Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from January, 2012
Polling begins in Punjab, Uttarakhand Voting started in Punjab and Uttarakhand on Monday morning amidst tight security, around 1.76 crore voters will seal the fate of 1,078 candidates, in fray for 117 assembly seats in Punjab. About 200 companies of the central Para military forces, besides Punjab Police personnel, have been deployed to ensure free and peaceful polling at 19,841 polling stations, including five identified as "hyper-sensitive" and 32 as sensitive, an election office spokesman said. Out of the 1,078 candidates in fray 417, including 45 women, are Independents. At the last hustings in 2007, after scrutiny and withdrawal there were a total of 1,055 candidates, including 56 women, in fray.The ruling SAD-BJP alliance, the Congress and BSP are contesting all the 117 assembly seats. Newly formed Pu
Quake 6.3 Mw Coast of Central Peru Jan 30 Quake 6.3 Mw Coast of Central Peru Date-Time : 30 Jan 2012 05:11:00 UTC 30 Jan 2012 00:11:00 near epicenter 30 Jan 2012 09:11:00 standard time in your timezone Location 14.179S 75.643W Depth 39 km Distances 23 km (15 miles) SE (134 degrees) of Ica, Peru 97 km (60 miles) SSE (147 degrees) of Chincha Alta, Peru 175 km (109 miles) WNW (290 degrees) of Puquio, Peru 277 km (172 miles) SSE (147 degrees) of LIMA, Peru Leave a comment (Edit)

INDIAN COAST GUARD AND JAPAN COAST GUARD Meeting

HIGH LEVEL MEETING AND COMBINED EXERCISES BETWEEN INDIAN COAST GUARD AND JAPAN COAST GUARD New Delhi, 29 Jan 2012 high level delegation led by Admiral Hisayasu Suzuki, the Commandant, Japan Coast Guard (JCG), is visiting India from 26-30 Jan 2012, for the XI th High Level Meeting and Combined Exercises, with the Indian Coast Guard (ICG). The visit, was in pursuance of the Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC), signed between the two Coast Guards on 24 November 2006, which stipulates that the heads of the two organizations meet alternately in India and Japan, to discuss maritime issues of mutual concerns and formulate a cooperative approach to address these. The Memorandum of Cooperation between the two Coast Guards encompasses issues of maritime search and rescue, combating marine pollution, technical assistance for responding to natural disasters and exchange of information regarding crimes at sea, including smuggling and illicit trafficking.The first ICG-JCG combined exercis

THE KOLKATA BOOK FAIR

ITALIAN INITIATIVES FOR THE KOLKATA BOOK FAIR ITALIAN INITIATIVES FOR THE KOLKATA BOOK FAIR Italy has been invited to participate as Partner Country to the 36 th Kolkata International Bookfair 2012, reciprocating India’s participation in 2010 in the Book Fair in Turin  , the largest of its kind in Italy which takes place every year in May. The Italian participation in the Kolkata Book Fair will not only promote Italian literature with the participation of some of the most translated and best known Italian writers such as Dacia Maraini, Alessandro Baricco, Beppe Severgnini, Valerio Massimo Manfredi but also authors with a longstanding relation with India and its culture such as Angela Staude Terzani and Sandra Petrignani. Indian authors who contribute to promote Italy in India  such as Ritu Dalmia or Dileep Padgaonkar will also participate. On this ocassion, Embassy of Italy and Istituto Italiano di Cultura are holding
NTPC signed USD 1.5 bn power project in Bangladesh NTPC signed USD 1.5 bn power project in Bangladesh on Sunday signed a USD 1.5 billion deal with India's NTPC to build a 1,320 MW coal-fired power plant, the country's biggest, to help ease acute power shortages.Bangladesh's state-owned Power Development Board (PDB) struck the 50:50 joint venture deal with India's public sector National Thermal Power Company (NTPC). Under the pact, a JV company will be floated to install and operate the plant while the PDB and the NTPC will implement the USD 1.5 billion project. PDB chairman A S M Alamgir Kabir and NTPC chairman Arup Roy Chowdhury signed the agreement here.Kabir said the plant will be set up at Bagerhat's Rampal and Bangladesh and India will have equal partnership in production. "We hope to supply electricity to the national grid by 2015," he said. India's power secretary Uma Shankar said the deal opened up a &
Poll campaigning ends in Punjab, U’khand Poll Campaigning for 117-seat Punjab Assembly ended on Saturday evening with ruling SAD-BJP alliance and opposition Congress putting their best foot forward to wrest power in the 30th January polls. The campaigning by and large remained peaceful in the state which saw national leaders including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, BJP leaders L K Advani, Nitin Gadkari, Arun Jaitley, Rajnath Singh, Uma Bharti and BSP Chief Mayawati criss-cross the state. Besides Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his son Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, the other campaigners included Team Anna members who, however, did not advocate in favour or any political party confining their campaign to corruption and setting up of a strong

