Yahoo and Microsoft have agreed to an online search and advertising partnership, in an attempt to stand against the web search engine Google. The deal would be announced soon within the next 24 hours.
Under the term of the deal, Microsoft, which made a failed takeover bid of $47.5 billion for Yahoo last year, would access to the volume of search queries that run through Yahoo's search engine. Yahoo has agreed to use Microsoft's new Bing search engine on its own sites. Also, Yahoo will handle the advertising sales, using Microsoft technology. Yahoo Chief Executive Carol Bartz said, "I think Bing is actually a good product and Microsoft deserves kudos for Bing."
The deal would give Bing a boost in competing with Google's search engine. Google's search engine dominates the marketplace with 65 percent of the U.S. Internet searches, according to the figures provided by research firm ComScore. It is followed by followed by Yahoo with 19.6 percent and Microsoft with 8.4 percent.
According to a technology blog, All Things Digital, the deal is "less sweeping than originally conceived" and does not involve upfront payments by Microsoft to Yahoo. "This makes the deal much smaller than ones previously envisioned, which included Microsoft taking over both Yahoo's search and its text-based search advertising businesses, in exchange for large payments and guaranteed revenue."
However, the deal may also face privacy issues, said Colin Gillis, an Analyst at Brigantine Advisors. "Any agreement where Microsoft powers search and shares the search data to Yahoo! is open to scrutiny from the U.S. and EU justice departments," he added. It can trigger the federal regulation limiting the ability of companies like Yahoo to collect data from users' searches and share it with partners, which would remove a key advantage of the partnership, said Gillis.
Courtesy :http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/Yahoo_and_Microsoft__to_strike_a_deal_in_next_24_hours-nid-59873.html
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Friday, July 3, 2009
Gay Rights – The disparity between logics and Morals
“The Delhi High Court pronounced a historical judgment decriminalizing homosexuality”
I’ve kind of lost my hope in our judicial system when I heard one of the High Court’s judgments about smoking on screen by celebs. I had many friends in College who started smoking just because their favorite hero on screen smoked and did many stylish tricks which attracted the heroine much. I was able to clearly see that the judicial system in India does not have a clear distinction between logics and morals. Logically, smoking on the screen is right but morally, it’s perilous. But the court had to succumb to logics more than morals. FYI, that’s where we are heading to!
I would like to pose a scenario where a mother of two, living happily with her husband and family, met with another man whom she thought was “the man of her dreams”. Logic may suggest that she should follow her heart’s desire, but morals would just keep her from deserting the family structure and live faithfully as a great mother. Same with another man who met a “woman of his dreams” but unfortunately she was married then. He being an extremely successful person, smart-looking, could allure her and shatter her commitment with her husband and strike an affair, “logically”. Yet morally, he backed up.
I’m trying to quote these two scenarios as this is very much our society and we ourselves. Though there are so many secret desires, lures and temptations, morals keep us on track. That’s what our families are made up of; morals and not logics. It is a moral commitment for a father to look after his children. Logically, why should a man strive hard for another human! It is very clear that morals are pivotal to a society and especially ours.
Who decides the standards for morals - What is moral and immoral? The answer is no one! Society frames the morals. It would try various things and eventually a basic moral framework would be set. Anything below that line would be immoral. For e.g. sex between legitimate couples is morally accepted. But if they are not, it’s the same sex, but the act is immoral. Why? No one knows! But that’s how the society is. Culturally rich countries like India, thankfully, even today have these moral values “as a society”. Please note the quoted phrase “as a society” because no one can claim that all Indians individually are morally, culturally rich. But fortunately our society still is. That’s why we still have strong family bonds. Parents don’t decide to separate at will…they try to mend inconsistencies and carry forward. Children grow up seeing parents, their commitments and they know the value of a family and that is what has been driving India morally.
The difference between LGTB and Eunuchs.
I would like to request the Honorable Supreme court of India not to relate the LGTB community with the eunuchs. These two are two different cases. The former is a handicap mentally where as the latter is a handicap, biologically. The Eunuchs deserve the right to live like other humans…there is absolutely no doubt about that. It’s the same as a physically challenged person and they need to be treated loyally. But why are the LGTB involved in this reservation. They have a problem mentally… against nature. It is natural for a man to love a woman and vice versa … Same sex attraction is unnatural and a mental disability. Even if there has to be special laws for the Eunuchs, the LGTB community needs to be exempted for the law to make sense.
How does this Law for LGTB bring down the morals of our society?
As I have told before, the moral standards of our society has been set. Often different thinkers may prop up claiming to revisit the moral standards to make sure it really is humanitarian. If it doesn’t there would be voices raised and depending on the justice it makes, would be accepted or discarded. But the reforms brought up and widely accepted till today, made sense…like abolishing sati, widow discrimination which has taken our moral values up. LGTB is a mental issue, unnatural feeling for which a law cannot be proposed. It would then justify persons having unnatural attraction within own family members (incest) also. Terrorist killings could be justified as they could claim they have a natural tendency to kill people. Even child abusers could justify their natural instinct towards children which could later breed into a great community claiming rights for their own.
Where is our society heading to?
It’s high time we decide whether to be logically correct or morally correct. The government and the court would stay silent because of the 70 million vote bank. Educated mass may also choose to be neutral to pacify the LGTB community which is mostly the elite. When it comes to making a decision, logics might be most admired than morals as morals are a little old fashioned in our current vibrant sophisticated social framework. Slowly, moral laws would be modified to make logical sense. The end is for you to presume!
Religiously, is it correct?
I follow the Bible and the Bible treats the act of homosexuality as an abomination, a curse that is detestable before the eyes of God. Read it in the Holy Bible. Do you know why? It’s because God instituted a Holy and most divine institution called “Marriage” between a man and a woman. So far this institution has worked wonders and we are what we are because our forefathers and our parents relentlessly held on to the morals established. I know there is no widely accepted religion that legalizes or supports homosexuality.
I believe when there are riches, intellect and sophistications in abundance, the human mind tries new theories like these just because their basic needs are already met. People in most down trodden countries today have no time fighting for gay rights as they are fighting for their next meal. Even in India, not long ago, 15 years back when India was counted as an underdeveloped country by westerners, none dared to bring these issues up as we were struggling for our basic necessities. Fathers had no choice than to earn little and mothers wisely used that little to raise their children. But today with globalization and international exposure, earning exuberant salaries has become easy. The concept of living content is gone and craving for new sophistications is talk of the town. Western lifestyle is the new mantra; “breaking-up”, pizzas, burgers, harmful beverages, branded apparels, swanky cars and gadgets have become an invincible part of our lives. There’s no doubt a lot of these new theories are propping up. Wait and see… worse is yet to come!
A Word to LGTB
The law says more than the law breaker the one who instigated to break the law should suffer more punishment. Please do not conduct a Pride rally or something of that sort, primarily because there is nothing to be proud about and secondly you create a lot of unwanted publicity. Many ignorant young people may want to follow you just because of this publicity. After all who has the right to supervise your secrecy but don’t make it public. But remember, there is a time coming very soon when the gold will be put to test and refined. Only what is pure and moral would stand and all impurity would be cast out.
Malachi 2:17 says “You have wearied the LORD with your words. But you say, "How have we wearied him?" By saying, "Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delights in them." Or by asking, "Where is the God of justice?"
And Malachi 3:2 says “But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver;”
The people during Noah’s time were very similar to this age… No moral values and when the test of time came, there was no time to repent. I’m praying for you to repent!
“Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.” – Romans 6:12-13
- John Manoah
I’ve kind of lost my hope in our judicial system when I heard one of the High Court’s judgments about smoking on screen by celebs. I had many friends in College who started smoking just because their favorite hero on screen smoked and did many stylish tricks which attracted the heroine much. I was able to clearly see that the judicial system in India does not have a clear distinction between logics and morals. Logically, smoking on the screen is right but morally, it’s perilous. But the court had to succumb to logics more than morals. FYI, that’s where we are heading to!
I would like to pose a scenario where a mother of two, living happily with her husband and family, met with another man whom she thought was “the man of her dreams”. Logic may suggest that she should follow her heart’s desire, but morals would just keep her from deserting the family structure and live faithfully as a great mother. Same with another man who met a “woman of his dreams” but unfortunately she was married then. He being an extremely successful person, smart-looking, could allure her and shatter her commitment with her husband and strike an affair, “logically”. Yet morally, he backed up.
I’m trying to quote these two scenarios as this is very much our society and we ourselves. Though there are so many secret desires, lures and temptations, morals keep us on track. That’s what our families are made up of; morals and not logics. It is a moral commitment for a father to look after his children. Logically, why should a man strive hard for another human! It is very clear that morals are pivotal to a society and especially ours.
