issues raised by the three services chiefs in their representation to the government. (ANI)
http://www.newspostonline.com/
New Delhi, Oct 13(ANI): A ministerial committee led by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, set up to look into the armed forces’ grievance about pay anomalies, is likely to sort out the matter soon.
Mukherjee, who heads the three-member committee, said on Monday that he had discussed the matter with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Defence Minister A K Antony.
“Shortly, I am going to discuss with the Finance Minister P Chidambaram,” he told reporters here when asked about the issue.
Without giving details of his discussions with the Prime Minister, Mukherjee merely said: “I do hope we will be able to sort out the issue shortly.”
The Prime Minister set up the committee, which also includes Antony and Chidambaram, on September 25 in the wake of deep resentment in the armed forces, who complained that there were “anomalies” in the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations and that it had lowered the status of their officers.
After the government notification was issued on August 29, the issues of anomalies in the pay for officers was first raised by Air Chief Fali Homi Major in his letter in his capacity as acting Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC).
Chiefs of Navy and Army too have been voicing their resentment.
Antony has strongly favoured resolution of core issues raised by the three services chiefs in their representation to the government. (ANI)
http://www.newspostonline.com/
Sixth Pay Commission: Police, paramilitary raise pitch for better pay scales
Sixth Pay Commission: Police, paramilitary raise pitch for better pay scales
15 Oct 2008, 1046 hrs IST,PTI
NEW DELHI: After the three armed forces, it is now the turn of the central police organisations (CPOs) and paramilitary forces (CPMFs) to raise a pitch for "parity" in pay scales with their military counterparts.
With the government setting up a three-member ministerial committee headed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to consider the armed forces' plea, the CPOs too have decided to seek a political intervention to resolve issues concerning their pay scales.
The chiefs of ITBP, BSF, CRPF and SSB will meet Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta to submit a memorandum seeking a political decision on the lines of Mukherjee committee for inclusion of their "second-in-command" rank officers in Pay Band-4, if the tri-services' Lieutenant Colonels and equivalents are included in this pay bracket.
The Pay Band-4 for Lt Cols is among the four "core issues" raised by the Army, Navy and Air Force in the 6th Central Pay Commission (CPC) and that led to Services refusing to implement the CPC, a decision taken by the Cabinet in August this year.
"The Director Generals (DGs) of all the CPOs and CPMFs will present a memorandum to the Home Secretary this week. We will urge Home Minister Shivraj Patil to request his cabinet colleague, Pranab Mukherjee, to include 'Second-in-Command' ranks also in Pay Band-4," Home Ministry sources said.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/
15 Oct 2008, 1046 hrs IST,PTI
NEW DELHI: After the three armed forces, it is now the turn of the central police organisations (CPOs) and paramilitary forces (CPMFs) to raise a pitch for "parity" in pay scales with their military counterparts.
With the government setting up a three-member ministerial committee headed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to consider the armed forces' plea, the CPOs too have decided to seek a political intervention to resolve issues concerning their pay scales.
The chiefs of ITBP, BSF, CRPF and SSB will meet Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta to submit a memorandum seeking a political decision on the lines of Mukherjee committee for inclusion of their "second-in-command" rank officers in Pay Band-4, if the tri-services' Lieutenant Colonels and equivalents are included in this pay bracket.
The Pay Band-4 for Lt Cols is among the four "core issues" raised by the Army, Navy and Air Force in the 6th Central Pay Commission (CPC) and that led to Services refusing to implement the CPC, a decision taken by the Cabinet in August this year.
"The Director Generals (DGs) of all the CPOs and CPMFs will present a memorandum to the Home Secretary this week. We will urge Home Minister Shivraj Patil to request his cabinet colleague, Pranab Mukherjee, to include 'Second-in-Command' ranks also in Pay Band-4," Home Ministry sources said.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/
Sixth Pay Commission: GM's special offer for govt employees
Sixth Pay Commission: GM's special offer for govt employees
15 Oct 2008, 0210 hrs IST,TNN
NEW DELHI: Aiming to cash in on the salary revision by Sixth Pay Commission recently, carmaker General Motors India has announced a limited-period discount of up to Rs 62000 on various models during the festive season.
Under the scheme government employees would get a discount of Rs 31000 on Chevrolet U-VA and Rs 62000 on Chevrolet Spark, inclusive of all discounts and special offers that already exist.
"Similar special discounts would also be available on Chevrolet Aveo and Chevrolet Optra," the company said.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
15 Oct 2008, 0210 hrs IST,TNN
NEW DELHI: Aiming to cash in on the salary revision by Sixth Pay Commission recently, carmaker General Motors India has announced a limited-period discount of up to Rs 62000 on various models during the festive season.
Under the scheme government employees would get a discount of Rs 31000 on Chevrolet U-VA and Rs 62000 on Chevrolet Spark, inclusive of all discounts and special offers that already exist.
"Similar special discounts would also be available on Chevrolet Aveo and Chevrolet Optra," the company said.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Sixth Pay Commission: Demand for 50 pc fee hike by private schools improper: BJP
Sixth Pay Commission: Demand for 50 pc fee hike by private schools improper: BJP
New Delhi, Oct 13: The Delhi BJP today termed as "improper" the demand for 50 per cent hike in fee by private schools ostensibly to pay their teachers as per the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission.
The demand is unjustified as any hike in school fees will be gross injustice done to guardians of students studying in private schools, Delhi BJP president Harsh Vardhan said.
The private schools have been constructed on the land provided by Government at concessional rates and therefore the commercialisation of these schools was not justified at all, he said.
The private schools are demanding a hike of 50 percent in fees ostensibly to pay salaries to their teachers on the lines of recommendations the Sixth Pay Commission. However parents are opposing the move.
These schools increase the fees by about 10 percent every year and hence the demand for increasing fees by 50 percent on the pretext of the recommendations of Sixth Pay Commission should not be accepted, Vardhan said.
He said the people are already hit hard by the price rise and an increase in fees would have a severe impact on the citizens.
Noting that education is the fundamental right of the children, he said if the BJP came to power then it will not allow the commercialisation of education.
Bureau Report
Source: http://www.zeenews.com/
New Delhi, Oct 13: The Delhi BJP today termed as "improper" the demand for 50 per cent hike in fee by private schools ostensibly to pay their teachers as per the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission.
The demand is unjustified as any hike in school fees will be gross injustice done to guardians of students studying in private schools, Delhi BJP president Harsh Vardhan said.
The private schools have been constructed on the land provided by Government at concessional rates and therefore the commercialisation of these schools was not justified at all, he said.
The private schools are demanding a hike of 50 percent in fees ostensibly to pay salaries to their teachers on the lines of recommendations the Sixth Pay Commission. However parents are opposing the move.
These schools increase the fees by about 10 percent every year and hence the demand for increasing fees by 50 percent on the pretext of the recommendations of Sixth Pay Commission should not be accepted, Vardhan said.
He said the people are already hit hard by the price rise and an increase in fees would have a severe impact on the citizens.
Noting that education is the fundamental right of the children, he said if the BJP came to power then it will not allow the commercialisation of education.
Bureau Report
Source: http://www.zeenews.com/
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
DBRAU - DBRAU Results - www.dbrau.ac.in
DBRAU - DBRAU Results - www.dbrau.ac.in
Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar University (earlier known as Agra University) – www.dbrau.ac.in announced DBRAU results. Dr.BR Ambedkar University or Agra University results can be accessed at http://www.dbrau.ac.in/result.asp
For more go to : http://www.dbrau.ac.in/
Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar University (earlier known as Agra University) – www.dbrau.ac.in announced DBRAU results. Dr.BR Ambedkar University or Agra University results can be accessed at http://www.dbrau.ac.in/result.asp
For more go to : http://www.dbrau.ac.in/
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Airtel DTH: Airtel to enter direct-to-home television market
Airtel DTH: Airtel to enter direct-to-home television market
NEW DELHI: Telecom operator Airtel on Tuesday announced the launch of its direct-to-home (DTH) satellite television service.
The service will be available in 62 cities from October 9, a senior company official said here.
"This is a right time for Airtel to enter the market. We are very clear at Airtel and will take over as a leader of the
sector as soon as possible," Airtel chief executive officer and managing director Manoj Kohli said.
According to Kohli, the company's DTH services will have universal remote for both set top box (STB) that receives signal
from the antenna, and the television set, besides other features such as high STB memory, exclusive interactive applications,
onscreen games and more efficient battery.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
NEW DELHI: Telecom operator Airtel on Tuesday announced the launch of its direct-to-home (DTH) satellite television service.
The service will be available in 62 cities from October 9, a senior company official said here.
"This is a right time for Airtel to enter the market. We are very clear at Airtel and will take over as a leader of the
sector as soon as possible," Airtel chief executive officer and managing director Manoj Kohli said.
