A Nation on the March

Eshwar · Post by **Eshwar** » 10 Oct 2008 11:09

He already does that. See his interviews and public meetings at http://www.youtube.com/user/vandegujarat

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 18 Oct 2008 08:03

Seva Rathna Dr.S.Thiruvenkatachari
Chennai Citizen

Seva Rathna Dr.S.Thiruvenkatachari shook his head in disgust on hearing the news on the radio that negotiations were going on with sandalwood smuggler Veerappan to rescue Kannada Superstar Rajkumar. "Where are we going? I don't know what has happened to our society, " he said angrily. At 89, Dr. Thiruvenkatachari has lived most of his life in a world where ideals and values were considered important. He has interacted with eminent personalities of the 20th century, who were men of great principles and deeds. No wonder, he finds the current socio-political situation absolutely unbearable.

His list of achievements is outstanding. Let us look at some of them. Dr.Thiruvenkatachari was awarded the Outstanding College Teacher Award for two successive terms by the University Grants Commission (UGC). For 42 years, he has served in colleges and universities in India and abroad. He has written several original works on History, Archeology, Economics, Psychology, Non-clinical Counselling, Gerontology and Public Administration. He is proficient in several disciplines broadly falling under the humanities. He has 12 Masters degrees and diplomas, besides two Ph.D. degrees. He was the first student to join the Masters Degree in Education in the University of Madras.

"I have met several great men in my life," he says with pride. One of them was Mahatma Gandhi himself. He attended the Wardha Training in Basic Education, a programme personally directed by Mahatma Gandhi. He has also attended a Child Education course directly under Madame Montessori and briefly interacted with Albert Einstein at Princeton. When he worked abroad, he met eminent people like Dr. Erling Hunt, Dwight Eisenhower, Trygvi Lee, Dr Ruth Strang, Sir Cyril Burt, Dr.Cohen and Lady Wattumull of the Wattumull Foundation. In response to a call from Maharishi Vasudevacharya, the founder of the R.K.Mission Schools, Dr Thiruvenkatachari rejected a post in the Indian Police and Customs Services to opt for a career in education. Among those who encouraged him to take this step are Rt. Hon. Srinivasa Shastri, Dr.S.Radhakrishnan and Dr.S.R.Ranganathan.

Dr.Ranganathan, the pioneer in Information Sciences, was a member of Dr Thiruvenkatachari's family. Economics, History, Political Science, Philosophy of education, Psychology, Methodology. These are all areas Dr Thiruvenkatachari has taught during the various phases of his career. At Columbia University, he assisted Dr.Taraknath Das, (a contemporary of Rabindranath Tagore), at the Centre for Far Eastern Studies. Teaching at the Columbia University was an exciting experience, as during his tenure the Centre became a training school for diplomats assigned to the far-eastern nations.

Apart from these notable memories, Dr Thiruvenkatachari also has the creditable achievement of organizing from scratch a number of institutions. These include 17 R K Mission institutions and upgrading the Madura College from second grade to first grade. On an invitation from Dr Alagappa Chettiar to set up the Department of Political Science, he joined the Alagappa College and contributed to its growth to University status. Besides, he forcefully presented the case for setting up University Centres in Madurai and Tiruchirapalli. Later, these centres started to function independently and in 1967 the Madurai University was set up. He has organised more than 200 extension programmes to encourage innovative teaching programmes in schools.

Along with Dr Billows, he led a campaign to promote English as a second language. Over 10,000 primary school teachers in South India were trained under the Madras English Language Teaching (MELT) scheme. Dr A Lakshmanaswami Mudaliar appointed Dr Thiruvenkatachari convenor of several special committees for education. As a research scholar under Dr S K Iyengar and C S Srinivasachari, he discovered an old palm-leaf manuscript in Trivandrum titled 'Madhura Vijayam'. Sir C.P Ramaswamy Iyer helped him in this. Dr Thiruvenkatachari went on to provide a detailed historical introduction to the work written by Kampana's wife, Ganga Devi (the Vijaynagar Princess). It was published by the Annamalai University and was equated with Kalhana's 'Rajatrangini' by scholars as a complete historical work with no legendary anecdotes.