Who decides the standards for morals - What is moral and immoral? The answer is no one! Society frames the morals. It would try various things and eventually a basic moral framework would be set. Anything below that line would be immoral. For e.g. sex between legitimate couples is morally accepted. But if they are not, it’s the same sex, but the act is immoral. Why? No one knows! But that’s how the society is. Culturally rich countries like India, thankfully, even today have these moral values “as a society”. Please note the quoted phrase “as a society” because no one can claim that all Indians individually are morally, culturally rich. But fortunately our society still is. That’s why we still have strong family bonds. Parents don’t decide to separate at will…they try to mend inconsistencies and carry forward. Children grow up seeing parents, their commitments and they know the value of a family and that is what has been driving India morally.
The difference between LGTB and Eunuchs.
I would like to request the Honorable Supreme court of India not to relate the LGTB community with the eunuchs. These two are two different cases. The former is a handicap mentally where as the latter is a handicap, biologically. The Eunuchs deserve the right to live like other humans…there is absolutely no doubt about that. It’s the same as a physically challenged person and they need to be treated loyally. But why are the LGTB involved in this reservation. They have a problem mentally… against nature. It is natural for a man to love a woman and vice versa … Same sex attraction is unnatural and a mental disability. Even if there has to be special laws for the Eunuchs, the LGTB community needs to be exempted for the law to make sense.
How does this Law for LGTB bring down the morals of our society?
As I have told before, the moral standards of our society has been set. Often different thinkers may prop up claiming to revisit the moral standards to make sure it really is humanitarian. If it doesn’t there would be voices raised and depending on the justice it makes, would be accepted or discarded. But the reforms brought up and widely accepted till today, made sense…like abolishing sati, widow discrimination which has taken our moral values up. LGTB is a mental issue, unnatural feeling for which a law cannot be proposed. It would then justify persons having unnatural attraction within own family members (incest) also. Terrorist killings could be justified as they could claim they have a natural tendency to kill people. Even child abusers could justify their natural instinct towards children which could later breed into a great community claiming rights for their own.
Where is our society heading to?
It’s high time we decide whether to be logically correct or morally correct. The government and the court would stay silent because of the 70 million vote bank. Educated mass may also choose to be neutral to pacify the LGTB community which is mostly the elite. When it comes to making a decision, logics might be most admired than morals as morals are a little old fashioned in our current vibrant sophisticated social framework. Slowly, moral laws would be modified to make logical sense. The end is for you to presume!
Religiously, is it correct?
I follow the Bible and the Bible treats the act of homosexuality as an abomination, a curse that is detestable before the eyes of God. Read it in the Holy Bible. Do you know why? It’s because God instituted a Holy and most divine institution called “Marriage” between a man and a woman. So far this institution has worked wonders and we are what we are because our forefathers and our parents relentlessly held on to the morals established. I know there is no widely accepted religion that legalizes or supports homosexuality.
I believe when there are riches, intellect and sophistications in abundance, the human mind tries new theories like these just because their basic needs are already met. People in most down trodden countries today have no time fighting for gay rights as they are fighting for their next meal. Even in India, not long ago, 15 years back when India was counted as an underdeveloped country by westerners, none dared to bring these issues up as we were struggling for our basic necessities. Fathers had no choice than to earn little and mothers wisely used that little to raise their children. But today with globalization and international exposure, earning exuberant salaries has become easy. The concept of living content is gone and craving for new sophistications is talk of the town. Western lifestyle is the new mantra; “breaking-up”, pizzas, burgers, harmful beverages, branded apparels, swanky cars and gadgets have become an invincible part of our lives. There’s no doubt a lot of these new theories are propping up. Wait and see… worse is yet to come!
A Word to LGTB
The law says more than the law breaker the one who instigated to break the law should suffer more punishment. Please do not conduct a Pride rally or something of that sort, primarily because there is nothing to be proud about and secondly you create a lot of unwanted publicity. Many ignorant young people may want to follow you just because of this publicity. After all who has the right to supervise your secrecy but don’t make it public. But remember, there is a time coming very soon when the gold will be put to test and refined. Only what is pure and moral would stand and all impurity would be cast out.
Malachi 2:17 says “You have wearied the LORD with your words. But you say, "How have we wearied him?" By saying, "Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delights in them." Or by asking, "Where is the God of justice?"
And Malachi 3:2 says “But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver;”
The people during Noah’s time were very similar to this age… No moral values and when the test of time came, there was no time to repent. I’m praying for you to repent!
“Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.” – Romans 6:12-13
- John Manoah
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Bangalore Traffic police cannot catch you and fine you often for silly reasons
Information you cannot miss out! Not knowing this may leave a big hole in your pocket
If you are getting caught quite often by Bangalore's traffic police, then this will be the article you cannot miss out on. From now onwards, the Traffic Police cannot catch a motorist just to examine the driving licence or vehicle documents. He can catch you only if you have violated any traffic laws or if you are driving drunk.
"Remember that when caught for traffic violation, the fine you pay must be limited to the violation. In other words, the police can't bloat the bill saying that you have no insurance cover or emission certificate, etc."
Many motorists do not know this. According to the State's Road Transportation Act, no policeman can slap a penalty on you just because you have no insurance or emission certificate. If you have not purchased insurance cover for your vehicle, then the police officer must issue a notice, not impose penalty. You must be given 15 days' time to purchase insurance cover and one week for obtaining the emission certificate. Days later, meet the sub-inspector at his station with the insurance cover or emission certificate, so that he will annul the charge at once. Police can fine you only if you fail to produce these documents within the stipulated period. If your vehicle is brand new, then you need not bother about obtaining the emission certificate for one full year.
In response to a question as to why policemen fine people instantly without giving them time to obtain insurance cover or emission certificate, Additional Commissioner for Traffic Praveen Sood said, "Yes, it is a mistake. People must force policemen to issue notice or complain to me at least the following day. I have suspended the Indiranagar sub-inspector for catching people for silly reasons," he said.
The best way to teach the police a lesson is filing a written complaint with their higher officials and, a week later, using the Right to Information Act (RTI) to know the action taken against them.
Remember, any question or application filed under RTI cannot be ignored and no official is bold enough to ignore the RTI Act.
Praveen Sood (Additional Commissioner for Traffic) -+91 080 22942276.
According to - http://www.jagrancityplus.com/Utilities.aspx?articleid=14403&catgid=24&cityid=11&Bool=h
If you are getting caught quite often by Bangalore's traffic police, then this will be the article you cannot miss out on. From now onwards, the Traffic Police cannot catch a motorist just to examine the driving licence or vehicle documents. He can catch you only if you have violated any traffic laws or if you are driving drunk.
"Remember that when caught for traffic violation, the fine you pay must be limited to the violation. In other words, the police can't bloat the bill saying that you have no insurance cover or emission certificate, etc."
Many motorists do not know this. According to the State's Road Transportation Act, no policeman can slap a penalty on you just because you have no insurance or emission certificate. If you have not purchased insurance cover for your vehicle, then the police officer must issue a notice, not impose penalty. You must be given 15 days' time to purchase insurance cover and one week for obtaining the emission certificate. Days later, meet the sub-inspector at his station with the insurance cover or emission certificate, so that he will annul the charge at once. Police can fine you only if you fail to produce these documents within the stipulated period. If your vehicle is brand new, then you need not bother about obtaining the emission certificate for one full year.
In response to a question as to why policemen fine people instantly without giving them time to obtain insurance cover or emission certificate, Additional Commissioner for Traffic Praveen Sood said, "Yes, it is a mistake. People must force policemen to issue notice or complain to me at least the following day. I have suspended the Indiranagar sub-inspector for catching people for silly reasons," he said.
The best way to teach the police a lesson is filing a written complaint with their higher officials and, a week later, using the Right to Information Act (RTI) to know the action taken against them.
Remember, any question or application filed under RTI cannot be ignored and no official is bold enough to ignore the RTI Act.
Praveen Sood (Additional Commissioner for Traffic) -+91 080 22942276.
According to - http://www.jagrancityplus.com/Utilities.aspx?articleid=14403&catgid=24&cityid=11&Bool=h
Friday, April 24, 2009
Bangalore Autorickshaw Complaints
I'm so excited to recieve this email from BTRAC (Bangalore Traffic Review and Action Commitee). I had previously mailed to almost all complaint email ids about the auto drivers' attitude near our place (Whitefields). Of late few of them wouldn't budge even for Rs.100 from our place to KR Puram station which is not even 5 kms. Still worse, while I look for an auto early mornings in the KR Puram station, they demand rs.150 or more, mercilessly. I had demanded the following and have received a response from BTRAC saying those would be looked into (please read below).