According to Kohli, the company's DTH services will have universal remote for both set top box (STB) that receives signal
from the antenna, and the television set, besides other features such as high STB memory, exclusive interactive applications,
onscreen games and more efficient battery.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
www.tnmmu.ac.in - tnmmu.ac.in - tnmmu
www.tnmmu.ac.in - tnmmu.ac.in - tnmmu
First MBBS, B.Sc. Nursing Final Year & BSMS Results at http://www.tnmmu.ac.in/
Candidates selected for M.Sc. (Non-Clinical) in Anatomy, Physiology & Bio-chemistry course
Registration of Candidates 2008-2009 for Institutions only
Improvement marks CANNOT be considered for admission from 2008-2009 onwards for all Under Graduate courses
Rights to Information Act
The Tamilnadu Dr.M.G.R. Medical University
69, Anna Salai, Guindy, Chennai 600 032
Telephone: 91-44-22353574/22353576-79 Fax: 91-44-22353698
URL: www.tnmmu.ac.in Grams: MEDICLAVE Email: tnmmu@yahoo.com
The Tamilnadu Dr.M.G.R. Medical University Act, 1987 (Act No.37 of 1987) received the assent of the President of India on 24th September, 1987. By Act No.9 of 1991, it was ordered that the Act may be called the Tamilnadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University, Chennai, Act, 1987. This affiliating University started functioning from July 1988 and is governed by the said Act.
The Tamilnadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University is situated in Southern part of the City of Chennai (formerly Madras) in the State of Tamilnadu, South India. It is about 6 Km from the Chennai International & National Airport and about 12km from the Chennai Central Railway Station.
It is one of the premier Medical Universities of India named after the former Chief Minister of Tamilnadu, late Dr.M.G.Ramachandran (M.G.R) and it is the second largest Health Sciences University in India.
This is the only Medical University in Tamilnadu capable of granting affiliation to new medical and paramedical colleges, government or self - financing; and awarding degrees (until 1988, all degrees of Health Sciences were awarded by the University of Madras).
Besides Medical and Paramedical courses, the University also regulates dental education and education in the Indian systems of medicine under a single umbrella to maintain uniform and high standards of education. The University also promotes research and disseminates knowledge gained there from.
Mission Statement :
To achieve and maintain uniformly high standards of needs-responsive medical education in the State of Tamilnadu.
To create personnel for health manpower who will be endowed with a sense of dedication and a spirit of enquiry and will contribute substantially to the Alma Ata goals of health for all by 2010 A.D.
Objectives :
To maintain uniform standards of high quality medical education throughout the state of Tamilnadu.
To provide for instructions and training in such branches of learning as it may determine in the field of medical sciences.
To institute degrees, diplomas and other academic distinctions.
To institute lectureships, readerships, professorships and other teaching posts required by the university and to appoint persons to such lectureships, readerships, professorships and other teaching posts.
To institute and award fellowships, scholarships, studentships, exhibitions, medals and prizes in accordance with the status.
To institute research posts and to appoint persons in such posts.
To organise advanced studies and research programs from time to time.
To develop research facilities and to provide for research and for the advancement and dissemination of knowledge in the field of medical sciences.
To provide for continuing medical education.
To establish, maintain and manage institutions of research, university colleges, departments and laboratories.
To encourage co-operation among the colleges, laboratories, hospitals and institutions in the university area and to co-ordinate with other universities and other authorities in such manner and for such purposes as the university may determine.
The University emblem symbolises various systems of medicine and Para medical systems. It also depicts the global character of preventive, promotive and curative medicine. The motto "HEALTH FOR ALL" reflects all the objectives of this medical University.
http://www.tnmmu.ac.in/
First MBBS, B.Sc. Nursing Final Year & BSMS Results at http://www.tnmmu.ac.in/
Candidates selected for M.Sc. (Non-Clinical) in Anatomy, Physiology & Bio-chemistry course
Registration of Candidates 2008-2009 for Institutions only
Improvement marks CANNOT be considered for admission from 2008-2009 onwards for all Under Graduate courses
Rights to Information Act
The Tamilnadu Dr.M.G.R. Medical University
69, Anna Salai, Guindy, Chennai 600 032
Telephone: 91-44-22353574/22353576-79 Fax: 91-44-22353698
URL: www.tnmmu.ac.in Grams: MEDICLAVE Email: tnmmu@yahoo.com
The Tamilnadu Dr.M.G.R. Medical University Act, 1987 (Act No.37 of 1987) received the assent of the President of India on 24th September, 1987. By Act No.9 of 1991, it was ordered that the Act may be called the Tamilnadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University, Chennai, Act, 1987. This affiliating University started functioning from July 1988 and is governed by the said Act.
The Tamilnadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University is situated in Southern part of the City of Chennai (formerly Madras) in the State of Tamilnadu, South India. It is about 6 Km from the Chennai International & National Airport and about 12km from the Chennai Central Railway Station.
It is one of the premier Medical Universities of India named after the former Chief Minister of Tamilnadu, late Dr.M.G.Ramachandran (M.G.R) and it is the second largest Health Sciences University in India.
This is the only Medical University in Tamilnadu capable of granting affiliation to new medical and paramedical colleges, government or self - financing; and awarding degrees (until 1988, all degrees of Health Sciences were awarded by the University of Madras).
Besides Medical and Paramedical courses, the University also regulates dental education and education in the Indian systems of medicine under a single umbrella to maintain uniform and high standards of education. The University also promotes research and disseminates knowledge gained there from.
Mission Statement :
To achieve and maintain uniformly high standards of needs-responsive medical education in the State of Tamilnadu.
To create personnel for health manpower who will be endowed with a sense of dedication and a spirit of enquiry and will contribute substantially to the Alma Ata goals of health for all by 2010 A.D.
Objectives :
To maintain uniform standards of high quality medical education throughout the state of Tamilnadu.
To provide for instructions and training in such branches of learning as it may determine in the field of medical sciences.
To institute degrees, diplomas and other academic distinctions.
To institute lectureships, readerships, professorships and other teaching posts required by the university and to appoint persons to such lectureships, readerships, professorships and other teaching posts.
To institute and award fellowships, scholarships, studentships, exhibitions, medals and prizes in accordance with the status.
To institute research posts and to appoint persons in such posts.
To organise advanced studies and research programs from time to time.
To develop research facilities and to provide for research and for the advancement and dissemination of knowledge in the field of medical sciences.
To provide for continuing medical education.
To establish, maintain and manage institutions of research, university colleges, departments and laboratories.
To encourage co-operation among the colleges, laboratories, hospitals and institutions in the university area and to co-ordinate with other universities and other authorities in such manner and for such purposes as the university may determine.
The University emblem symbolises various systems of medicine and Para medical systems. It also depicts the global character of preventive, promotive and curative medicine. The motto "HEALTH FOR ALL" reflects all the objectives of this medical University.
http://www.tnmmu.ac.in/
UGC pay hike proposal has rider
UGC pay hike proposal has rider
6 Oct 2008
NEW DELHI: As the UGC-pay review committee has recommended over 70 per cent hike in the pay scale of university teachers, the faculty members would be required to put extra efforts in teaching and research.
Apart from taking general classes, the teachers will have to hold tutorials, guide research and carry out co-curricular activities, Prof G K Chadha, the chairman of the committee, said.
"The intention is that at the end of the day, the teacher should feel that he has done justice to his job," he said.
The practice of dual workload -- one for directly appointed teachers and another for promoted teachers -- in particular is abolished. All teachers in the category should carry out the same prescribed workload.
The committee said institutions should fill the vacant posts on urgent basis and the ban on recruitment should be lifted immediately.
About contract teachers, the committee has said such teachers should be appointed when there is a dire necessity and their qualification and procedure of selection should be same as for a regular teacher.
There will be multi-source evaluation system for judging the performance of university teachers. They are self assessment, assessment by students and assessment by the academic heads.
There will be several assessment parameters like regularity in classroom teaching, holding tutorials, availability to students for consultation, participating in faculty meetings, guiding and carrying out research and participating in academic activities like seminar.
The assessment should be made once a year and should be made available to the teacher concerned. The assessment should be placed before the selection committee at the time of teacher's promotion, Chadha said.
The UGC should evolve parameters relevant to universities and colleges respectively for carrying out such evaluations uniformly throughout the country.
The eligibility for assistant professorship will be qualifying NET/SET examinations. However, those posses Ph.D degrees will be exempted from NET/SET qualifications, he said.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/
6 Oct 2008
NEW DELHI: As the UGC-pay review committee has recommended over 70 per cent hike in the pay scale of university teachers, the faculty members would be required to put extra efforts in teaching and research.
Apart from taking general classes, the teachers will have to hold tutorials, guide research and carry out co-curricular activities, Prof G K Chadha, the chairman of the committee, said.
"The intention is that at the end of the day, the teacher should feel that he has done justice to his job," he said.
The practice of dual workload -- one for directly appointed teachers and another for promoted teachers -- in particular is abolished. All teachers in the category should carry out the same prescribed workload.
The committee said institutions should fill the vacant posts on urgent basis and the ban on recruitment should be lifted immediately.
About contract teachers, the committee has said such teachers should be appointed when there is a dire necessity and their qualification and procedure of selection should be same as for a regular teacher.
There will be multi-source evaluation system for judging the performance of university teachers. They are self assessment, assessment by students and assessment by the academic heads.
There will be several assessment parameters like regularity in classroom teaching, holding tutorials, availability to students for consultation, participating in faculty meetings, guiding and carrying out research and participating in academic activities like seminar.
The assessment should be made once a year and should be made available to the teacher concerned. The assessment should be placed before the selection committee at the time of teacher's promotion, Chadha said.
The UGC should evolve parameters relevant to universities and colleges respectively for carrying out such evaluations uniformly throughout the country.