Mysticism too has interested Dr Thiruvenkatachari. He recalls his meeting with Ida Ansell, an American disciple of Swami Vivekananda at the Ashram in Hollywood. Rechristened Ujjvala by the R.K.Mission, the 92-year-old Ida Ansell, handed 13 unpublished lectures of Swami Vivekananda to Dr Thiruvenkatachari. These were notes she had taken in shorthand and wanted them to be handed over to the Belur Math. The lady was ecstatic as she received Dr Thiruvenkatachari and when she bade farewell after dinner, she said with tears in he eyes, "My dear son, I have not waited this long in vain. May the Swamiji's blessings be with you." Two days later, the Head of the Ashram told him that Ujjvala died the very evening. The incident continues to baffle Dr Thiruvenkatachari.

He has led a rich life. What does he consider his greatest success? He fondly remembers the day when a student of his, whom we know as Gen. Sundarji, came to meet him before taking office as the Chief of Army. Gen. Sundarji had come to meet and thank the teacher who had taught him everything. "When I was young, you encouraged me to pursue my dreams sir, " he said. Dr Thiruvenkatachari says he was a satisfied man that day. At 89, he is active. In 1991, he presented an International Charter of the Senior Citizens of the World. He is the Vice President of the All India Pensioners Association. If this piece reads more like a citation than an article, it is because Dr Thiruvenkatachari's achievements are so numerous!

Meenakshi Anantharaman

vsudhir · Post by **vsudhir** » 18 Oct 2008 20:30

Maya govt to return land for railway coach factory in Rae Bareli (India Today)

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has taken a U-turn. She has decided to allot the land for a railway coach factory in Sonia Gandhi's constituency Rae Bareli.

It is being stated that 189 acres of extra land will be given on a lease of 90-years.

After announcing this move, Mayawati said, "I don't want to come in the way of development. Moreover, Congress should not politicise this issue."

Congress, however, has asked Mayawati to apologise to the people of Uttar Pradesh.

This factory project is being dubbed as a dream project of the Congress chief, with an investment of Rs 1,689.25 crore, as it is expected to provide employment to at least 10,000 people from the area.

Mayawati had scrapped the land allotment just a day before Sonia Gandhi was to flag off construction.

Principal Secretary Vijay Shankar Pandey had stated that the state government had decided to cancel the acquisition of 400 acres spread over five villages in Lalganj and Dalmou blocks of Rae Bareli, where a railway coach factory was supposed to come up.

Pandey had said that the decision was taken after Rae Bareli District Magistrate Santosh Srivastava handed in a report which mentioned that the farmers were agitating against the acquisition of the land, which belongs to the Gram Sabha.

Aha. Gr8 to see common sense and an awareness of one’s own limitations return to desi politics. A long overdue maturity descending on fractitious caste-ridden heartland politics.

Maya’s u-turn and her subsequent pro-development utterances are a welcome sign onlee. She saved herself going down the destructive (and self-destructive Mamta Bannerjee road). Mamta Bannerjee and her wannabe clones elsewhere better beware that Mamata ishtyle politiking with development issues nowadays gets seriously negative vibes from aam janta cutting across class and community.

Go Yindia!

Avinash R · Post by **Avinash R** » 18 Oct 2008 20:53

^ mayawati felt sidelined after samajwadi party(her opponent in UP) joined the upa. sonia also tried to increase mayawati's troubles by using the taj expressway scam.

mayawati hit back in her own style. humiliated sonia in front of the media by not letting her enter her constituency and brought a "white paper" on the developments that nehru family has done to rae bareli.

now a truce has been called. the samajwadi party has also been moving away from the upa with mullah amar singh trying to build a muslim front and using the batla shootout to garner muslim votes.

Btw mamta has joined hands with amar singh on the batla shootout case. after destroying west bengal her next stop is new delhi.

bala · Post by **bala** » 29 Oct 2008 10:35

India…Again
by Hussein Shobokshi

A Businessman and prominent columnist. Mr. Shobokshi hosts the weekly current affairs program Al Takreer on Al Arabiya, and in 1995, he was chosen as one of the "Global Leaders for Tomorrow" by the World Economic Forum. He received his B.A. in Political Science and Management from the University of Tulsa.