Please note these no's 22943381 and -IVRS 25588444/25588555 and don't forget to register a complaint anytime an auto driver misbehaves.
I would encourage you to send complaints to the following ids and also forward it to as many friends you could. I'm sure most of us are frustrated by these auto drivers. Let the officials and the auto drivers know our demand.
dcptrafficeast@gmail.com, acat@kslmd.com, clm@kslmd.com, transcom@kar.nic.in
Happy to see something happening!
***************************************************
The mail that I sent and the response from BTRAC.
From: Automation centre
Date: Thu, Apr 23, 2009 at 8:20 PM
Subject: Re: Complaint - Greedy Auto drivers
To: John M Stephen
Dear sir
We will try to set up prepaid auto stand. We issue display card to all auto where the complete details will be available and it is pasted backside of driver seat. In case of such problems you can note down the reg no of that auto and complaint to 22943381 and -IVRS 25588444/25588555. We will send notice to the auto driver. Under BTRAC (Bangalore Traffic Review and Action Commitee) we are planning to have easy auto by sms auto will come to you.
Enforcement officer
On 4/21/09, John M Stephenwrote:
>Dear Sir/Madam,
My house is located at Hoodi circle, Basavanna Nagar Main Road. It is really a pain to get an auto rickshaw as they refuse to put on the meter but demand Rs.100 to 250 rupees for just 5 kms to KR puram station. No one would even listen even if I plead them that I have to reach KR Puram station urgently. I've paid Rs.250 from Hoodi circle to KR Puram station once as I had to somehow catch my train. The same is with the KR Puram auto drivers. As soon as we come out of the railway station a flock of drivers offer to take, but demand atleast rs.200 or more to Hoodi circle.
I feel very bad as the auto drivers take advantage of our needs and exploit it. I sincerely request you to take necessary action.
My humble requests are :
1. Please put a PRE-PAID auto counter at KR Puram station.
2. Please introduce receipts so that every time I travel in an auto I get a reciept for the money I paid with all the details of the auto rickshaw and the driver.
3. Please make it compulsory to have a complaint number printed on the auto-rickshaws so that the customers know whom to call in case the auto driver is misbehaving
4. Please conduct surprise visits to these auto drivers to catch them red-handed. In this way auto richshaw drivers would know that they are being watched and would behave well with us.
Thank you for your cooperation. Any improvement in this regard would be highly helpful to every common man living in Bangalore.
regards
John Manoah
Please note these no's 22943381 and -IVRS 25588444/25588555 and don't forget to register a complaint anytime an auto driver misbehaves.
I would encourage you to send complaints to the following ids and also forward it to as many friends you could. I'm sure most of us are frustrated by these auto drivers. Let the officials and the auto drivers know our demand.
dcptrafficeast@gmail.com, acat@kslmd.com, clm@kslmd.com, transcom@kar.nic.in
Happy to see something happening!
***************************************************
The mail that I sent and the response from BTRAC.
From: Automation centre
Date: Thu, Apr 23, 2009 at 8:20 PM
Subject: Re: Complaint - Greedy Auto drivers
To: John M Stephen
Dear sir
We will try to set up prepaid auto stand. We issue display card to all auto where the complete details will be available and it is pasted backside of driver seat. In case of such problems you can note down the reg no of that auto and complaint to 22943381 and -IVRS 25588444/25588555. We will send notice to the auto driver. Under BTRAC (Bangalore Traffic Review and Action Commitee) we are planning to have easy auto by sms auto will come to you.
Enforcement officer
On 4/21/09, John M Stephen
>Dear Sir/Madam,
My house is located at Hoodi circle, Basavanna Nagar Main Road. It is really a pain to get an auto rickshaw as they refuse to put on the meter but demand Rs.100 to 250 rupees for just 5 kms to KR puram station. No one would even listen even if I plead them that I have to reach KR Puram station urgently. I've paid Rs.250 from Hoodi circle to KR Puram station once as I had to somehow catch my train. The same is with the KR Puram auto drivers. As soon as we come out of the railway station a flock of drivers offer to take, but demand atleast rs.200 or more to Hoodi circle.
I feel very bad as the auto drivers take advantage of our needs and exploit it. I sincerely request you to take necessary action.
My humble requests are :
1. Please put a PRE-PAID auto counter at KR Puram station.
2. Please introduce receipts so that every time I travel in an auto I get a reciept for the money I paid with all the details of the auto rickshaw and the driver.
3. Please make it compulsory to have a complaint number printed on the auto-rickshaws so that the customers know whom to call in case the auto driver is misbehaving
4. Please conduct surprise visits to these auto drivers to catch them red-handed. In this way auto richshaw drivers would know that they are being watched and would behave well with us.
Thank you for your cooperation. Any improvement in this regard would be highly helpful to every common man living in Bangalore.
regards
John Manoah
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Why Tamil is a Classical Language
Statement on the Status of Tamil as a Classical Language - by Prof.George L Hart, Berkeley University, California
Professor Maraimalai has asked me to write regarding the position of Tamil as a classical language, and I am delighted to respond to his request.
I have been a Professor of Tamil at the University of California, Berkeley, since 1975 and am currently holder of the Tamil Chair at that institution. My degree, which I received in 1970, is in Sanskrit, from Harvard, and my first employment was as a Sanskrit professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, in 1969. Besides Tamil and Sanskrit, I know the classical languages of Latin and Greek and have read extensively in their literatures in the original. I am also well-acquainted with comparative linguistics and the literatures of modern Europe (I know Russian, German, and French and have read extensively in those languages) as well as the literatures of modern India, which, with the exception of Tamil and some Malayalam, I have read in translation. I have spent much time discussing Telugu literature and its tradition with V. Narayanarao, one of the greatest living Telugu scholars, and so I know that tradition especially well. As a long-standing member of a South Asian Studies department, I have also been exposed to the richness of both Hindi literature, and I have read in detail about Mahadevi Varma, Tulsi, and Kabir.
I have spent many years -- most of my life (since 1963) -- studying Sanskrit. I have read in the original all of Kalidasa, Magha, and parts of Bharavi and Sri Harsa. I have also read in the original the fifth book of the Rig Veda as well as many other sections, many of the Upanisads, most of the Mahabharata, the Kathasaritsagara, Adi Sankara’s works, and many other works in Sanskrit.
I say this not because I wish to show my erudition, but rather to establish my fitness for judging whether a literature is classical. Let me state unequivocally that, by any criteria one may choose, Tamil is one of the great classical literatures and traditions of the world.
The reasons for this are many; let me consider them one by one.
First, Tamil is of considerable antiquity. It predates the literatures of other modern Indian languages by more than a thousand years. Its oldest work, the Tolkappiyam,, contains parts that, judging from the earliest Tamil inscriptions, date back to about 200 BCE. The greatest works of ancient Tamil, the Sangam anthologies and the Pattuppattu, date to the first two centuries of the current era. They are the first great secular body of poetry written in India, predating Kalidasa's works by two hundred years.
Second, Tamil constitutes the only literary tradition indigenous to India that is not derived from Sanskrit. Indeed, its literature arose before the influence of Sanskrit in the South became strong and so is qualitatively different from anything we have in Sanskrit or other Indian languages. It has its own poetic theory, its own grammatical tradition, its own esthetics, and, above all, a large body of literature that is quite unique. It shows a sort of Indian sensibility that is quite different from anything in Sanskrit or other Indian languages, and it contains its own extremely rich and vast intellectual tradition.
Third, the quality of classical Tamil literature is such that it is fit to stand beside the great literatures of Sanskrit, Greek, Latin, Chinese, Persian and Arabic. The subtlety and profundity of its works, their varied scope (Tamil is the only premodern Indian literature to treat the subaltern extensively), and their universality qualify Tamil to stand as one of the great classical traditions and literatures of the world. Everyone knows the Tirukkural, one of the world's greatest works on ethics; but this is merely one of a myriad of major and extremely varied works that comprise the Tamil classical tradition. There is not a facet of human existence that is not explored and illuminated by this great literature.
Finally, Tamil is one of the primary independent sources of modern Indian culture and tradition. I have written extensively on the influence of a Southern tradition on the Sanskrit poetic tradition. But equally important, the great sacred works of Tamil Hinduism, beginning with the Sangam Anthologies, have undergirded the development of modern Hinduism. Their ideas were taken into the Bhagavata Purana and other texts (in Telugu and Kannada as well as Sanskrit), whence they spread all over India. Tamil has its own works that are considered to be as sacred as the Vedas and that are recited alongside Vedic mantras in the great Vaisnava temples of South India (such as Tirupati). And just as Sanskrit is the source of the modern Indo-Aryan languages, classical Tamil is the source language of modern Tamil and Malayalam. As Sanskrit is the most conservative and least changed of the Indo-Aryan languages, Tamil is the most conservative of the Dravidian languages, the touchstone that linguists must consult to understand the nature and development of Dravidian.