The eligibility for assistant professorship will be qualifying NET/SET examinations. However, those posses Ph.D degrees will be exempted from NET/SET qualifications, he said.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/
6th Central Pay Commission: Defensible, not defiance
6th Central Pay Commission: Defensible, not defiance
There is little wisdom in writing for a newspaper on an issue on which the editorial and the editor in chief have already given a verdict (‘Chain of command, demand’). But I am motivated by two factors: “national interest” and the words of The Indian Express founder, “Be forthright, be frank, be fearless, whatever the odds. Never hesitate to take a stand if you believe in it. Never hesitate to speak out boldly against the wrongs.”
The issues being debated are: (a) should the services chiefs have represented to the defence minister on the cabinet decision (before implementation) relating to 6th Central Pay Commission (CPC), and (b) the manner in which they informed their command about efforts to get the anomalies resolved and advised them to be patient on the enhanced pay package. Does that construe “a dangerous precedent” and crossing the Laxman Rekha? It is unfortunate that no one has investigated why the chiefs were driven to take this step and who gave the spin of “defiance” to their actions.
Besides the blatant discrimination and injustice done in the constitution of the 6th CPC and in processing its report, despite pleas and caution conveyed by servicemen from inside and ex-servicemen from outside, there is no doubt that pent-up frustration from past experiences would have made the chiefs explain and write to the defence minister.
Many older ex-servicemen have written about the frustrations of the 3rd and the 4th CPC. Let me narrate my experience as vice chief and later as chief of army staff in the processing of the 5th CPC. On receipt of this report, the Government appointed a group of ministers to resolve the anomalies. Despite many unresolved anomalies, including one that had upset parity between the armed forces and police personnel below officer ranks (PBOR), the defence secretary had signed the financial order. I rang up the defence minister, who was in Calcutta that day, and said that these instructions, if released, would cause serious dissatisfaction amongst the rank and file. The minister stopped release of the financial order, discussed the issues with the chiefs next day, and then wrote a letter to the prime minister strongly recommending the desired changes. The new pay scales were held back for some months till major issues concerning PBOR were resolved.
In November ‘97, I wrote to the minister again pointing out the remaining unresolved anomalies, including relativity and functional problems due to...
upgradation of pay scales at additional DGP and DGP level. The Government appointed a high-level committee under the defence secretary to resolve all remaining issues of the 5th CPC, which submitted its report in April 1998. This report was processed by yet another committee under the cabinet secretary for the next 18 months but did not resolve (or did not wish to resolve) all issues. Despite several reminders to the defence minister, many anomalies remain unresolved. Many retired officers took recourse to the courts and won their cases.
Three points are to be noted. One, the pay revision of all armed forces personnel was delayed till the defence minister got major issues resolved, quite similar to what is happening in the present case. Two, no one told us that we had set a bad precedent or crossed a Laxman Rekha. Three, the chiefs would certainly be aware of the frustration and demoralisation caused in the processing of the 5th CPC.
The pressure from the ex-servicemen lobby cannot be denied. Besides the institutional camaraderie, izzat and pensions are closely related to the final 6th CPC award. Ex-servicemen look up to their chiefs for amelioration of all their problems. Another factor is non-implementation of one rank, one pension, a demand that has been publicly accepted by political leaders in the past and present governments.
In processing the present report, I have yet to see any statement by the defence minister or the chiefs that would suggest “defiance”, or words remotely close to it. All three chiefs have repudiated any such suggestion. The letter written by the naval chief merely explains the anomalies issue and advises the rank and file to remain patient because its resolve may take time. My guess is that the “defiance” and “pull up” stories are being deliberately aired by babus responsible for distribution of “information” to journalists. Compared to these babus, the chiefs can offer very little newsy information.
It is surprising that my friend Shekhar Gupta, who not long ago said, “In no other major democracy are the armed forces given so insignificant a role in policy making as in India. In no other country do they accept it with the docility they do in India”, has opined that this show of “defiance” is bound to result in a civilian riposte to take away some autonomy of the future chiefs. That cannot be ruled out. But does it mean...
that the chiefs should never raise or question issues that are so obviously wrong, unjust and bound to have serious impact on the morale of their services? If that be the desirable trait amongst senior officers then I will go one step further and state that such armed forces will never be able to win wars.
Sometime ago, former Defence Minister Jaswant Singh wrote in his book Defending India, “A combative mentality has grown between the service headquarters and the ministry. Such an attitude has its own damaging consequences; the defence ministry, in effect, becomes the principal destroyer of the cutting edge of the military’s morale; ironic considering that the very reverse of it is their responsibility. The sword arm of the state gets blunted by the state itself. So marked is resistance to change here, and so deep the mutual suspicions, inertia and antipathy, that all efforts at reforming the system have always floundered against a rock of ossified thought.”
The problem is that on the pretext of establishing civilian political supremacy over the military, we have developed a system of bureaucratic control, the like of which does not exist in any other country. If the military loses confidence in such a system, or gets isolated from the policy planning and decision-making process, it would affect its psyche, ethos and capability to advise and perform.
Given today’s rapidly changing geo-strategic environment, it is imperative that we change our mindsets and attitudes, and look beyond narrow boundaries defined by turf and parochialism. A face-to-face dialogue and military advice are critical for the success of policies concerning military personnel and their missions.
Source: http://www.indianexpress.com
There is little wisdom in writing for a newspaper on an issue on which the editorial and the editor in chief have already given a verdict (‘Chain of command, demand’). But I am motivated by two factors: “national interest” and the words of The Indian Express founder, “Be forthright, be frank, be fearless, whatever the odds. Never hesitate to take a stand if you believe in it. Never hesitate to speak out boldly against the wrongs.”
The issues being debated are: (a) should the services chiefs have represented to the defence minister on the cabinet decision (before implementation) relating to 6th Central Pay Commission (CPC), and (b) the manner in which they informed their command about efforts to get the anomalies resolved and advised them to be patient on the enhanced pay package. Does that construe “a dangerous precedent” and crossing the Laxman Rekha? It is unfortunate that no one has investigated why the chiefs were driven to take this step and who gave the spin of “defiance” to their actions.
Besides the blatant discrimination and injustice done in the constitution of the 6th CPC and in processing its report, despite pleas and caution conveyed by servicemen from inside and ex-servicemen from outside, there is no doubt that pent-up frustration from past experiences would have made the chiefs explain and write to the defence minister.
Many older ex-servicemen have written about the frustrations of the 3rd and the 4th CPC. Let me narrate my experience as vice chief and later as chief of army staff in the processing of the 5th CPC. On receipt of this report, the Government appointed a group of ministers to resolve the anomalies. Despite many unresolved anomalies, including one that had upset parity between the armed forces and police personnel below officer ranks (PBOR), the defence secretary had signed the financial order. I rang up the defence minister, who was in Calcutta that day, and said that these instructions, if released, would cause serious dissatisfaction amongst the rank and file. The minister stopped release of the financial order, discussed the issues with the chiefs next day, and then wrote a letter to the prime minister strongly recommending the desired changes. The new pay scales were held back for some months till major issues concerning PBOR were resolved.
In November ‘97, I wrote to the minister again pointing out the remaining unresolved anomalies, including relativity and functional problems due to...
upgradation of pay scales at additional DGP and DGP level. The Government appointed a high-level committee under the defence secretary to resolve all remaining issues of the 5th CPC, which submitted its report in April 1998. This report was processed by yet another committee under the cabinet secretary for the next 18 months but did not resolve (or did not wish to resolve) all issues. Despite several reminders to the defence minister, many anomalies remain unresolved. Many retired officers took recourse to the courts and won their cases.
Three points are to be noted. One, the pay revision of all armed forces personnel was delayed till the defence minister got major issues resolved, quite similar to what is happening in the present case. Two, no one told us that we had set a bad precedent or crossed a Laxman Rekha. Three, the chiefs would certainly be aware of the frustration and demoralisation caused in the processing of the 5th CPC.
The pressure from the ex-servicemen lobby cannot be denied. Besides the institutional camaraderie, izzat and pensions are closely related to the final 6th CPC award. Ex-servicemen look up to their chiefs for amelioration of all their problems. Another factor is non-implementation of one rank, one pension, a demand that has been publicly accepted by political leaders in the past and present governments.
In processing the present report, I have yet to see any statement by the defence minister or the chiefs that would suggest “defiance”, or words remotely close to it. All three chiefs have repudiated any such suggestion. The letter written by the naval chief merely explains the anomalies issue and advises the rank and file to remain patient because its resolve may take time. My guess is that the “defiance” and “pull up” stories are being deliberately aired by babus responsible for distribution of “information” to journalists. Compared to these babus, the chiefs can offer very little newsy information.
It is surprising that my friend Shekhar Gupta, who not long ago said, “In no other major democracy are the armed forces given so insignificant a role in policy making as in India. In no other country do they accept it with the docility they do in India”, has opined that this show of “defiance” is bound to result in a civilian riposte to take away some autonomy of the future chiefs. That cannot be ruled out. But does it mean...
that the chiefs should never raise or question issues that are so obviously wrong, unjust and bound to have serious impact on the morale of their services? If that be the desirable trait amongst senior officers then I will go one step further and state that such armed forces will never be able to win wars.