BJP promises good governance, Congress jobs,

  Election Friday promises rolled out from the major poltical outfits with BJP assuring to good governance and clean politics. Congress came out with plans to create 20 lakh jobs for unemployed youth in their manifestos for the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. BJP outlined its economic plans including creation of one crore jobs in five years, sops to farmers and those below poverty line.BJP, which has been struggling hard to regain its pre-eminent position in the state, brought back the Ayodhya issue which had once propelled the party to the centre stage of national politics in the late 80s and through the nineties. "Construction of a grand temple is associated with the faith of crores of people of the country. Ram is the symbol of prestige, pride and dignity of the country. "Unfortunately due to pseudo-secularism and vote bank politics it is being opposed. BJP is committed to removing all the

IAEA checks Japan reactor pending safety approval

Experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency on Thursday began their first inspection of a Japanese nuclear power plant that has undergone official "stress tests", a key step required to restart dozens of nuclear plants idled in the wake of the Fukushima crisis. Experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency today began their first inspection of a Japanese nuclear power plant that has undergone official "stress tests", a key step required to restart dozens of nuclear plants idled in the wake of the Fukushima crisis. A 10-member IAEA team was inspecting the No 3 and No 4 reactors at the Ohi nuclear power plant in Fukui, western Japan, where there is a string of reactors. "We look forward to seeing the types of specifications and types of improvements that Kansai Electric P

India Art Fair 2012

India Art Fair l Neha Kirpal diluting her stake in the event to Sandy Argus and Will Ramsay,the co-founders of the wildly successful Art HK.India Art Fair 2012 attracts International galleries Britain’s White Cube, Lisson, and Hauser Wirth as well as Aicon and Paul and Aicon and Paul Kasmin from the U.S. Herve Perdriolle from Paris,Everard Read from Cape town,Neilson Gallery from Spain and DIE Galerie from Franfurt. Gallery from Switzerland, Australia, Italy,Greece,Japan show cased their art work in this fair.International exhibitors this year include influential galleries from Europe,the Middle East and South Africa of art works of Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, Salvador Dali and Andre Masson and by more than 1000 artist with visitors growing each day at the four days event. This is the fourth event hosting artists of international repute.India Art Fair continues through Sunday, January 29 at the NSIC Exhibition Grounds

Govt announces Padma Awards

A total of 109 persons, including 19 women, have been selected for the Padma awards on the eve of the Republic Day. President Pratibha Patil approved the awards including one duo case (counted as one) and 14 in the category of foreigners/ NRIs/ PIOs/posthumous. The awards comprise five Padma Vibhushan, 27 Padma Bhushan and 77 Padma Shri awards. The awardees are K G Subramanyan Art-Painting and Sculpture , Late Mario De Miranda Art-Cartoonist Goa, Late (Dr) Bhupen Hazarika Art- Vocal Music Assam, Dr Kantilal Hastimal Sancheti Medicine- Orthopaedics . T V Rajeswar Civil Service Delhi Padma Bhushan Cinema , Khaled Choudhury Art - Theatre , Jatin Das Art - Painting, Pandit Buddhadev Das Gupta Art - Instrumental Music - Sarod. Dharmendra Singh Deol alias Dharmendra Art- Cinema , Dr Trippunithwra Viswanathan Gopalkrishnan Art - Classical vocal