Once again, India has shown us the difference, in a practical manner, between a nation that works and an idle nation.

We have India launching its space shuttle – produced entirely by the hands, brains and technology of India – to the moon, joining the exclusive space club. The incredible India experience continues to captivate those who monitor its developments; it is the biggest of the world’s democracies reaping the fruits of its labor such as paying exceptional attention to education, training, and the bringing together of diverse segments of its society towards one outlook, motivated by the economy of knowledge that made India and its economic model a clear emblem of that.

All this took place whilst its Pakistani “neighbor” continues its foolish tribal and sectarian wrangling and the chain of assassinations and car bombs that claim innocent lives through indiscriminate savagery.

The developing world is watching in astonishment and wonder to the extent of envy and jealousy (where some arrogant people belittle India’s accomplishments expressed in a racist, despicable and reckless manner) as India transforms from a developing country of the Third World to join the major industrial countries, and this is well-deserved.

India today has transformed into a center of gravity and the backbone of the modern world of technology. One of India’s businessmen owns one of the biggest steel producing companies in the world and it is also home to one of the world’s most important companies, the Tata Group, which owns a number of major companies and hotels around the world. Today India has taken the lead role in cinematic production and its authors continue to receive the most prominent of awards.

The Arab world should carefully and seriously examine the Indian experience and how it largely benefited from its advantages because it presents important and eye-catching examples of what can be accomplished. The Indian model is similar to the Arab situation; there are the same challenges in development and the same social, political, cultural and economic challenges without doubt.

India still has some surprises in store; the anticipated Nano car produced by Tata is ready to be launched and presented to the world as the cheapest car in the world therefore giving scores of people from the world over the chance to own a car for a cheap price.

Universities, schools and technical institutes in India continue to improve their capabilities and programs to become more competitive and effective in transforming India into one of the most important elements of efficiency, success and excellence and its “price” in the labor market is higher than that of many of its counterparts of the old industrial world. There is no doubt that in Bangladesh, Pakistan, (and even Sri Lanka and Nepal) there are regrets that these countries are not on the same level as India and do not compare with its economic growth as the gap is widening between them and the motherland.

Yet again, the Indian option is about equality and education for all. They reaped a glory that the world envies.

The Indian example continues to amaze; it is a fascinating success story that deserves to be told…more importantly it deserves to be learnt from.

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 30 Oct 2008 04:26

Yerna · Post by **Yerna** » 30 Oct 2008 05:15

Singha wrote:why is it called Dunnington ? was the initial work done somewhere?

Yahudis get to keep their own names - the upcoming Nehalem 8core lineup in 2009
sounds like a yahudi center project.

Its very much Indian name only Singha saar. Dunnington = Done in town

From the horses mouth:

“I always used to refer to my team here internally as Dunnington from ‘Dunn (Done) in garden town’ (Bangalore),” says this Bangalorean.

The horse in question being Praveen Vishakantaiah, who led the Dunnington project.

shaardula · Post by **shaardula** » 30 Oct 2008 06:37

yaarla adu, namm oorna hange hinge andaddu.

Rishirishi · Post by **Rishirishi** » 30 Oct 2008 13:09

And some people whine about the 70 million dollars spent in the mission.

Lisa · Post by **Lisa** » 30 Oct 2008 23:32

Is this the right thread? Please move if not.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frOl9mO7q6o

MN Kumar · Post by **MN Kumar** » 04 Nov 2008 20:32

Worlds Fastest 7 Summiter
An incredible achievement. Look at his qualifications.

Vipul · Post by **Vipul** » 04 Nov 2008 21:54

India Inc:A Lesson in Business Design.
Ambitious, resourceful, and unencumbered by convention, India offers the world a dramatic demonstration of business design.

Avinash R · Post by **Avinash R** » 09 Nov 2008 18:14

Jharkhand village turns barren land into lush field through cooperative farming

Gumla (Jharkhand), Nov.6 : Farmers in Brinda village in Jharkhand’s Gumla district have converted 60 acres barren area into lush agricultural land through cooperative farming.