Sometime ago, former Defence Minister Jaswant Singh wrote in his book Defending India, “A combative mentality has grown between the service headquarters and the ministry. Such an attitude has its own damaging consequences; the defence ministry, in effect, becomes the principal destroyer of the cutting edge of the military’s morale; ironic considering that the very reverse of it is their responsibility. The sword arm of the state gets blunted by the state itself. So marked is resistance to change here, and so deep the mutual suspicions, inertia and antipathy, that all efforts at reforming the system have always floundered against a rock of ossified thought.”
The problem is that on the pretext of establishing civilian political supremacy over the military, we have developed a system of bureaucratic control, the like of which does not exist in any other country. If the military loses confidence in such a system, or gets isolated from the policy planning and decision-making process, it would affect its psyche, ethos and capability to advise and perform.
Given today’s rapidly changing geo-strategic environment, it is imperative that we change our mindsets and attitudes, and look beyond narrow boundaries defined by turf and parochialism. A face-to-face dialogue and military advice are critical for the success of policies concerning military personnel and their missions.
Source: http://www.indianexpress.com
Sixth Pay Commission: Naval chief rubbishes censure report
Sixth Pay Commission: Naval chief rubbishes censure report
New Delhi, Oct 6 (PTI) Naval Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta today rubbished media reports that he was censured by Defence Minister A K Antony as he maintained that the questions raised by the armed forces over the new pay scales were the "core issues" related to their status.
Mehta expressed confidence that the ministerial committee, headed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, will take the "right decision" and "pretty quickly".
"I think (the media) is quoting things, which never happened, and bringing out issues, which have no substantiation at all," he told reporters here when referred to a news report that he was pulled up by Antony for the third time for "defiance" over the Pay Commission recommendations.
Mehta maintained that the defence personnel's grievances over the 6th Pay Commission report were "not about money," but about "status equivalence" and command and control issues.
"I said so the other day and I will say it again. The issue over here is not about money. The issue here is that there is a certain status equivalence -- there are certain functional requirement (while) working at particular levels," he said.
He said the issues "missed out" were "oversights" and nobody "could have done it wilfully".
Noting that the Mukherjee committee is in the process of finding out what are the issues involved, he said "I'm sure they will take the right decision pretty quickly." "I should think that we will have a final answer within about two weeks time or so," Mehta said about the Mukherjee committee set-up to look into the grievances of "anomalies" highlighted by the defence forces. PTI
http://www.ptinews.com/
New Delhi, Oct 6 (PTI) Naval Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta today rubbished media reports that he was censured by Defence Minister A K Antony as he maintained that the questions raised by the armed forces over the new pay scales were the "core issues" related to their status.
Mehta expressed confidence that the ministerial committee, headed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, will take the "right decision" and "pretty quickly".
"I think (the media) is quoting things, which never happened, and bringing out issues, which have no substantiation at all," he told reporters here when referred to a news report that he was pulled up by Antony for the third time for "defiance" over the Pay Commission recommendations.
Mehta maintained that the defence personnel's grievances over the 6th Pay Commission report were "not about money," but about "status equivalence" and command and control issues.
"I said so the other day and I will say it again. The issue over here is not about money. The issue here is that there is a certain status equivalence -- there are certain functional requirement (while) working at particular levels," he said.
He said the issues "missed out" were "oversights" and nobody "could have done it wilfully".
Noting that the Mukherjee committee is in the process of finding out what are the issues involved, he said "I'm sure they will take the right decision pretty quickly." "I should think that we will have a final answer within about two weeks time or so," Mehta said about the Mukherjee committee set-up to look into the grievances of "anomalies" highlighted by the defence forces. PTI
http://www.ptinews.com/
Sixth Pay Commission: Report on armed forces' grievances in two weeks: Navy Chief
Sixth Pay Commission: Report on armed forces' grievances in two weeks: Navy Chief
New Delhi, Oct 6 (PTI) Rubbishing reports that he was censured by Defence Minister A K Antony for his "defiance" over the Pay Commission report, Navy chief Sureesh Mehta today said he expected the ministerial committee looking into the "core issues" raised by the armed forces to give its recommendations within a fortnight.
Mehta also reiterated that the defence personnel's grievances over the 6th Pay Commission report were "not about money," but about status equivalence and command and control issues.
He said the issues "missed out" were "oversights" and nobody "could have done it wilfully".
"I should think that we will have a final answer within about two weeks time or so," Mehta told reporters here while replying to a question on when the committee headed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee was expected to submit its report.
"But they (the Mukherjee committee) are in the process of finding out what are the issues involved. And I'm sure they will take the right decision pretty quickly," he said.
Asserting that the issues were about "status equivalence", the Navy chief said: "I said so the other day and I will say it again. The issue over here is not about money.
"The issue here is that there is a certain status equivalence -- there are certain functional requirement (while) working at particular levels." Pointing out that problem arose in the field areas, where paramilitary and forces were working together, he said: "If there is a command and control problem, there is a big issue there. And that is what is happening in the control rooms. You know that in the North East and Jammu and Kashmir we have got these kinds of set ups." PTI
http://www.ptinews.com/
New Delhi, Oct 6 (PTI) Rubbishing reports that he was censured by Defence Minister A K Antony for his "defiance" over the Pay Commission report, Navy chief Sureesh Mehta today said he expected the ministerial committee looking into the "core issues" raised by the armed forces to give its recommendations within a fortnight.
Mehta also reiterated that the defence personnel's grievances over the 6th Pay Commission report were "not about money," but about status equivalence and command and control issues.
He said the issues "missed out" were "oversights" and nobody "could have done it wilfully".
"I should think that we will have a final answer within about two weeks time or so," Mehta told reporters here while replying to a question on when the committee headed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee was expected to submit its report.
"But they (the Mukherjee committee) are in the process of finding out what are the issues involved. And I'm sure they will take the right decision pretty quickly," he said.
Asserting that the issues were about "status equivalence", the Navy chief said: "I said so the other day and I will say it again. The issue over here is not about money.
"The issue here is that there is a certain status equivalence -- there are certain functional requirement (while) working at particular levels." Pointing out that problem arose in the field areas, where paramilitary and forces were working together, he said: "If there is a command and control problem, there is a big issue there. And that is what is happening in the control rooms. You know that in the North East and Jammu and Kashmir we have got these kinds of set ups." PTI
http://www.ptinews.com/
Monday, October 6, 2008
Sixth Pay Commission: Pay panel recommendation: Govt staff threaten stir
Ahmedabad, October 05 The state Government employees are up in arms against the government over the issue of implementing the
Sixth Pay Commission recommendations to hike their salaries. To register their protest, the employees carried out a huge
rally in Ahmedabad on Sunday afternoon.
Other protest programmes such as going on a Mass Casual Leave and calling an indefinite strike are also on the cards if the
government does not pay heed to their demand. The agitating employees have also threatened that the BJP government’s delaying
the pay-hike might cost the party dear in the upcoming Lok Sabha election.
The rally was carried out by different associations and federations of the state government employees under the umbrella of
Guajrat Rajya Karmachari Sankalan Samiti (Gujarat State Employees Co-Ordination Committee) and was attended by thousands of
state government employees.
Gujarat State Panchayat Employees Federation, Gujarat State Primary Teachers’ Federation, Gujarat State Officers’ Federation
and Gujarat State Board Nigam Employees Federation are some of the notable organisations that took part in the rally.
Chairman of Gujarat State Employees Co-Ordination Committee, Vishnu Patel, told Newsline: “The state government had announced
the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission in its manifesto, but it has been delaying it on the pretext of putting it for
review by a committee. We outrightly condemn the formation of the committee to examine the pay commission’s recommendation.
We demand pay hike at the earliest.”
Patel also said that the BJP’s good performance in the coming Lok Sabha election maybe doubtful. “The total voting heads of
the state government employees and their families come to almost a crore. If the government does not give them their right,
it may prove costly for them in the election,” he said.
Patel also announced that all state government employees would go on a Mass Casual Leave on November 5 if their demands were
not accepted by then.
Joint General Secretary of the Co-Ordination Committee Harshad Raval said, “State governments of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan
have already implemented the pay commission’s recommendations. So, it is high time Gujarat government heard our demands.”
President of the Gujarat State Officers’ Federation Vivek Kapadiya said: “The state government has an inclination of not
paying enough to its employees, as it believes it is already paying them enough. Apart from that, it also has a tendency to
outsource all the work. That is why it has not been recruiting people. To attain their goal, they are forcing the people to
leave their jobs.” Kapadiya added that the state Government might have served five years in the state but the cost of their
deeds might have to be borne by the central BJP leadership in the next Lok Sabha election....
Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/
Sixth Pay Commission recommendations to hike their salaries. To register their protest, the employees carried out a huge
rally in Ahmedabad on Sunday afternoon.
Other protest programmes such as going on a Mass Casual Leave and calling an indefinite strike are also on the cards if the
government does not pay heed to their demand. The agitating employees have also threatened that the BJP government’s delaying
the pay-hike might cost the party dear in the upcoming Lok Sabha election.
The rally was carried out by different associations and federations of the state government employees under the umbrella of
Guajrat Rajya Karmachari Sankalan Samiti (Gujarat State Employees Co-Ordination Committee) and was attended by thousands of
state government employees.