In trying to discern why Tamil has not been recognized as a classical language, I can see only a political reason: there is a fear that if Tamil is selected as a classical language, other Indian languages may claim similar status. This is an unnecessary worry. I am well aware of the richness of the modern Indian languages -- I know that they are among the most fecund and productive languages on earth, each having begotten a modern (and often medieval) literature that can stand with any of the major literatures of the world. Yet none of them is a classical language. Like English and the other modern languages of Europe (with the exception of Greek), they rose on preexisting traditions rather late and developed in the second millennium. The fact that Greek is universally recognized as a classical language in Europe does not lead the French or the English to claim classical status for their languages.
To qualify as a classical tradition, a language must fit several criteria: it should be ancient, it should be an independent tradition that arose mostly on its own not as an offshoot of another tradition, and it must have a large and extremely rich body of ancient literature. Unlike the other modern languages of India, Tamil meets each of these requirements. It is extremely old (as old as Latin and older than Arabic); it arose as an entirely independent tradition, with almost no influence from Sanskrit or other languages; and its ancient literature is indescribably vast and rich.
It seems strange to me that I should have to write an essay such as this claiming that Tamil is a classical literature -- it is akin to claiming that India is a great country or Hinduism is one of the world's great religions. The status of Tamil as one of the great classical languages of the world is something that is patently obvious to anyone who knows the subject. To deny that Tamil is a classical language is to deny a vital and central part of the greatness and richness of Indian culture.
(Signed:)
George L. Hart
Professor of Tamil
Chair in Tamil Studies
Source: http://tamil.berkeley.edu/Tamil%20Chair/TamilClassicalLanguage/TamilClassicalLgeLtr.html
Friday, March 13, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Bangalore Youth with a mission
Bangalore, March 12 (IANS) A group of youth from Bangalore will approach corporate houses to finance plans to provide permanent shelters to over 3,000 people living in relief camps in Bihar's Madhepura and Araria districts that were hit by killer floods last August.
The group of five, which includes two students, returned here earlier after spending two months in the relief camps of Madhepura and Araria. They belong to the Jan Sahyog Foundation set up in 2001 by Aley Rasool, a retired professor from Katihar, Bihar. This was their third trip to the two districts.
'During our stay of around two months in the two districts of Bihar, one thing that hit us the most was that the make-shift shelters lack basic facilities for human habitation, for especially women and children,' said Shah Faisal, a final year student of M.S. Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bangalore.
'No matter how much we try to provide succor to the victims by distributing food and clothing, unless they get a permanent roof over their heads their agonies are far from over,' Shah added.
Other members of the group are Karthik Singraju, Abdul Mobeen, Naveen R - studying in Bangalore Institute of Technology - and Sonali Kusum, a student of National Law School of India University in Bangalore.
'During our next visit to Bihar, by May, we plan to arrange for permanent homes for 3,000 flood victims in Araria and Madhepura,' Kusum told IANS.
The five had gone to Araria and Madhepura, two of the worst affected districts, immediately after the August floods to help in relief operations. Their second trip was in Janauary.
The floods were caused by a breach in the Kosi embankment near the India-Nepal border. The river changed course and inundated vast areas in northern Bihar, affecting an estimated 2.3 million people.
'Most of the inhabitants of the makeshift camps are children and women. The camps have no proper toilets and kitchens,' Naveen pointed out.
'Arranging permanent shelter for 3,000 people is no joke. We will need huge funds and we plan to arrange that from corporate houses,' Faisal said.
During the third visit, the group distributed 700 new blankets, jackets, sweaters and other warm clothes to the inmates of the relief camps. Medicines worth Rs. 100,000 were also distributed, Faisal said.
Courtesy: Yahoo! News
The group of five, which includes two students, returned here earlier after spending two months in the relief camps of Madhepura and Araria. They belong to the Jan Sahyog Foundation set up in 2001 by Aley Rasool, a retired professor from Katihar, Bihar. This was their third trip to the two districts.
'During our stay of around two months in the two districts of Bihar, one thing that hit us the most was that the make-shift shelters lack basic facilities for human habitation, for especially women and children,' said Shah Faisal, a final year student of M.S. Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bangalore.
'No matter how much we try to provide succor to the victims by distributing food and clothing, unless they get a permanent roof over their heads their agonies are far from over,' Shah added.
Other members of the group are Karthik Singraju, Abdul Mobeen, Naveen R - studying in Bangalore Institute of Technology - and Sonali Kusum, a student of National Law School of India University in Bangalore.
'During our next visit to Bihar, by May, we plan to arrange for permanent homes for 3,000 flood victims in Araria and Madhepura,' Kusum told IANS.
The five had gone to Araria and Madhepura, two of the worst affected districts, immediately after the August floods to help in relief operations. Their second trip was in Janauary.
The floods were caused by a breach in the Kosi embankment near the India-Nepal border. The river changed course and inundated vast areas in northern Bihar, affecting an estimated 2.3 million people.
'Most of the inhabitants of the makeshift camps are children and women. The camps have no proper toilets and kitchens,' Naveen pointed out.
'Arranging permanent shelter for 3,000 people is no joke. We will need huge funds and we plan to arrange that from corporate houses,' Faisal said.
During the third visit, the group distributed 700 new blankets, jackets, sweaters and other warm clothes to the inmates of the relief camps. Medicines worth Rs. 100,000 were also distributed, Faisal said.
Courtesy: Yahoo! News
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Videos of Srilankan team attacked. Murder of Sportsmanship
Gruesome murder of sportsmanship
In a firing in area around Liberty Market near Gaddafi stadium in Lahore, Pakistan, six Sri Lankan cricket players have been injured.
Meanwhile, five policemen have been killed in firing between police and unidentified gunmen.
The entire area around Liberty market has been cordoned off.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Jai Ho - A new mantra for the world?
Once, solar consultant Jaideep Malviya would start his official mails and letters with 'Dear Sir' and end them with 'Yours Sincerely'. Now, he has replaced both standard expressions with one: Jai Ho.
It was destiny, it seems, that Slumdog Millionaire's award-winning song would become an anthem. Corporate executives so smitten by the words that they are now using Jai Ho as salutation and valediction in their e-mails. What's more, the term has captivated even international clients.
"After the movie's success, most of my international clients started using Jai Ho in the valediction. Since the Oscars, almost every mail I got from my international clients had Jai Ho either as salutation or valediction," says Malviya.
One of his clients, Nigel Cotton of Germany, wrote that the only thing he wanted to see after the Taj Mahal when in India was Slumdog Millionaire in an Indian theatre; all he would want to carry back was a DVD with the song Jai Ho on it.
"Namaste was very common, until Jai Ho took over. It's very emotional to get such letters. No matter how different that person is, you automatically relate to him if he uses your language. Moreover, after eight Oscars, the words have a sense of pride associated with them," says Malviya.
Dutchmen Edwin Koot and Johan Trip, now in Pune, are other Jai Ho fans who use the words in all their letters. Trip took his family to watch the movie back home and now prefers to write Jai Ho in every mail to his colleagues or friends, irrespective of their nationality.
Roger Little, CEO of Spire Corporation, US, who has a special liking for India and keeps visiting Pune for business, found it appropriate to replace 'Hi' with Jai Ho in his e-mails and says it's been well accepted.
In India, of course, the youth have almost declared Jai Ho as their anthem. Diwesh Diwakar, manager of Quadrangle (naukri.com), did not lose a day in starting the trend in his office. He calls it the root effect.
"In villages of Bihar, people still wish each other by saying Jai Ho, and thanks to the song the expression is universal now. By using it I also feel nearer my roots as I hail from Bihar. Moreover, my colleagues also liked it and now we have a Jai Ho team in office," Diwakar said.
"The song is full of life and it reflects youth. I got a mail from my sister from Canada congratulating us on the Oscars win and she concluded the mail with Jai Ho. Since then I have been using the expression in all my mail. Even over the phone or in person, we greet each other with Jai Ho," says Harshit Verma, a student.
Ankit Shah, another student, sets his signature as Jai Ho in his e-mails. "Irrespective of whether the mail is personal or official, I put my signature, Jai Ho, in all my e-mails. I feel the expression is worth celebrating and sharing," says Shah. Jai Ho indeed.
Courtesy: Yahoo! News
It was destiny, it seems, that Slumdog Millionaire's award-winning song would become an anthem. Corporate executives so smitten by the words that they are now using Jai Ho as salutation and valediction in their e-mails. What's more, the term has captivated even international clients.