"Previously, we used to go out of Jharkhand to earn our daily bread. But now a lot of things have changed for us ever since we converted this barren land into a cultivable one. Now, there is no need for us to go out of our village, as we can sustain ourselves by cultivating crops here," said Indu Oeron, a farmer of the village.

Sachiv Sarva India, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) working for the uplift of rural folk in Jharkhand is behind this transformation.

Sachiv Sarva India volunteers claim that they have emancipated hundreds of poor farmers in Gumla District.

"Previously, this land used to be fallow. It used to be barren, but now farmers have started collective farming in this area, and have turned this into cultivable land," said Shanicharwa Oeron, Range Forest Officer, Gumla (Rural).

Farmers in Gumla district earlier were dependent on rains, but now the Forest Department has provided greenhouse sheds and hybrid seeds, besides the latest cultivation techniques to improve their lot, having gained much in the long run.

"We have introduced the greenhouse farming system to protect seeds of these farmers. We have helped them in becoming self dependent and now they can earn their livelihood on their own terms," said Sujit Kumar Nanda, a member of Sachiv Sarva India.

One must compliment these farmers of Brinda village for not being carried away by ideologies of confrontation, and instead, opting to take up co-operative farming and reap its benefit.

Previously, these hapless people used to migrate to Punjab and Haryana as tillers, but now they lead a more settled life.

Through their collective efforts to secure a good livelihood for all, these farmers have projected that unity is strength, defying all threats from Naxalites.

Avinash R · Post by **Avinash R** » 11 Nov 2008 20:32

Some good news from west bengal.
Bengal's IT growth surpasses national average at 45 per cent
Kolkata | Tuesday, Nov 11 2008 IST

West Bengal Minister for Information Technology Debesh Das today said the state had notched up 45 per cent growth in the Information Technology(IT) sector in the previous fiscal against the national average of 29 per cent during the same period.

Speaking at the inaugural session of the CEO Summit 2008, organised by NASSCOM, Dr Das said West Bengal, being a late starter in the IT industry, had an advantage of drafting better plans, adding the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) had a crucial role to play towards the sector's growth.

According to him, international studies have placed Kolkata among the top three desirable destinations for BPOs, next to Warsaw (Poland) and Hyderabad.

With a view to leveraging the SMEs in the IT industry in the state, the West Bengal Government has introduced ''venture capital'', apart from providing facilities for enabling the newcomers to start their operations within 24 hours on the basis of rent.

Later, interacting with media on the sidelines, Mr Das informed that such facilities were currently available at Taratala and Durgapur with 350 and 150 seats respectively, altogether adding up to 500 seats.

''Once all the seats are filled up, we will come up with similar facilities with another 500 seats. There should always be a vacant number for seats for the convenience of the entrepreuners. We are also looking to set up similar facilites in the city at the Sector-V, but dearth of land is hitting the plan. So far, 300 entrepreuners, who are willing to venture into SME sector in IT, are in talks with the state government for availing the facility,'' the Minister explained.

vsudhir · Post by **vsudhir** » 14 Nov 2008 04:37

x-post

Registration of E-grievances: Bihar govt launches website to register complaints

With the state government unveiling a new website, tailor-made for the common man to register his grievances online, the Bihar residents now have a unique window of opportunity for letting the government know how good the Nitish Kumar's governance is.

To top it all, this is arguably a very smooth process, as all one needs to have is a valid email ID and a genuine complaint to register, which can be done by a click of the mouse.

A maximum limit of three months has been fixed to address the issue raised. The idea obviously makes it more convenient, easy and effective for everyone to shoot complaints and follow up.

No wonder, by registering the complaints and through the follow up exercise, the Nitish Kumar administration would also collect valuable feedback on the state of governance in Bihar.

The website http://cspgcbihar.bih.nic unequivocally claims that it has been created to facilitate "quick and qualitative redressal." Incidentally, the website is an extension of the Public Grievance Cell created in April 2006 under the stewardship of state chief secretary.

Mind-blowing onlee. Nitish kumar zindabad! How much difference one man's commitment can make in the CM kursi!