Gujarat State Panchayat Employees Federation, Gujarat State Primary Teachers’ Federation, Gujarat State Officers’ Federation
and Gujarat State Board Nigam Employees Federation are some of the notable organisations that took part in the rally.
Chairman of Gujarat State Employees Co-Ordination Committee, Vishnu Patel, told Newsline: “The state government had announced
the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission in its manifesto, but it has been delaying it on the pretext of putting it for
review by a committee. We outrightly condemn the formation of the committee to examine the pay commission’s recommendation.
We demand pay hike at the earliest.”
Patel also said that the BJP’s good performance in the coming Lok Sabha election maybe doubtful. “The total voting heads of
the state government employees and their families come to almost a crore. If the government does not give them their right,
it may prove costly for them in the election,” he said.
Patel also announced that all state government employees would go on a Mass Casual Leave on November 5 if their demands were
not accepted by then.
Joint General Secretary of the Co-Ordination Committee Harshad Raval said, “State governments of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan
have already implemented the pay commission’s recommendations. So, it is high time Gujarat government heard our demands.”
President of the Gujarat State Officers’ Federation Vivek Kapadiya said: “The state government has an inclination of not
paying enough to its employees, as it believes it is already paying them enough. Apart from that, it also has a tendency to
outsource all the work. That is why it has not been recruiting people. To attain their goal, they are forcing the people to
leave their jobs.” Kapadiya added that the state Government might have served five years in the state but the cost of their
deeds might have to be borne by the central BJP leadership in the next Lok Sabha election....
Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/
Sixth Pay Commission: The grim scenario of Rupee
When the rupee was appreciating last year, it was widely believed that the upturn was here to stay. Foreign investments came
rushing to India, lured by its strong economic growth and low inflation. Even Indian corporates went overseas like never
before, borrowing heavily to fund acquisitions, as well as various expansion projects.
So, when the tide turned, it was a rude awakening for India Inc. Today, India is more integrated with the global economy
compared to a decade ago and the rupeedollar exchange rate has a huge bearing on India Inc’s growth prospects.
India continues to be a net importer of goods, especially capital goods and key industrial inputs. A costlier rupee raises
project costs and affects the rate of investment, which impacts economic growth. Besides, depreciation in the rupee reduces
the financial returns of foreign investors, reducing the relative attractiveness of India as an investment destination.
Given this, if we want to have a view on India’s growth story, it becomes necessary to understand the moves being made by the
rupee.
Why the rupee depreciated suddenly is an interesting question. The most obvious reason is the global financial crisis and the
ensuing massive unwinding of foreign portfolio investors to fund their domestic liquidity requirements. However , there have
been subtle changes in the economy over the past few months that have been hinting at a weak rupee.
India’s inflation spurted to double digits in June ’08 — higher than the rate of economic growth — on the back of high crude
oil and commodity prices. At the same time, the government’s decisions to raise subsidies rather than pass on the high global
prices of crude oil and fertilisers have dramatically increased the fiscal deficit.
Besides, the government has to make provisions for waiving agricultural loans, handing out the Sixth Pay Commission awards
and other welfare schemes launched in the recent past.
According to various estimates, these measures are expected to push India’s fiscal deficit to nearly 8% of the gross domestic
product (GDP) — the highest ever in nearly a decade. A bigger fiscal deficit translates into an equally huge trade deficit,
which puts downward pressure on the rupee. Till such a time these worries are addressed extensively, the downward pressure on
the rupee is likely to continue.
US AND THEM
It is not just the rupee, which has taken a thrashing from the sudden exit of foreign capital. Other emerging markets such as
Brazil and Russia have also witnessed a depreciation in their currencies — sharper than India’s — over the past few weeks.
While the rupee lost around 7.5% of its value from the beginning of July ’08, Brazilian real lost 20.6%, Russian rouble fell
10.3% and South Korean won depreciated by 16.9%. China is the only country whose currency has appreciated against the dollar
over a period of time.
THE SLIPPERY ZONE
While the outflow of the so-called ‘hot money’ has hit the rupee hard, the continuing liquidity problems overseas are adding
fuel to it. The foreign branches of Indian banks are suddenly finding it difficult to roll over short-term loans taken from
local banks.
In such cases, they are left with no other option, but to raise the necessary foreign exchange (forex) in the domestic market
by selling rupees, which adds to depreciation in the rupee.
LIQUIDITY WOES
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), which overseas the domestic money supply, also monitors the supply of forex in India, so as
to smoothen out the erratic movements by keeping the markets wellsupplied and liquid.
However, RBI’s ability to intervene in the market is limited. The level of RBI’s forex reserves, which were on a secular
uptrend till May ’08 to reach $315 billion, have been waning since then.
Current forex reserves of $292 billion indicate a 7.3% drawdown from the peak, but they are still at very high levels,
considering India’s history of having reserves equivalent to around 12 months of imports.
But forex reserves have to be used carefully because they play a key role in maintaining the general confidence in the
currency. The structure of India’s foreign capital inflows has changed dramatically in the past few years.
While India’s total capital inflows have increased at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 58.4% over the past five
years, the hot money inflow — capital coming in through portfolio investments and short-term credit — has grown at 89%.
Hazy Future
During FY08 alone, nearly $46.8 billion of hot money flowed into India, representing 43.3% of India’s net capital inflows of
$108 billion. Since hot money can be easily pulled out at short notice, its large presence in the economy is a potential
danger. The boom in the economy and the stock market in earlier years led to its rising influence. But with things not so
smooth any more, it increases the risk of a sudden exodus of foreign capital.
Similarly, at times, RBI’s ability to intervene in the forex market gets restricted due to liquidity problems. When the rupee
is being sold off and losing value, RBI needs to sell dollars to support the rupee. This reduces liquidity in the banking
system.
So, it needs to be careful that its forex market operations do not leave the domestic financial system dry. Non-food credit
growth has reached 25% despite high interest rates due to heavy borrowings by oil and fertiliser companies.
RBI has taken steps to address liquidity problems. It started a second daily liquidity adjustment facility for banks and also
allowed them to dip below the mandated 25% statutory liquidity ratio requirement by one percentage point. In a bid to attract
more foreign currency, RBI has hiked interest rates on foreign currency deposits by 50 bps.
MACRO MIX-UPS :
The Indian economy is not in good shape. Growth in IIP has slowed, while inflation has soared. During the first five months
of FY09, fiscal deficit has already crossed 87% of India’s full-year forecast. The spurt in global crude prices has
single-handedly increased India’s trade deficit.
Crude prices jumped to an average of $120 in the first half of FY09 from $70 in the corresponding period of previous year.
So, India’s oil import bill swelled 77% in August ’08 to $11 billion and by 60% to $46 billion during April-August ’08. In
view of this, India’s export growth is falling short of the growth in imports. The resultant trade deficit is likely to touch
$125 billion for the whole of FY09.
There appears some light at the end of the tunnel on this count. Crude prices have retraced nearly one-third from their peaks
to fall below $100 per barrel and are expected to remain range-bound . In the medium term, domestic availability of natural
gas and crude oil is expected to increase substantially as RIL’s oil fields in Krishna Godavari basin and Cairn’s Rajasthan
fields begin production. Both these factors will ease India’s crude import bill and reduce the fiscal deficit. A simultaneous
meltdown in the commodity market will also alleviate inflation.
NO CLEAR VIEW, YET:
The recent fall in the rupee, led by withdrawal of foreign portfolio investors from India, may not be rectified till
stability returns. The global scenario is uncertain.
India also needs to fight its own woes — high inflation, widening current account and fiscal deficits and slowing economic
growth — besides absorbing repercussions of the global turmoil. The Indian economy’s ability to re-emerge as an attractive
investment destination will determine the rupee’s upward movement. Till then, the rupee is likely to remain under pressure.
(Inputs by Pallavi Mulay and Shakti Shankar Patra)
Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/
rushing to India, lured by its strong economic growth and low inflation. Even Indian corporates went overseas like never
before, borrowing heavily to fund acquisitions, as well as various expansion projects.
So, when the tide turned, it was a rude awakening for India Inc. Today, India is more integrated with the global economy
compared to a decade ago and the rupeedollar exchange rate has a huge bearing on India Inc’s growth prospects.
India continues to be a net importer of goods, especially capital goods and key industrial inputs. A costlier rupee raises
project costs and affects the rate of investment, which impacts economic growth. Besides, depreciation in the rupee reduces
the financial returns of foreign investors, reducing the relative attractiveness of India as an investment destination.
Given this, if we want to have a view on India’s growth story, it becomes necessary to understand the moves being made by the
rupee.
Why the rupee depreciated suddenly is an interesting question. The most obvious reason is the global financial crisis and the
ensuing massive unwinding of foreign portfolio investors to fund their domestic liquidity requirements. However , there have
been subtle changes in the economy over the past few months that have been hinting at a weak rupee.
India’s inflation spurted to double digits in June ’08 — higher than the rate of economic growth — on the back of high crude
oil and commodity prices. At the same time, the government’s decisions to raise subsidies rather than pass on the high global
prices of crude oil and fertilisers have dramatically increased the fiscal deficit.
Besides, the government has to make provisions for waiving agricultural loans, handing out the Sixth Pay Commission awards
and other welfare schemes launched in the recent past.