"After the movie's success, most of my international clients started using Jai Ho in the valediction. Since the Oscars, almost every mail I got from my international clients had Jai Ho either as salutation or valediction," says Malviya.
One of his clients, Nigel Cotton of Germany, wrote that the only thing he wanted to see after the Taj Mahal when in India was Slumdog Millionaire in an Indian theatre; all he would want to carry back was a DVD with the song Jai Ho on it.
"Namaste was very common, until Jai Ho took over. It's very emotional to get such letters. No matter how different that person is, you automatically relate to him if he uses your language. Moreover, after eight Oscars, the words have a sense of pride associated with them," says Malviya.
Dutchmen Edwin Koot and Johan Trip, now in Pune, are other Jai Ho fans who use the words in all their letters. Trip took his family to watch the movie back home and now prefers to write Jai Ho in every mail to his colleagues or friends, irrespective of their nationality.
Roger Little, CEO of Spire Corporation, US, who has a special liking for India and keeps visiting Pune for business, found it appropriate to replace 'Hi' with Jai Ho in his e-mails and says it's been well accepted.
In India, of course, the youth have almost declared Jai Ho as their anthem. Diwesh Diwakar, manager of Quadrangle (naukri.com), did not lose a day in starting the trend in his office. He calls it the root effect.
"In villages of Bihar, people still wish each other by saying Jai Ho, and thanks to the song the expression is universal now. By using it I also feel nearer my roots as I hail from Bihar. Moreover, my colleagues also liked it and now we have a Jai Ho team in office," Diwakar said.
"The song is full of life and it reflects youth. I got a mail from my sister from Canada congratulating us on the Oscars win and she concluded the mail with Jai Ho. Since then I have been using the expression in all my mail. Even over the phone or in person, we greet each other with Jai Ho," says Harshit Verma, a student.
Ankit Shah, another student, sets his signature as Jai Ho in his e-mails. "Irrespective of whether the mail is personal or official, I put my signature, Jai Ho, in all my e-mails. I feel the expression is worth celebrating and sharing," says Shah. Jai Ho indeed.
Courtesy: Yahoo! News
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Loans That Save Tax
Loans Can Save Tax !
This time of the year, we all are on the look out for means and ways to save that amount of money which gets deducted as tax. But if we have planned ourselves well during the year these three months should not be a burden. There are various investments which one can make to get a tax rebate. Let us look at how loans can help us save tax. Yes, although a loan is termed as a liability one can still avail the benefits from a loan.
Let us see how…Most of us would own a home and to finance that we take a home loan. As you would be aware your home loan is eligible for tax benefits under the Income Tax Act. Tax benefits can be claimed on both the principal and interest components of the home loan as per the Income Tax Act, 1961. Under Section 24(b) , the borrower who has taken the loan either to build a house or buy one gets the benefit of these deductions. These tax benefits under Section 24 and deduction under section 80C of the Income Tax Act can be claimed only if all the payments are made by the borrower. To claim the tax benefits one has to make (Equated Monthly Installments) EMI payments regularly. The lender, that is all home finance companies and banks usually, issue a provisional certificate at the start of the year. This certificate is based on the EMI payable in the financial year, with the break-up of the interest and principal paid.
Following is how you can get your tax benefit, for example Mr Rao has taken a home loan for buying a property. The interest on the loan taken is deductible upto Rs 1, 50,000 for a financial year only if the following conditions are met by him.
-The loan should be taken on or after April 1, 1999 for buying or building a house.
-From the end of the financial year in which the funds were borrowed the property (built/bought) should be completed within 3 years.
-If he extends the loan, the interest is payable in respect of the funds taken either for building or buying the property. Even if he refinances the principle amount outstanding under an earlier loan taken for building or buying a house he gets the benefit.
- In case Mr Rao cannot fulfill the above conditions then the interest on the borrowed funds are deductible up to Rs30,000.But the following conditions have to be met:-
- The funds should be borrowed before April 1, 1999 either for buying, building, reconstructing or renewal of the property.
-Funds should be borrowed on or after April 1, 1999 for reconstructing, repairs or renewals of the house.
- If the funds are borrowed on or after April 1, 1999, but the construction is not completed within 3 years from the end of the year, in which the funds are borrowed.
Other than the above benefits, under section 80C the principal repayment of the loan/funds borrowed, he is also eligible for deduction of upto Rs 100,000 in a financial year.
Besides availing a home loan one can also take a personal loan and invest the funds in various schemes where you can save tax. Like investing in PPF’s , Tax saving bonds, Mutual funds and various investment options. If you do not have the funds to invest for tax rebate, a personal loan can help you. So, as seen above a home loan or personal loan can help you plan your tax savings. Make sure you avail of all the benefits of a home loan which are the rebate and deduction. Always plan ahead of time for availing a tax rebate and put to use the benefits you get from your loans.
Courtesy: Deal4Loans
This time of the year, we all are on the look out for means and ways to save that amount of money which gets deducted as tax. But if we have planned ourselves well during the year these three months should not be a burden. There are various investments which one can make to get a tax rebate. Let us look at how loans can help us save tax. Yes, although a loan is termed as a liability one can still avail the benefits from a loan.
Let us see how…Most of us would own a home and to finance that we take a home loan. As you would be aware your home loan is eligible for tax benefits under the Income Tax Act. Tax benefits can be claimed on both the principal and interest components of the home loan as per the Income Tax Act, 1961. Under Section 24(b) , the borrower who has taken the loan either to build a house or buy one gets the benefit of these deductions. These tax benefits under Section 24 and deduction under section 80C of the Income Tax Act can be claimed only if all the payments are made by the borrower. To claim the tax benefits one has to make (Equated Monthly Installments) EMI payments regularly. The lender, that is all home finance companies and banks usually, issue a provisional certificate at the start of the year. This certificate is based on the EMI payable in the financial year, with the break-up of the interest and principal paid.
Following is how you can get your tax benefit, for example Mr Rao has taken a home loan for buying a property. The interest on the loan taken is deductible upto Rs 1, 50,000 for a financial year only if the following conditions are met by him.
-The loan should be taken on or after April 1, 1999 for buying or building a house.
-From the end of the financial year in which the funds were borrowed the property (built/bought) should be completed within 3 years.
-If he extends the loan, the interest is payable in respect of the funds taken either for building or buying the property. Even if he refinances the principle amount outstanding under an earlier loan taken for building or buying a house he gets the benefit.
- In case Mr Rao cannot fulfill the above conditions then the interest on the borrowed funds are deductible up to Rs30,000.But the following conditions have to be met:-
- The funds should be borrowed before April 1, 1999 either for buying, building, reconstructing or renewal of the property.
-Funds should be borrowed on or after April 1, 1999 for reconstructing, repairs or renewals of the house.
- If the funds are borrowed on or after April 1, 1999, but the construction is not completed within 3 years from the end of the year, in which the funds are borrowed.
Other than the above benefits, under section 80C the principal repayment of the loan/funds borrowed, he is also eligible for deduction of upto Rs 100,000 in a financial year.
Besides availing a home loan one can also take a personal loan and invest the funds in various schemes where you can save tax. Like investing in PPF’s , Tax saving bonds, Mutual funds and various investment options. If you do not have the funds to invest for tax rebate, a personal loan can help you. So, as seen above a home loan or personal loan can help you plan your tax savings. Make sure you avail of all the benefits of a home loan which are the rebate and deduction. Always plan ahead of time for availing a tax rebate and put to use the benefits you get from your loans.
Courtesy: Deal4Loans
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Obama wants to watch Slumdog Millionaire
Now US President, Barack Obama is mesmerized by Slumdog Millionaire.According to the White House Obama wants to watch the acclaimed Slumdog Millionaire.
The exhilarating rags-to-riches fairy tale set in Mumbai,swept the Oscars with eight awards including the best picture, best director, best adapted screenplay; with A R Rahman becoming the only Indian to bag two Oscars for the best score and original song.
Courtesy: Yahoo! News
The exhilarating rags-to-riches fairy tale set in Mumbai,swept the Oscars with eight awards including the best picture, best director, best adapted screenplay; with A R Rahman becoming the only Indian to bag two Oscars for the best score and original song.
Courtesy: Yahoo! News
When I grow up I DON'T want to become a Teacher
How often do you hear a child today say she dreams of being a teacher one day? Few Indian youngsters, especially in big cities, are opting for a teaching career, with low salaries being the biggest deterrent.
According to Bharati Baveja, head of the department of education in Delhi University, the decline in the number of students taking admission in the B.Ed courses - which offer teacher training - has been as much as 20-30 percent over the last few years.