Laloo ji, pls hang your head in shame and retire permanently from politics, if you are capable of embarassment, that is.

Vijay Hirani · Post by **Vijay Hirani** » 24 Dec 2008 15:43

Only when the nation is well fed, can we think of our children beingconducive to education.
So this is a good start.
http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/holn ... 241421.htm
A midday meal scheme badly needs to be started in Madhya Pradesh where according many reports is suffering for malnutritution.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 24 Dec 2008 19:57

my co has raised money from employees and employer match to feed
around 15000 kids their mid day meal over the next year via akshaya patra of iskcon.
I find their system quite impressive - using industrial strength kitchens
and machinery to cook huge amts quickly, uniform quality and hygiene
each working day.
and I love all the snacks and sweets sold at the temple.

Sidd · Post by **Sidd** » 30 Dec 2008 21:48

Bihar Special Court Bill 2008 gets cabinet sanction

Cabinet Secretary Girish Shanker told reporters after the cabinet meeting that government officials, if found guilty, would be booked under DA case and their properties be it moveable and immovable would be seized and they would be tried by a special court.

hanumadu · Post by **hanumadu** » 03 Jan 2009 05:17

Twist in drunk drive tale as cop calls bluff

In another case, the traffic police caught a drunk driver twice within an hour on Thursday. Rajan Patel, 46, was first caught at Worli Naka for riding his bike under the influence of alcohol. The police charged him Rs2,000 as fine and also confiscated his licence. At that time, his pillion rider Subhash (name changed) told the police that he also possessed a driving licence and he would take Patel home.

“Subhash rode the bike only till Haji Ali junction. Patel insisted on riding again and asked Subhash to sit behind. However, they were stopped by the traffic police at Girgaum chowpatty,” said Baijal.

When Patel failed the breathalyser test, the cops once again asked him to pay a fine of Rs2,000. “His licence will be cancelled for committing the same crime twice,” said Baijal. “Usually, people take the police for granted. We will follow such cases till their logical end,” an officer from traffic department said.

--hanumadu

Vasu · Post by **Vasu** » 06 Jan 2009 22:35

this should belong in the humor section!

its true what they say - "friends dont let friends drive drunk."

Ameet · Post by **Ameet** » 07 Jan 2009 06:23

Husk power for India

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/04/educa ... dia&st=cse

Many of India’s cities have become bustling centers for high technology and heavy industry, but hundreds of millions of people in the countryside remain off the grid. Growing up in rural Bihar State, Manoj Sinha knew what it was like to sit in the dark. So after earning an electrical engineering degree at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and working for the Intel Corporation, he began exploring ways to turn farm waste into electricity, with the dream of building village-scale generators.

Last year at the University of Virginia, where he is studying for a master’s at the Darden School of Business, he and a fellow student, Charles Ransler, teamed up with another engineer from Bihar, Gyanesh Pandey, and Husk Power Systems was born.

The Indian engineers, both 31, had initially planned on raising money to build small generators for simply a few villages. But the company now has a proprietary generator that runs on a methane-like gas released by heating rice husks a certain way. A waste product of rice milling, husks are plentiful in villages. While agricultural waste is common for generating heat, it is not often used for generating electricity, and there is nothing remotely like this system in the villages of developing countries. The system produces enough electricity to supply 300 to 500 households for 8 to 10 hours a day. A byproduct is silica, a valuable ingredient in making cement.

The long-term plan is to profit from the global market in credits — earned by avoiding greenhouse-gas emissions, which result from burning fossil fuels like coal — and to sell the benefit.

Husk Power Systems won first place in 2008 in the University of Virginia business plan competition and the social innovation competition at the University of Texas, Austin. The students are headquartered at the Darden School of Business incubator, where they get space and advice.

There are generators in five villages now, with the hope of expanding to 100 within a few years, Mr. Ransler says. Eventually, these communities could shift to other electricity sources as the Indian economy matures. But Mr. Ransler, 30, predicts there will be a market for many years to come for small-scale power systems burning renewable farm waste.