Prez stresses on removal of poverty, hunger & illiteracy

President Pratibha Patil on Wednesday said tremendous work needs to be done to move forward on social and economic agenda to achieve fast, economic and sustainable growth. "Our foremost priority is the removal of poverty, hunger and malnutrition, disease and illiteracy. All social welfare programmes must be implemented efficiently. Agencies involved in the delivery of services should have a strong sense of duty and work in a transparent, corruption-free, time-bound and accountable manner," she said in her address to the nation on the eve of 63rd Republic Day. The President said all issues, therefore, must be resolved through dialogue and there can be no place for violence. Negativity and rejection cannot be the path for a vibrant country t

India, Thailand sign six key accords

India and Thailand on Wednesday discussed strengthening of cooperation in strategic fields and inked six pacts in key areas including defence, security and economy. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Thai counterpart Yingluck Shinawatra held wide-ranging discussions on international, regional and bilateral issues and expressed the desire to work together towards elevating the bilateral relations to strategic partnership for mutual benefit. "Developing close relations with Thailand is an important component of our Look East Policy. Strong India-Thailand relations contribute to peace, prosperity and stability in the region," Dr Singh said at a joint media event with Shinawatra. Emphasising the need to step up bilateral cooperation and e

American leadership can be felt across the globe:Obama

President Barack Obama delivers the State of the Union address in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Jan. 24, 2012. Obama said the renewal of American leadership can be felt across the globe. "Our oldest alliances in Europe and Asia are stronger than ever. Our ties to the Americas are deeper. Our iron-clad commitment to Israel's security has meant the closest military cooperation between our two countries in history," he said. "We have made it clear that America is a Pacific power, and a new beginning in Burma has lit a new hope. From the coalitions we have built to secure nuclear materials, to the missions we have led against hunger and disease; from the blows we have dealt to our enemies; to the enduring power of our moral example, America is back," Obama said. "Anyone who tells you otherwise, anyone who tells you that America is in decline or that our influence has waned, doesn't know what they are talking about." "

Tableaux on Indian Handicrafts this Republic Day

Ministry of Textiles makes a beginning - floats Tableaux on Indian Handicrafts this Republic Day Ministry of Textiles adds a feather in its cap and marks a beginning this 2012 by floating a Tableaux on Indian Handicrafts at the Republic Day parade for the first time. It is indeed an achievement and matter of immense pride to have the tableaux selected. The Ministry of Defence selected the Indian Handicraft Tableaux along with 9 others, out of the 25 Ministries that applied for display of tableaux during republic day parade. The Indian Handicrafts Tableaux will be no. 14 in the order of march at the parade.Through this tableaux, the theme of Indian Handicrafts is portrayed and the tableaux conveys that while Indian handicraft sector is an unorganized, labour intensive decentralized industry, it provides employment to over 7 million artisans in rural and semi-urban areas. Handicrafts form a substantial part of Indian exports and their share in the exports is increasing each year. Not

Indian Railways Republic Day Tableau “Punjab Mail”

Indian Railways brings the past and the present together on its Tableau to be showcased in Republic Day Parade 2012. One of the popular trains of Indian Railways namely ‘Punjab Mail’ is the chosen theme of the tableau as it is the first train in the country to achieve the distinction, in recorded history, to enter the 100th year of its run. The tableau consists of the modern train juxtaposed with the older version which used to be pulled by steam engines. ‘Punjab Mail’ train now runs with electric and diesel tractions. The modern train is depicted with an electric engine pulling a sleeper class coach. It is flanked by two miniature older versions of the ‘Punjab Mail’ with the steam engines pulling the old wooden coaches. The trains are shown emerging out of a tunnel. This tableau also depicts a ground element, consisting of railway employees and family members of railway employees from Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala who shall perform the ‘Bhangra’ Dance in front