'In the late 1980s and 1990s, teaching as a career option for youngsters was at its peak. Even till 2000, we used to get a lot of applications for admission in the B.Ed course, but not any longer,' Baveja told IANS.
'The decline has especially been steady over the last four years - by as much as 20-30 percent,' she said.
One of the main reasons for this trend, according to Krishna Kumar, director of the National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT), is the low salary structure of teachers, especially when compared with other career options like management.
'The status that a teacher enjoyed in the yesteryears in not true now, their pay is not enough and their welfare is hardly taken care of. A yoga, art or music teacher in many schools works only on a contract basis and in Madhya Pradesh they have teachers working only on a contract basis. It's true when a Unesco report says that a teacher is in a crisis today,' Kumar told IANS.
Sharmila Das, a primary school teacher in Vasant Vihar, said: 'I love my job but there are moments of frustration when I see my friends leading a much more luxurious and expensive lifestyle than I can ever afford. We started at the same time in our careers and I put in as much hard work as they do in their management careers, if not more. But we have ended up in very different places.'
Experts feel that increasing frustration among the teachers could be one of the reasons for cases of violence in the classroom.
'Nowadays you hear about teachers hitting their students so badly that the children have to be hospitalised or even die. While I am not defending them, the situation that a teacher finds himself or herself today in is very challenging and therefore such cases cannot be seen in isolation,' Kumar said.
However, following the Sixth Pay Commission, this trend may now reverse, some predict.
'After the Sixth Pay Commission, teachers' salaries have increased substantially by as much as 40 percent. Therefore, I am sure that people's interest will return to this field and we will hopefully get more applications for the B.Ed course this year,' Baveja said.
Doing their bit to make teaching more appealing, bodies like the NCERT and Delhi University are working at revamping their teacher training course.
Baveja said: 'The B.Ed course now is of one-year duration, but we want to make it two years and include more practical exercises. We are working at revamping it and have the vice chancellor backing us'.
Baveja also added that the trend is not necessarily true when it comes to the young in smaller metros or even women.
'We get a lot of applications from students in the non-metros which shows that for them teaching is still a revered profession. In the metros, it's mostly the girls who opt for these (B.ED) courses. For instance, in the present batch of B.Ed course the ratio of boys to girls is 20:80,' Baveja said.
(Azera Rahman can be contacted at azera.p@ians.in )
Courtesy: Yahoo! News
According to Bharati Baveja, head of the department of education in Delhi University, the decline in the number of students taking admission in the B.Ed courses - which offer teacher training - has been as much as 20-30 percent over the last few years.
'In the late 1980s and 1990s, teaching as a career option for youngsters was at its peak. Even till 2000, we used to get a lot of applications for admission in the B.Ed course, but not any longer,' Baveja told IANS.
'The decline has especially been steady over the last four years - by as much as 20-30 percent,' she said.
One of the main reasons for this trend, according to Krishna Kumar, director of the National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT), is the low salary structure of teachers, especially when compared with other career options like management.
'The status that a teacher enjoyed in the yesteryears in not true now, their pay is not enough and their welfare is hardly taken care of. A yoga, art or music teacher in many schools works only on a contract basis and in Madhya Pradesh they have teachers working only on a contract basis. It's true when a Unesco report says that a teacher is in a crisis today,' Kumar told IANS.
Sharmila Das, a primary school teacher in Vasant Vihar, said: 'I love my job but there are moments of frustration when I see my friends leading a much more luxurious and expensive lifestyle than I can ever afford. We started at the same time in our careers and I put in as much hard work as they do in their management careers, if not more. But we have ended up in very different places.'
Experts feel that increasing frustration among the teachers could be one of the reasons for cases of violence in the classroom.
'Nowadays you hear about teachers hitting their students so badly that the children have to be hospitalised or even die. While I am not defending them, the situation that a teacher finds himself or herself today in is very challenging and therefore such cases cannot be seen in isolation,' Kumar said.
However, following the Sixth Pay Commission, this trend may now reverse, some predict.
'After the Sixth Pay Commission, teachers' salaries have increased substantially by as much as 40 percent. Therefore, I am sure that people's interest will return to this field and we will hopefully get more applications for the B.Ed course this year,' Baveja said.
Doing their bit to make teaching more appealing, bodies like the NCERT and Delhi University are working at revamping their teacher training course.
Baveja said: 'The B.Ed course now is of one-year duration, but we want to make it two years and include more practical exercises. We are working at revamping it and have the vice chancellor backing us'.
Baveja also added that the trend is not necessarily true when it comes to the young in smaller metros or even women.
'We get a lot of applications from students in the non-metros which shows that for them teaching is still a revered profession. In the metros, it's mostly the girls who opt for these (B.ED) courses. For instance, in the present batch of B.Ed course the ratio of boys to girls is 20:80,' Baveja said.
(Azera Rahman can be contacted at azera.p@ians.in )
Courtesy: Yahoo! News
Friday, February 20, 2009
Captain becomes Colonel!
'Captain of Blue' to 'Colonel of Olive Green'
Former Indian cricket captain Kapil Dev, who was inducted into the Territorial Army five months ago, will undergo a three-day battle efficiency test here beginning Friday.
'The orientation or familiarisation of Kapil Dev will begin Friday. The battle efficiency test as it is being called will also include firing practice,' an army official told IANS.
Kapil Dev, who scripted history by leading the Indian team to victory in the 1983 World Cup, was commissioned into the 150 TA (Infantry) battalion of the Punjab Regiment.
The 50-year-old legendary cricketer is now an honorary Lieutenant Colonel. He received his badges of rank from the Indian Army chief on Sep 24, 2008.
Having inspired thousands of youth in the country to pick up a bat and ball, Kapil Dev now hopes to inspire them to don the Olive Green to protect the nation.
The Territorial Army is a part-time citizen's force which functions as a 'vital adjunct' to the regular army.
Courtesy: Yahoo! News
Former Indian cricket captain Kapil Dev, who was inducted into the Territorial Army five months ago, will undergo a three-day battle efficiency test here beginning Friday.
'The orientation or familiarisation of Kapil Dev will begin Friday. The battle efficiency test as it is being called will also include firing practice,' an army official told IANS.
Kapil Dev, who scripted history by leading the Indian team to victory in the 1983 World Cup, was commissioned into the 150 TA (Infantry) battalion of the Punjab Regiment.
The 50-year-old legendary cricketer is now an honorary Lieutenant Colonel. He received his badges of rank from the Indian Army chief on Sep 24, 2008.
Having inspired thousands of youth in the country to pick up a bat and ball, Kapil Dev now hopes to inspire them to don the Olive Green to protect the nation.
The Territorial Army is a part-time citizen's force which functions as a 'vital adjunct' to the regular army.
Courtesy: Yahoo! News
India - The one stop solution for all your outsourcing needs!
Last year, Eric Weitz was turning business away. His Philadelphia law firm, Weitz Garfinkle Datz, regularly found itself pitted in court against large corporate law firms with "unlimited, incredible resources," he says. The four attorneys in his 10-person, $1 million company simply couldn't take on all the complex insurance and medical cases brought to them. Weitz's solution: outsource some of the firm's medical consulting and document management work to a company in India. "I used to have to cobble together assistance from a number of different local vendors," says Weitz. "But when you're a small firm you tend to go to the back of the list."
India is well known for its ability to handle business process outsourcing, such as call center and back-office work. But it's increasingly a venue for design and consulting jobs as well, says Anil Gupta, a professor of strategy at the University of Maryland's Smith Business School. Although the large Indian outsourcing firms cater mostly to major international firms, small U.S. companies can find partners that specialize in small to midsize businesses. Labor costs typically run a quarter of what they would in the U.S.
Weitz developed a preliminary list of potential partners by scouring legal trade journals and the Internet. Most contenders were slow to respond to his inquiries, but one, Tasks Everyday, replied immediately. The Mumbai company offered to do a test run for free, so Weitz asked it to review a stack of medical records and create a chronology of events. That worked out well, and in July Weitz started outsourcing regularly to them. Now he relies on his offshore team to do everything from researching reference materials to medical consulting. The Indian firm even hired American-trained doctors to review medical files, research, and studies for Weitz, a service it hadn't provided clients before. The two parties negotiate a fixed fee for a preset number of hours. Weitz pays up front for each contract.
If you have a complex, long-term project, Gupta recommends that you travel to India to start developing a relationship. This can be prohibitively expensive, so find out if your outsourcer will come to you. In addition to working U.S. business hours and offering local contact numbers for their clients, most reputable Indian operations have offices and account executives in the U.S.