According to various estimates, these measures are expected to push India’s fiscal deficit to nearly 8% of the gross domestic
product (GDP) — the highest ever in nearly a decade. A bigger fiscal deficit translates into an equally huge trade deficit,
which puts downward pressure on the rupee. Till such a time these worries are addressed extensively, the downward pressure on
the rupee is likely to continue.
US AND THEM
It is not just the rupee, which has taken a thrashing from the sudden exit of foreign capital. Other emerging markets such as
Brazil and Russia have also witnessed a depreciation in their currencies — sharper than India’s — over the past few weeks.
While the rupee lost around 7.5% of its value from the beginning of July ’08, Brazilian real lost 20.6%, Russian rouble fell
10.3% and South Korean won depreciated by 16.9%. China is the only country whose currency has appreciated against the dollar
over a period of time.
THE SLIPPERY ZONE
While the outflow of the so-called ‘hot money’ has hit the rupee hard, the continuing liquidity problems overseas are adding
fuel to it. The foreign branches of Indian banks are suddenly finding it difficult to roll over short-term loans taken from
local banks.
In such cases, they are left with no other option, but to raise the necessary foreign exchange (forex) in the domestic market
by selling rupees, which adds to depreciation in the rupee.
LIQUIDITY WOES
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), which overseas the domestic money supply, also monitors the supply of forex in India, so as
to smoothen out the erratic movements by keeping the markets wellsupplied and liquid.
However, RBI’s ability to intervene in the market is limited. The level of RBI’s forex reserves, which were on a secular
uptrend till May ’08 to reach $315 billion, have been waning since then.
Current forex reserves of $292 billion indicate a 7.3% drawdown from the peak, but they are still at very high levels,
considering India’s history of having reserves equivalent to around 12 months of imports.
But forex reserves have to be used carefully because they play a key role in maintaining the general confidence in the
currency. The structure of India’s foreign capital inflows has changed dramatically in the past few years.
While India’s total capital inflows have increased at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 58.4% over the past five
years, the hot money inflow — capital coming in through portfolio investments and short-term credit — has grown at 89%.
Hazy Future
During FY08 alone, nearly $46.8 billion of hot money flowed into India, representing 43.3% of India’s net capital inflows of
$108 billion. Since hot money can be easily pulled out at short notice, its large presence in the economy is a potential
danger. The boom in the economy and the stock market in earlier years led to its rising influence. But with things not so
smooth any more, it increases the risk of a sudden exodus of foreign capital.
Similarly, at times, RBI’s ability to intervene in the forex market gets restricted due to liquidity problems. When the rupee
is being sold off and losing value, RBI needs to sell dollars to support the rupee. This reduces liquidity in the banking
system.
So, it needs to be careful that its forex market operations do not leave the domestic financial system dry. Non-food credit
growth has reached 25% despite high interest rates due to heavy borrowings by oil and fertiliser companies.
RBI has taken steps to address liquidity problems. It started a second daily liquidity adjustment facility for banks and also
allowed them to dip below the mandated 25% statutory liquidity ratio requirement by one percentage point. In a bid to attract
more foreign currency, RBI has hiked interest rates on foreign currency deposits by 50 bps.
MACRO MIX-UPS :
The Indian economy is not in good shape. Growth in IIP has slowed, while inflation has soared. During the first five months
of FY09, fiscal deficit has already crossed 87% of India’s full-year forecast. The spurt in global crude prices has
single-handedly increased India’s trade deficit.
Crude prices jumped to an average of $120 in the first half of FY09 from $70 in the corresponding period of previous year.
So, India’s oil import bill swelled 77% in August ’08 to $11 billion and by 60% to $46 billion during April-August ’08. In
view of this, India’s export growth is falling short of the growth in imports. The resultant trade deficit is likely to touch
$125 billion for the whole of FY09.
There appears some light at the end of the tunnel on this count. Crude prices have retraced nearly one-third from their peaks
to fall below $100 per barrel and are expected to remain range-bound . In the medium term, domestic availability of natural
gas and crude oil is expected to increase substantially as RIL’s oil fields in Krishna Godavari basin and Cairn’s Rajasthan
fields begin production. Both these factors will ease India’s crude import bill and reduce the fiscal deficit. A simultaneous
meltdown in the commodity market will also alleviate inflation.
NO CLEAR VIEW, YET:
The recent fall in the rupee, led by withdrawal of foreign portfolio investors from India, may not be rectified till
stability returns. The global scenario is uncertain.
India also needs to fight its own woes — high inflation, widening current account and fiscal deficits and slowing economic
growth — besides absorbing repercussions of the global turmoil. The Indian economy’s ability to re-emerge as an attractive
investment destination will determine the rupee’s upward movement. Till then, the rupee is likely to remain under pressure.
(Inputs by Pallavi Mulay and Shakti Shankar Patra)
Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/
Sixth Pay Commission: Antony pitches for two key pay demands of Services, pulls up Navy chief again
New Delhi, October 5 Navy chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta, who sent out an unclassified signal on September 24 to all naval
officers and ranks on withholding implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission salary recommendations, is learnt to have been
pulled up again by Defence Minister A K Antony for the manner in which he, as Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee, led the
other two chiefs — General Deepak Kapoor and Air Chief Marshal Homi Major — in virtually attacking the establishment.
This is the third time Admiral Mehta has been pulled up by Antony in recent months — earlier, he was pulled up for his
remarks over the build-up of Chinese submarines.
It is learnt that while Antony has agreed to look into grievances, even push in Parliament the “demands” of the armed forces
over pay, he is upset by the way Admiral Mehta dealt with the matter. After being almost nudged by Admiral Mehta to “refuse”
implementation of the pay panel report, the armed forces did not submit their revised salary slips to the Ministry’s accounts
office.
Antony is part of a three-member panel — the others are Pranab Mukherjee, the panel head, and P Chidambaram — tasked to look
into the pay anomalies. On September 26, he had an uncharacteristic tough talk with the three chiefs. He is now said to have
conveyed to Mukherjee that the Government has agreed in principle to the Services’ demand for restoring 70 per cent “extant
pensionary weightage” to jawans on the basis of their last drawn pay.
Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/
officers and ranks on withholding implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission salary recommendations, is learnt to have been
pulled up again by Defence Minister A K Antony for the manner in which he, as Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee, led the
other two chiefs — General Deepak Kapoor and Air Chief Marshal Homi Major — in virtually attacking the establishment.
This is the third time Admiral Mehta has been pulled up by Antony in recent months — earlier, he was pulled up for his
remarks over the build-up of Chinese submarines.
It is learnt that while Antony has agreed to look into grievances, even push in Parliament the “demands” of the armed forces
over pay, he is upset by the way Admiral Mehta dealt with the matter. After being almost nudged by Admiral Mehta to “refuse”
implementation of the pay panel report, the armed forces did not submit their revised salary slips to the Ministry’s accounts
office.
Antony is part of a three-member panel — the others are Pranab Mukherjee, the panel head, and P Chidambaram — tasked to look
into the pay anomalies. On September 26, he had an uncharacteristic tough talk with the three chiefs. He is now said to have
conveyed to Mukherjee that the Government has agreed in principle to the Services’ demand for restoring 70 per cent “extant
pensionary weightage” to jawans on the basis of their last drawn pay.
Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/
Sixth Pay Commission: Pay panel recommendation: Govt staff threaten stir
Sixth Pay Commission: Pay panel recommendation: Govt staff threaten stir
Ahmedabad, October 05 The state government employees are up in arms against the government over the issue of implementing the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations to hike their salaries. To register their protest, the employees carried out a huge rally in Ahmedabad on Sunday afternoon.
Other protest programmes such as going on a Mass Casual Leave and calling an indefinite strike are also on the cards if the government does not pay heed to their demand. The agitating employees have also threatened that the BJP government’s delaying the pay-hike might cost the party dear in the upcoming Lok Sabha election.
The rally was carried out by different associations and federations of the state government employees under the umbrella of Guajrat Rajya Karmachari Sankalan Samiti (Gujarat State Employees Co-Ordination Committee) and was attended by thousands of state government employees.
Gujarat State Panchayat Employees Federation, Gujarat State Primary Teachers’ Federation, Gujarat State Officers’ Federation and Gujarat State Board Nigam Employees Federation are some of the notable organisations that took part in the rally.
Chairman of Gujarat State Employees Co-Ordination Committee, Vishnu Patel, told Newsline: “The state government had announced the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission in its manifesto, but it has been delaying it on the pretext of putting it for review by a committee. We outrightly condemn the formation of the committee to examine the pay commission’s recommendation. We demand pay hike at the earliest.”
Patel also said that the BJP’s good performance in the coming Lok Sabha election maybe doubtful. “The total voting heads of the state government employees and their families come to almost a crore. If the government does not give them their right, it may prove costly for them in the election,” he said.
Patel also announced that all state government employees would go on a Mass Casual Leave on November 5 if their demands were not accepted by then.
Joint General Secretary of the Co-Ordination Committee Harshad Raval said, “State governments of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan have already implemented the pay commission’s recommendations. So, it is high time Gujarat government heard our demands.”
President of the Gujarat State Officers’ Federation Vivek Kapadiya said: “The state government has an inclination of not paying enough to its employees, as it believes it is already paying them enough. Apart from that, it also has a tendency to outsource all the work. That is why it has not been recruiting people. To attain their goal, they are forcing the people to leave their jobs.”