Strengthening Research & Development in Power Sector

Union Power Minister Calls for Strengthening Research & Development in Power Sector Union Minister of Power, Shri Sushilkumar Shinde has called for strengthening research and development in power generation, transmission and distribution sectors. He was addressing the delegates of the India Energy Congress 2012 in New Delhi today. Shri Shinde said that while the country has made remarkable progress in the power sector during the 11th Plan, a lot more still has to be done. He said that during the 11th Plan period the country has added about two-and-a-half times of the capacity that was added during the 10th Plan period. He said that 80,000 MW capacity is under construction for the 12th Plan. Emphasising on the need of energy conservation through efficiency improvement, the Minister reiterated India’s commitment to cheaper, sustainable and clean power. He said that through various initiatives such as star labelling of products, the achievement in the avoided generat

Twenty three tableaux of this year's Republic Day Parade.

Twenty three tableaux showcasing the country's military might, varied cultural diversity, economic progress and development in science and technology will be part of this year's Republic Day Parade. While 13 tableaux will highlight the diverse culture and traditions of various States, ten tableaux will showcase the main functioning and achievements of the Union Ministries and departments. For the first time, the Election Commission will have a tableau featuring a huge model of the Electronic Voting Machine and banners urging youngsters to vote. The Indian Airforce will also have a special tableau with the theme 'People first mission always'. The IAF tableau will showcase the C-130J Super Hercules, the World's most advanced and tactical aircraft and the forces' latest acquisition in the IAF-Mi-17 V5 Helicopter. The other ministries that will showcase their tableaux include Textile, Human Resource Development, Tribal Affairs, Railways, Steel and Agri

Abdullah says municipal, national polls to be held in 2012.

Abdullah says municipal, national polls to be held in 2012. Jordanian King Abdullah says municipal, national polls to be held in 2012. The Jordanian King Abdullah-II has said, Jordan will have both the municipal and the national elections in 2012. In an interview to a US TV Channel, King Abdullah said, he has ushered in the reforms in a big way inside the country. One third of the constitution has been ratified and an independent election commission will oversee the poll process in the country. Referring to a host of demonstrations by the people and the opposition activists in Jordan this year, he said there was no single loss of life in his country which speaks volumes about the security forces.

Bonanzza for North Eastern States

Government of India and World Bank Sign an Agreement Worth US $130 Million to Improve Livelihoods for 300,000 Village Households in North Eastern States The Government of India and the World Bank today signed an IDA credit of US$ 130 million to finance the Government of India's (GOI) efforts to empower rural communities in the growth-deficient North East (NE) region to improve their livelihood opportunities. The North East Rural Livelihoods Project (NERLP) will enhance the livelihoods of the rural poor, especially women, unemployed youth and the severely disadvantaged in eight districts of the four participating states- Aizawl and Lunglei in Mizoram; Peren and Tuensang in Nagaland; South, West and 15 Panchayat wards of East District in Sikkim; and West and North Districts in Tripura. Despite its rich natural resources and relatively good human development indicators, the North East (NE) region lags behind the rest of India in important parameter

Junior Tennis team to Jr Australian open Tennis Championship

Junior Tennis team to Participate in Junior Australian open Tennis Championship             The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports has approved the participation of Indian Junior Tennis Team in the Junior Australian Open Tennis Championship to be held at Melbourne from 15-28 January 2012.The five member team (four players and one coach) includes the following:- S.No Name of Players   S .No Name of Players & Coaches 1 Ms. RatnikaBatra - Player 4. Mr. Ramkumar Ramnathan -Player 2 Ms. Rituja Bhansale -Player 5. Mr. Hiten Kumar Joshi -Coach 3 Mr. Arjun Khade -Player .