There can be hiccups, of course. The variety of regional accents in India can create language barriers, even when all parties are speaking English. Weitz, who receives daily e-mails and weekly progress reports from his Indian team, has also found that extremely detailed instructions are necessary. "I have to be very concrete in terms of the scope of the project before even placing the call to give instructions," he says. When work does need to be corrected, says Weitz, Tasks Everyday has done so immediately, without charging extra. "If you don't set standards, you can't expect always to get a firm's best work," says Gupta. "Vendors tend to rise to the occasion."
Weitz says he'll increase his revenue about 20% because he's outsourcing to India and can now take on more cases. "My cost structure is significantly lower, so my risk tolerance is higher," Weitz says. "There's my competitive advantage"—even if it happens to be located nearly 8,000 miles away.
Courtesy - Business Week
India is well known for its ability to handle business process outsourcing, such as call center and back-office work. But it's increasingly a venue for design and consulting jobs as well, says Anil Gupta, a professor of strategy at the University of Maryland's Smith Business School. Although the large Indian outsourcing firms cater mostly to major international firms, small U.S. companies can find partners that specialize in small to midsize businesses. Labor costs typically run a quarter of what they would in the U.S.
Weitz developed a preliminary list of potential partners by scouring legal trade journals and the Internet. Most contenders were slow to respond to his inquiries, but one, Tasks Everyday, replied immediately. The Mumbai company offered to do a test run for free, so Weitz asked it to review a stack of medical records and create a chronology of events. That worked out well, and in July Weitz started outsourcing regularly to them. Now he relies on his offshore team to do everything from researching reference materials to medical consulting. The Indian firm even hired American-trained doctors to review medical files, research, and studies for Weitz, a service it hadn't provided clients before. The two parties negotiate a fixed fee for a preset number of hours. Weitz pays up front for each contract.
If you have a complex, long-term project, Gupta recommends that you travel to India to start developing a relationship. This can be prohibitively expensive, so find out if your outsourcer will come to you. In addition to working U.S. business hours and offering local contact numbers for their clients, most reputable Indian operations have offices and account executives in the U.S.
There can be hiccups, of course. The variety of regional accents in India can create language barriers, even when all parties are speaking English. Weitz, who receives daily e-mails and weekly progress reports from his Indian team, has also found that extremely detailed instructions are necessary. "I have to be very concrete in terms of the scope of the project before even placing the call to give instructions," he says. When work does need to be corrected, says Weitz, Tasks Everyday has done so immediately, without charging extra. "If you don't set standards, you can't expect always to get a firm's best work," says Gupta. "Vendors tend to rise to the occasion."
Weitz says he'll increase his revenue about 20% because he's outsourcing to India and can now take on more cases. "My cost structure is significantly lower, so my risk tolerance is higher," Weitz says. "There's my competitive advantage"—even if it happens to be located nearly 8,000 miles away.
Courtesy - Business Week
Thursday, February 19, 2009
GM - At the verge of bankruptcy
A government-backed bankruptcy reorganization remains an option for saving General Motors Corp and Chrysler LLC, analysts said on Wednesday, even though the automakers have said they would rather not go down that road.
GM and Chrysler asked for billions of dollars more in federal aid on Tuesday and announced sweeping changes including capacity reductions and job cuts.
Some Wall Street analysts were disappointed that the restructuring plans submitted to the U.S. Treasury did not include key concessions from the United Auto Workers union and the automakers' bondholders.
One analyst said that taking the bankruptcy option off the table would reduce the bargaining power of the companies.
Both GM and Chrysler analyzed a possible bankruptcy filing in their restructuring plans but stressed that it was not their preferred method for reorganizing and that they hoped to avoid this scenario.
GM, which has requested $16.4 billion in additional loans from the U.S. government for a total of up to $30 billion, has said it would run out of cash as soon as March without new federal funding.
The request came shortly after smaller rival Chrysler asked for another $5 billion in aid.
GM's request that a sizable chunk of total aid come in the form of preferred equity rather than debt is a "tacit acknowledgment of the fact that GM may emerge from an out-of-court process as a still highly levered firm," JP Morgan analyst Himanshu Patel said.
David Leiker, analyst with Robert W. Baird, still sees bankruptcy as the best option for a reorganization.
"Though likely to be painful near-term, we continue to believe that the challenges to restructuring GM and Chrysler are too complicated to be met outside of a bankruptcy," Leiker said.
In its restructuring blueprint, GM estimated that if it were forced to reorganize in a traditional bankruptcy, the tab for the government could touch $100 billion in bankruptcy financing.
Chrysler estimated that the bill for its bankruptcy could hit $1,200 per taxpayer.
GM also outlined cost-reduction actions but still has to reach an agreement with its bondholders and the UAW on how to reduce the roughly $48 billion it owes both groups.
An equity-for-debt swap, which is being considered, could significantly hit stockholders.
"A substantial majority of the pro-forma equity in General Motors would be distributed to exchanging bondholders and the UAW VEBA," Credit Suisse analyst Chris Ceraso said. "The existing equity holders would largely be wiped out by the bond and VEBA exchanges."
The UAW VEBA is trust fund set up to cover employee healthcare costs.
Another issue that could crop up for auto investors is the the potential for "going concern opinions" from auditors due to the liquidity crunch, operational losses and solvency issues in the auto industry, according to Grant Thornton, a corporate advisory and restructuring services firm.
A going concern opinion is a statement that there is substantial doubt about the entity's ability to continue as a going concern, something that would be typically mentioned in U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings by companies.
"It's important for the public, the supply base and all of the parties involved in restructuring the auto industry not to overreact if they start seeing 'going concern' opinions," said Kimberly Rodriguez, co-leader of Grant Thornton's global automotive team, adding that the radical restructurings GM and Chrysler are undertaking would ultimately help salvage the industry.
GM shares were down 9 cents or 4.13 percent at $2.09 in afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
Courtesy: Yahoo! News
GM and Chrysler asked for billions of dollars more in federal aid on Tuesday and announced sweeping changes including capacity reductions and job cuts.
Some Wall Street analysts were disappointed that the restructuring plans submitted to the U.S. Treasury did not include key concessions from the United Auto Workers union and the automakers' bondholders.
One analyst said that taking the bankruptcy option off the table would reduce the bargaining power of the companies.
Both GM and Chrysler analyzed a possible bankruptcy filing in their restructuring plans but stressed that it was not their preferred method for reorganizing and that they hoped to avoid this scenario.
GM, which has requested $16.4 billion in additional loans from the U.S. government for a total of up to $30 billion, has said it would run out of cash as soon as March without new federal funding.
The request came shortly after smaller rival Chrysler asked for another $5 billion in aid.
GM's request that a sizable chunk of total aid come in the form of preferred equity rather than debt is a "tacit acknowledgment of the fact that GM may emerge from an out-of-court process as a still highly levered firm," JP Morgan analyst Himanshu Patel said.
David Leiker, analyst with Robert W. Baird, still sees bankruptcy as the best option for a reorganization.
"Though likely to be painful near-term, we continue to believe that the challenges to restructuring GM and Chrysler are too complicated to be met outside of a bankruptcy," Leiker said.
In its restructuring blueprint, GM estimated that if it were forced to reorganize in a traditional bankruptcy, the tab for the government could touch $100 billion in bankruptcy financing.
Chrysler estimated that the bill for its bankruptcy could hit $1,200 per taxpayer.
GM also outlined cost-reduction actions but still has to reach an agreement with its bondholders and the UAW on how to reduce the roughly $48 billion it owes both groups.
An equity-for-debt swap, which is being considered, could significantly hit stockholders.
"A substantial majority of the pro-forma equity in General Motors would be distributed to exchanging bondholders and the UAW VEBA," Credit Suisse analyst Chris Ceraso said. "The existing equity holders would largely be wiped out by the bond and VEBA exchanges."
The UAW VEBA is trust fund set up to cover employee healthcare costs.
Another issue that could crop up for auto investors is the the potential for "going concern opinions" from auditors due to the liquidity crunch, operational losses and solvency issues in the auto industry, according to Grant Thornton, a corporate advisory and restructuring services firm.
A going concern opinion is a statement that there is substantial doubt about the entity's ability to continue as a going concern, something that would be typically mentioned in U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings by companies.
"It's important for the public, the supply base and all of the parties involved in restructuring the auto industry not to overreact if they start seeing 'going concern' opinions," said Kimberly Rodriguez, co-leader of Grant Thornton's global automotive team, adding that the radical restructurings GM and Chrysler are undertaking would ultimately help salvage the industry.