Kapadiya added that the state government might have served five years in the state but the cost of their deeds might have to be borne by the central BJP leadership in the next Lok Sabha election.
Source: http://www.expressindia.com/
Ahmedabad, October 05 The state government employees are up in arms against the government over the issue of implementing the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations to hike their salaries. To register their protest, the employees carried out a huge rally in Ahmedabad on Sunday afternoon.
Other protest programmes such as going on a Mass Casual Leave and calling an indefinite strike are also on the cards if the government does not pay heed to their demand. The agitating employees have also threatened that the BJP government’s delaying the pay-hike might cost the party dear in the upcoming Lok Sabha election.
The rally was carried out by different associations and federations of the state government employees under the umbrella of Guajrat Rajya Karmachari Sankalan Samiti (Gujarat State Employees Co-Ordination Committee) and was attended by thousands of state government employees.
Gujarat State Panchayat Employees Federation, Gujarat State Primary Teachers’ Federation, Gujarat State Officers’ Federation and Gujarat State Board Nigam Employees Federation are some of the notable organisations that took part in the rally.
Chairman of Gujarat State Employees Co-Ordination Committee, Vishnu Patel, told Newsline: “The state government had announced the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission in its manifesto, but it has been delaying it on the pretext of putting it for review by a committee. We outrightly condemn the formation of the committee to examine the pay commission’s recommendation. We demand pay hike at the earliest.”
Patel also said that the BJP’s good performance in the coming Lok Sabha election maybe doubtful. “The total voting heads of the state government employees and their families come to almost a crore. If the government does not give them their right, it may prove costly for them in the election,” he said.
Patel also announced that all state government employees would go on a Mass Casual Leave on November 5 if their demands were not accepted by then.
Joint General Secretary of the Co-Ordination Committee Harshad Raval said, “State governments of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan have already implemented the pay commission’s recommendations. So, it is high time Gujarat government heard our demands.”
President of the Gujarat State Officers’ Federation Vivek Kapadiya said: “The state government has an inclination of not paying enough to its employees, as it believes it is already paying them enough. Apart from that, it also has a tendency to outsource all the work. That is why it has not been recruiting people. To attain their goal, they are forcing the people to leave their jobs.”
Kapadiya added that the state government might have served five years in the state but the cost of their deeds might have to be borne by the central BJP leadership in the next Lok Sabha election.
Source: http://www.expressindia.com/
Vice Presidential Debate 2008
Vice Presidential Debate 2008
Vice Presidential Debate 2008 http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=hbDUa0yMCjo
Vice Presidential Debate 2008 http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=hbDUa0yMCjo
LimeWire 4.18.8
LimeWire 4.18.8
LimeWire version 4.18.8
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http://www.limewire.com/
LimeWire version 4.18.8
LimeWire PRO get turbo-chargedFastest P2P downloads on the planet
No spyware, adware, or bundled software
Built-in media player
Downloads from multiple hosts
International versions
Windows, Mac and Linux compatible
Get Pro Optimized search results
Turbo-charged downloads
Connections to more sources
More Reliable Downloads
Special PRO only skin
FREE tech support
FREE updates for up to 6 months
Get Pro for a single payment of only $21.95
Get Basic Extend your PRO benefits!
Get PRO for 1 year for only $34.95!
http://www.limewire.com/
What is LimeWire?
LimeWire is a fast, easy-to-use file sharing program that contains no spyware, adware or other bundled software. Compatible with all major platforms and running over the Gnutella network, LimeWire's open source code, is freely available to the public and developed in part by a devoted programmer community. LimeWire is offered in dozens of languages and is available in LimeWire BASIC, a free version, or LimeWire PRO, an enhanced version with personalized technical support offered at $21.95.
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Lime Wire LLC is a New York City-based company founded in 2000. We develop innovative, sophisticated applications of file sharing technology. Industry experts Mark Gorton (Chairman) and Greg Bildson (COO, CTO) lead an international team of professionals from the world's most prestigious academic and professional institutions. Find out more about Lime Wire LLC.
http://www.limewire.com/
Why Should I Use LimeWire?
LimeWire is the fastest, easiest, most advanced file sharing program available and it's completely free of spyware, adware and any other bundled software. Find out more about LimeWire's features.
For the ultimate Lime experience, LimeWire PRO features access to optimized search results, faster downloads, free updates and personalized technical support for up to six months. Get your copy of LimeWire PRO today.
What's new at Lime Wire?
Lime Wire is introducing a filtering system to encourage safer, more responsible file sharing. Copyright owners interested in blocking their files from being downloaded, uploaded and shared are invited to learn more and register here. LimeWire users can learn more about responsible file sharing in Copyright Information.
About LimeWire LLC
Lime Wire LLC is a New York City-based company founded in 2000. We develop innovative, sophisticated applications of file sharing technology. Industry experts Mark Gorton (Chairman) and Greg Bildson (COO, CTO) lead an international team of professionals from the world's most prestigious academic and professional institutions. Find out more about Lime Wire LLC.
http://www.limewire.com/
Hannah Montana
Hannah Montana
Hannah Montana is an Emmy Award-nominated American television series, which debuted on March 24, 2006 on Disney Channel. The series focuses on a girl who lives a double life as an average teenage school girl named Miley Stewart (played by Miley Cyrus) by day and a famous pop singer named Hannah Montana by night, concealing her real identity from the public, other than her close friends and family.
On April 9, 2008, it was announced that Hannah Montana would return for a third season in 2008 and production started on August 4, 2008.
Courtesy: wikipedia
Hannah Montana is an Emmy Award-nominated American television series, which debuted on March 24, 2006 on Disney Channel. The series focuses on a girl who lives a double life as an average teenage school girl named Miley Stewart (played by Miley Cyrus) by day and a famous pop singer named Hannah Montana by night, concealing her real identity from the public, other than her close friends and family.
On April 9, 2008, it was announced that Hannah Montana would return for a third season in 2008 and production started on August 4, 2008.
Courtesy: wikipedia
MG University - www.mguniversity.edu
MG University - www.mguniversity.edu
The Mahatma Gandhi University (formerly Gandhiji University), with B+ accreditation of National Assessment and Accreditation Council, was established on 2nd October 1983, as the fifth University in the Southern most State of Kerala,India.
Hiving off the territorial jurisdiction of the mother institution – University of Kerala, as per the Mahatma Gandhi University Act, 12 of 1985,enacted by the Kerala state Legislature, the twenty-two year young University caters to the development of higher education of Central Kerala. Higher learning in the Revenue Districts of Kottayam, Ernakulam and Idukki, Kozhencherry, Mallappally, Thiruvalla and Ranni Taluks of the Pathanamthitta District and Kuttanad Taluk of the Alapuzha District comes under the aegis of Mahatma Gandhi University.
The University has a sprawling 110 Acre main Campus in Athirampuzha, a hamlet 13 Kms. off Kottayam town. Apart from this, the University has 7 Satellite Campuses at Pullarikunnu, Soorya Kalady Hills, Nattasserry, Puthuppally, Gandhinagar and Cheruvandoor in Kottayam, Thodupuzha in Idukki District and Chuttippara in Pathanamthitta District.
The University enrolls 1,50,000 students on an average every year to its 410 Courses in graduate, post graduate and M.Phil/Ph.D. programmes through 22 University Departments, 22 Engineering Colleges, 1 Law College, 3 Medical Colleges, 20 Nursing Colleges, 7 SME Nursing Institutes, 4 Pharmacy Colleges, 4 Dental Colleges, 3 Ayurveda Colleges, 2 Homoeo Colleges, 1 Music and Fine Arts College, 121 affiliated Arts and Science colleges, 37 Education Training Colleges and 12 University Colleges of Teacher Education. Mahatma Gandhi University has made its presence outside its territorial jurisdiction through the 72 off campus centres – 55 centres within Kerala, 9 outside Kerala and 8 abroad.
Mahatma Gandhi University has 10 Inter disciplinary Schools of teaching and research and 12 schools of higher learning in Applied Science and Professional Studies, with academic autonomy. The courses in the Departments are conducted in the credit and semester system. The Schools have tied-up with UGC, FIST, DRS, DST, ISRO, COSIST, CSIR, DAAD, STEC, ICMR, BARC, MOEF, ICCSR, ICHR and IED and taken up 70 Research Projects. In order to facilitate inflow of cutting- edge technologies and methodologies, the University Departments have commenced collaborative efforts with CIRAD, Mont Pellvier, France, EHESS, Paris, French Institute, Pondicherry, Toronto University, Bucknev University, Catholic University, Belgium, Max Plank Institute of Technology, Germany, California, Institute of Technology, USA, University of Nantos, France, Edinburgh University, City University, USA, and Ruth Cohn Institute of Theme Centred Interaction, Switzerland.
The School of Chemical Sciences of the University has advanced commendably in their research pursuits by developing a host of new technologies indigenously, which has enabled the institution to net 6 U.S. Patents and 12 Indian Patents. The Department has initiated dialogue for transfer of these technologies to the Industry and an M.O.U. in this regard will be inked soon with a leading research industry in the world.