GM shares were down 9 cents or 4.13 percent at $2.09 in afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
Courtesy: Yahoo! News
Friday, February 13, 2009
Mother of Octuplets launches a website
Nadya Suleman, who gave birth to octuplets and the mother of fourteen children, has now launched a website asking donations from people to raise her kids.
http://www.thenadyasulemanfamily.com/
http://www.thenadyasulemanfamily.com/
For some businesses, Recession is good!
The current economic picture is certainly a gloomy one, with massive layoffs, bankruptcies, the collapse of financial institutions, and a severe credit crunch. But the recession has also injected life into a slew of small businesses that are thriving either in spite of or because of the economic downturn, giving new relevance to the old adage that one man's misfortune is another's opportunity.
Among those businesses that are thriving are pawn shops and thrift stores, which have traditionally catered to those in tight financial straits and which have historically seen an uptick during economic slumps. They're reporting higher volumes of business and even a broadening of their customer bases among those who have recently found themselves with greatly diminished stock portfolios or among the unemployed. "More people are trying resale than may have done before," says Adele Meyer, executive director of the National Association for Resale & Thrift Shops, a trade association based in St. Clair Shores, Mich. "And once people shop resale they realize what value and quality they're getting for the price. They become hooked, and this becomes their way of shopping." Now, many thrift stores are finding that their inventories are running especially low: Business is booming, and goods for resale aren't being replenished as fast or as easily.
Keeping Things Running
Others who are getting a financial jolt—a positive one— are auto mechanics and other repairman, who have seen record business in some cases over the past six to nine months. With wallets stretched and credit tight, many people are hanging onto their cars, appliances, and even shoes rather than replacing them. "Our business in the last seven to nine months has been better than compared to the last four to five years," says Dick Whittington, owner of Leon's Shoe Shop in Shreveport, La.
Fear and crime has also boosted a number of businesses. Sales of home safes are on the rise, while several private detective agencies are also reporting a surge in business. Repo men across the country are doing record levels of business, thanks to the high number of loan defaults on big ticket items such as cars, boats, and motorcycles.
The record number of foreclosures and ballooning consumer debt has been a windfall for businesses that consolidate, restructure, counsel, and settle debt and foreclosures. However, an increase in fraudulent firms claiming to help consumers with their debt and mortgages has also been on the rise.
So while many businesses are shutting down or limping along, there remains a sturdy group of small firms that have found opportunity. Flip through the slide show to see nine small businesses that are booming during the recession.
Among those businesses that are thriving are pawn shops and thrift stores, which have traditionally catered to those in tight financial straits and which have historically seen an uptick during economic slumps. They're reporting higher volumes of business and even a broadening of their customer bases among those who have recently found themselves with greatly diminished stock portfolios or among the unemployed. "More people are trying resale than may have done before," says Adele Meyer, executive director of the National Association for Resale & Thrift Shops, a trade association based in St. Clair Shores, Mich. "And once people shop resale they realize what value and quality they're getting for the price. They become hooked, and this becomes their way of shopping." Now, many thrift stores are finding that their inventories are running especially low: Business is booming, and goods for resale aren't being replenished as fast or as easily.
Keeping Things Running
Others who are getting a financial jolt—a positive one— are auto mechanics and other repairman, who have seen record business in some cases over the past six to nine months. With wallets stretched and credit tight, many people are hanging onto their cars, appliances, and even shoes rather than replacing them. "Our business in the last seven to nine months has been better than compared to the last four to five years," says Dick Whittington, owner of Leon's Shoe Shop in Shreveport, La.
Fear and crime has also boosted a number of businesses. Sales of home safes are on the rise, while several private detective agencies are also reporting a surge in business. Repo men across the country are doing record levels of business, thanks to the high number of loan defaults on big ticket items such as cars, boats, and motorcycles.
The record number of foreclosures and ballooning consumer debt has been a windfall for businesses that consolidate, restructure, counsel, and settle debt and foreclosures. However, an increase in fraudulent firms claiming to help consumers with their debt and mortgages has also been on the rise.
So while many businesses are shutting down or limping along, there remains a sturdy group of small firms that have found opportunity. Flip through the slide show to see nine small businesses that are booming during the recession.
Courtesy: Business Week
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Computer Virus enter French Fighter Planes!
The aircraft were unable to download their flight plans after databases were infected by a Microsoft virus they had already been warned about several months beforehand.
At one point French naval staff were also instructed not to even open their computers.
Microsoft had warned that the "Conficker" virus, transmitted through Windows, was attacking computer systems in October last year, but according to reports the French military ignored the warning and failed to install the necessary security measures.
The French newspaper Ouest France said the virus had hit the internal computer network at the French Navy.
Jérome Erulin, French navy spokesman told the paper: "It affected exchanges of information but no information was lost. It was a security problem we had already simulated. We cut the communication links that could have transmitted the virus and 99 per cent of the network is safe."
However, the French navy admitted that during the time it took to eradicate the virus, it had to return to more traditional forms of communication: telephone, fax and post.
Naval officials said the "infection"' was probably due more to negligence than a deliberate attempt to compromise French national security. It said it suspected someone at the navy had used an infected USB key.
The Sicmar Network, on which the most sensitive documents and communications are transmitted was not touched, it said. "The computer virus problem had no effect on the availability of our forces." The virus attacked the non-secured internal French navy network called Intramar and was detected on 21 January. The whole network was affected and military staff were instructed not to start their computers.
According to Liberation newspaper, two days later the chiefs of staff decided to isolate Intramar from the military's other computer systems, but certain computers at the Villacoublay air base and in the 8th Transmissions Regiment were infected. Liberation reported that on the 15 and 16 January the Navy's Rafale aircraft were "nailed to the ground" because they were unable to "download their flight plans". The aircraft were eventually activated by "another system".
Liberation also reported that Microsoft had identified the Conficker virus in the autumn of 2008 and had advised users from October last year to update their security patches. IntelligenceOnline reports that "at the heart of the (French) military, the modifications were, for the most part, not done." It was only on the 16 January "three months later" that the navy chiefs of staffs began to act.
"At that point, the chiefs of staff and the defence ministry had no idea how many computers or military information systems were vulnerable to having been contaminated by the virus," said Liberation.
The French press also reported that the only consolation for the French Navy was that it was not the only ones to have fallen victim to the virus. It said that a report in the military review Defense Tech revealed that in the first days of January 2009 the British Defence Ministry had been attacked by a hybrid of the virus that had substantially and seriously infected the computer systems of more than 24 RAF bases and 75 per cent of the Royal Navy fleet including the aircraft carrier Ark Royal.
Source - Defence Aviation
At one point French naval staff were also instructed not to even open their computers.
Microsoft had warned that the "Conficker" virus, transmitted through Windows, was attacking computer systems in October last year, but according to reports the French military ignored the warning and failed to install the necessary security measures.
The French newspaper Ouest France said the virus had hit the internal computer network at the French Navy.
Jérome Erulin, French navy spokesman told the paper: "It affected exchanges of information but no information was lost. It was a security problem we had already simulated. We cut the communication links that could have transmitted the virus and 99 per cent of the network is safe."
However, the French navy admitted that during the time it took to eradicate the virus, it had to return to more traditional forms of communication: telephone, fax and post.
Naval officials said the "infection"' was probably due more to negligence than a deliberate attempt to compromise French national security. It said it suspected someone at the navy had used an infected USB key.
The Sicmar Network, on which the most sensitive documents and communications are transmitted was not touched, it said. "The computer virus problem had no effect on the availability of our forces." The virus attacked the non-secured internal French navy network called Intramar and was detected on 21 January. The whole network was affected and military staff were instructed not to start their computers.
According to Liberation newspaper, two days later the chiefs of staff decided to isolate Intramar from the military's other computer systems, but certain computers at the Villacoublay air base and in the 8th Transmissions Regiment were infected. Liberation reported that on the 15 and 16 January the Navy's Rafale aircraft were "nailed to the ground" because they were unable to "download their flight plans". The aircraft were eventually activated by "another system".
Liberation also reported that Microsoft had identified the Conficker virus in the autumn of 2008 and had advised users from October last year to update their security patches. IntelligenceOnline reports that "at the heart of the (French) military, the modifications were, for the most part, not done." It was only on the 16 January "three months later" that the navy chiefs of staffs began to act.
"At that point, the chiefs of staff and the defence ministry had no idea how many computers or military information systems were vulnerable to having been contaminated by the virus," said Liberation.
The French press also reported that the only consolation for the French Navy was that it was not the only ones to have fallen victim to the virus. It said that a report in the military review Defense Tech revealed that in the first days of January 2009 the British Defence Ministry had been attacked by a hybrid of the virus that had substantially and seriously infected the computer systems of more than 24 RAF bases and 75 per cent of the Royal Navy fleet including the aircraft carrier Ark Royal.
Source - Defence Aviation
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