The University has awarded 865 doctoral degrees for the research activities undertaken by the scholars in various disciplines and published over 5000 papers in research journals of international repute.
At present, Mahatma Gandhi University offers research facilities and guidance in over 40 disciplines through its own Departments as well as 114 approved research Centres. The University is in the process of setting up a dedicated Intellectual Property Facilitation Centre, in order to promote research, acquisition of IPR’s and technology transfer.
Mahatma Gandhi University boldly took a lead to initiate the Self-financing Stream in the University system in 1993 and was able to carve a niche, especially in professional and job-oriented education in the State. Now, the University has 24 Self Financing Institutions under its orbit, offering Engineering, Applied Sciences, Nursing and Allied Medical Courses. Revolutionising the professional learning scenario, the University was able to open new vistas to young aspirants, to pursue career-oriented programmes in Kerala State, curbing the resource outflow to other parts of the Country.
The University is having a web-enabled Central Library and 21 Departmental Libraries, 4 Study Centres and 6 Information Centres. The Central Library is linked to the U.G.C. sponsored INFLIBNET enabling on-line subscription of over 2500 National and International research journals.
Mahatma Gandhi University has published 53 titles in Malayalam, 38 titles in English and 16 titles in Hindi. The University is also engaged in co-publishing with leading publishers like Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, BI Publications, DC Books, Modern Book Centre and Vasthu Vidya Gurukulam, Aranmula.
Mahatma Gandhi University has been able to become a role model in the Country in extension activities. The Kottayam Literacy Campaign, the first of its kind in India (1989 ) was a project of this University. The Nalpathimala Grama Vikas Kendra, within the University Campus, has evolved as a nationally accepted model for Campus-Community partnership, which won the first Indiara Gandhi NSS Award in 1993. The Vocational Rehabilitation Centre under the School of Behavioural Sciences has opened a new pathway in reaching the masses.
National Service Scheme, National Cadet Corps, University Students Union and College Union are very active, in chanalising the creativity sparks of the students. A full-fledged Students Service Department looks into the student amenities. The Employment and Guidance Bureau offers regular programmes for students to prepare for the UGC, NET, CSIR and other competitive Examinations.
The students have been consistently contributing to the image of the University through their outstanding performance in Inter University Youth Festivals, Sports, Games and Intellectual pursuits. Our sports stars, Mrs. Shiny Wilson, Mr. Manju Lal, and Ms. Chitra K. Soman were able to enter into the international athletic circuit and represented the Nation in the various Olympics.
Mahatma Gandhi University has honoured the famous Malayalam writers – the late Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai Shri. M.T. Vasudevan Nair , the Dada Saheb Phalke award winner and world-renowned film maker Shri. Adoor Gopalakrishnan with D.Litt. . Seminars, colloquiums and workshops of international stature is a regular feature in the University, besides hosting annual memorial lectures in honour of the late literators and scientists.
Mahatma Gandhi University has made a significant turn when Dr. Jancy James, assumed its charge on 16th November 2004, becoming the first woman Vice –Chancellor of the State.
http://www.mguniversity.edu/
Tags: mg university results, mgu.ernet.in, mg university btech results, mg university b tech results, www.mgu.ernet.in
The Mahatma Gandhi University (formerly Gandhiji University), with B+ accreditation of National Assessment and Accreditation Council, was established on 2nd October 1983, as the fifth University in the Southern most State of Kerala,India.
Hiving off the territorial jurisdiction of the mother institution – University of Kerala, as per the Mahatma Gandhi University Act, 12 of 1985,enacted by the Kerala state Legislature, the twenty-two year young University caters to the development of higher education of Central Kerala. Higher learning in the Revenue Districts of Kottayam, Ernakulam and Idukki, Kozhencherry, Mallappally, Thiruvalla and Ranni Taluks of the Pathanamthitta District and Kuttanad Taluk of the Alapuzha District comes under the aegis of Mahatma Gandhi University.
The University has a sprawling 110 Acre main Campus in Athirampuzha, a hamlet 13 Kms. off Kottayam town. Apart from this, the University has 7 Satellite Campuses at Pullarikunnu, Soorya Kalady Hills, Nattasserry, Puthuppally, Gandhinagar and Cheruvandoor in Kottayam, Thodupuzha in Idukki District and Chuttippara in Pathanamthitta District.
The University enrolls 1,50,000 students on an average every year to its 410 Courses in graduate, post graduate and M.Phil/Ph.D. programmes through 22 University Departments, 22 Engineering Colleges, 1 Law College, 3 Medical Colleges, 20 Nursing Colleges, 7 SME Nursing Institutes, 4 Pharmacy Colleges, 4 Dental Colleges, 3 Ayurveda Colleges, 2 Homoeo Colleges, 1 Music and Fine Arts College, 121 affiliated Arts and Science colleges, 37 Education Training Colleges and 12 University Colleges of Teacher Education. Mahatma Gandhi University has made its presence outside its territorial jurisdiction through the 72 off campus centres – 55 centres within Kerala, 9 outside Kerala and 8 abroad.
Mahatma Gandhi University has 10 Inter disciplinary Schools of teaching and research and 12 schools of higher learning in Applied Science and Professional Studies, with academic autonomy. The courses in the Departments are conducted in the credit and semester system. The Schools have tied-up with UGC, FIST, DRS, DST, ISRO, COSIST, CSIR, DAAD, STEC, ICMR, BARC, MOEF, ICCSR, ICHR and IED and taken up 70 Research Projects. In order to facilitate inflow of cutting- edge technologies and methodologies, the University Departments have commenced collaborative efforts with CIRAD, Mont Pellvier, France, EHESS, Paris, French Institute, Pondicherry, Toronto University, Bucknev University, Catholic University, Belgium, Max Plank Institute of Technology, Germany, California, Institute of Technology, USA, University of Nantos, France, Edinburgh University, City University, USA, and Ruth Cohn Institute of Theme Centred Interaction, Switzerland.
The School of Chemical Sciences of the University has advanced commendably in their research pursuits by developing a host of new technologies indigenously, which has enabled the institution to net 6 U.S. Patents and 12 Indian Patents. The Department has initiated dialogue for transfer of these technologies to the Industry and an M.O.U. in this regard will be inked soon with a leading research industry in the world.
The University has awarded 865 doctoral degrees for the research activities undertaken by the scholars in various disciplines and published over 5000 papers in research journals of international repute.
At present, Mahatma Gandhi University offers research facilities and guidance in over 40 disciplines through its own Departments as well as 114 approved research Centres. The University is in the process of setting up a dedicated Intellectual Property Facilitation Centre, in order to promote research, acquisition of IPR’s and technology transfer.
Mahatma Gandhi University boldly took a lead to initiate the Self-financing Stream in the University system in 1993 and was able to carve a niche, especially in professional and job-oriented education in the State. Now, the University has 24 Self Financing Institutions under its orbit, offering Engineering, Applied Sciences, Nursing and Allied Medical Courses. Revolutionising the professional learning scenario, the University was able to open new vistas to young aspirants, to pursue career-oriented programmes in Kerala State, curbing the resource outflow to other parts of the Country.
The University is having a web-enabled Central Library and 21 Departmental Libraries, 4 Study Centres and 6 Information Centres. The Central Library is linked to the U.G.C. sponsored INFLIBNET enabling on-line subscription of over 2500 National and International research journals.
Mahatma Gandhi University has published 53 titles in Malayalam, 38 titles in English and 16 titles in Hindi. The University is also engaged in co-publishing with leading publishers like Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, BI Publications, DC Books, Modern Book Centre and Vasthu Vidya Gurukulam, Aranmula.
Mahatma Gandhi University has been able to become a role model in the Country in extension activities. The Kottayam Literacy Campaign, the first of its kind in India (1989 ) was a project of this University. The Nalpathimala Grama Vikas Kendra, within the University Campus, has evolved as a nationally accepted model for Campus-Community partnership, which won the first Indiara Gandhi NSS Award in 1993. The Vocational Rehabilitation Centre under the School of Behavioural Sciences has opened a new pathway in reaching the masses.
National Service Scheme, National Cadet Corps, University Students Union and College Union are very active, in chanalising the creativity sparks of the students. A full-fledged Students Service Department looks into the student amenities. The Employment and Guidance Bureau offers regular programmes for students to prepare for the UGC, NET, CSIR and other competitive Examinations.
The students have been consistently contributing to the image of the University through their outstanding performance in Inter University Youth Festivals, Sports, Games and Intellectual pursuits. Our sports stars, Mrs. Shiny Wilson, Mr. Manju Lal, and Ms. Chitra K. Soman were able to enter into the international athletic circuit and represented the Nation in the various Olympics.
Mahatma Gandhi University has honoured the famous Malayalam writers – the late Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai Shri. M.T. Vasudevan Nair , the Dada Saheb Phalke award winner and world-renowned film maker Shri. Adoor Gopalakrishnan with D.Litt. . Seminars, colloquiums and workshops of international stature is a regular feature in the University, besides hosting annual memorial lectures in honour of the late literators and scientists.
Mahatma Gandhi University has made a significant turn when Dr. Jancy James, assumed its charge on 16th November 2004, becoming the first woman Vice –Chancellor of the State.
http://www.mguniversity.edu/
Tags: mg university results, mgu.ernet.in, mg university btech results, mg university b tech results, www.mgu.ernet.in
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