Business leaders must realize that the world’s poor need investments more than handouts, he says, adding, “These are customers, not victims.”

vera_k · Post by **vera_k** » 12 Jan 2009 05:48

Gujarat to spend 500 cr on computers in schools

Vadodara: In a unique Information Technology initiative, the Gujarat Government will spend around Rs 500 crore to buy 1,50,000 computers, peripherals and LCDs to equip some 20,000 primary and upper primary schools in the state, over the next five years.

Karnataka to spend 109 cr on computers in schools

BANGALORE: Educomp Solutions Limited, an education service provider, has signed a Rs. 109-crore agreement with the State Government to provide computer-aided education in 1,571 government high schools.

ashish raval · Post by **ashish raval** » 13 Jan 2009 22:04

Man, I never saw anyone announcing such massive amount ($ 240 billion) of MOU's in recession. Good stuff. Will creat lot of jobs for Indians.
http://www.gujaratglobal.com/nextSub.ph ... atype=NEWS

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 14 Jan 2009 00:39

Ameet wrote:Husk power for India

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/04/educa ... dia&st=cse

Many of India’s cities have become bustling centers for high technology and heavy industry, but hundreds of millions of people in the countryside remain off the grid. Growing up in rural Bihar State, Manoj Sinha knew what it was like to sit in the dark. So after earning an electrical engineering degree at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and working for the Intel Corporation, he began exploring ways to turn farm waste into electricity, with the dream of building village-scale generators.

Last year at the University of Virginia, where he is studying for a master’s at the Darden School of Business, he and a fellow student, Charles Ransler, teamed up with another engineer from Bihar, Gyanesh Pandey, and Husk Power Systems was born.

The Indian engineers, both 31, had initially planned on raising money to build small generators for simply a few villages. But the company now has a proprietary generator that runs on a methane-like gas released by heating rice husks a certain way. A waste product of rice milling, husks are plentiful in villages. While agricultural waste is common for generating heat, it is not often used for generating electricity, and there is nothing remotely like this system in the villages of developing countries. The system produces enough electricity to supply 300 to 500 households for 8 to 10 hours a day. A byproduct is silica, a valuable ingredient in making cement.

The long-term plan is to profit from the global market in credits — earned by avoiding greenhouse-gas emissions, which result from burning fossil fuels like coal — and to sell the benefit.

Husk Power Systems won first place in 2008 in the University of Virginia business plan competition and the social innovation competition at the University of Texas, Austin. The students are headquartered at the Darden School of Business incubator, where they get space and advice.

There are generators in five villages now, with the hope of expanding to 100 within a few years, Mr. Ransler says. Eventually, these communities could shift to other electricity sources as the Indian economy matures. But Mr. Ransler, 30, predicts there will be a market for many years to come for small-scale power systems burning renewable farm waste.

Business leaders must realize that the world’s poor need investments more than handouts, he says, adding, “These are customers, not victims.”

What they are doing is wood gasification. I posted a link in the technologies thread about wood gas stoves. So wood waste is heated in a two part furnace to create methan which burns cleanly.

I wonder if they use a thermo electric generator or convert to steam etc.

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 16 Jan 2009 05:45

http://www.blackvoices.com/blogs/2009/0 ... -the-west/

Hollywood Goes Bollywood: India's Fashion Influence on the West

Posted Jan 14th 2009 2:40PM by Angela Bronner
Filed under: Style and Beauty, Style Spotter, Life and Style

Maybe it was Shakira. The international starlet shook, shimmied and rolled Indian fashion into the American mainstream during the 2006 VMAs. Before that, there was Madonna, who in the late '90s wore henna on her hands and saris to high-profile events. And if you want to take it waaaaay back, Princess Diana in 1992 made Indian fashion in the West all the rage after her trip to India and Pakistan.

Whoever deserves credit, Indian fashion is here and non-Indian celebrities all over are partaking in this colorful, bespoke couture. From bindis and tikkas on their foreheads to saris on their backs, mehendi on their bodies or antique Indian jewels in their ears, it looks as if Westerners have gotten sari-savvy in a big way. Rapper Snoop Dogg last year appeared in the Bollywood flick 'Singh is King' in a turban, and, this year, Bollywood is anticipating a lot more Hollywood presence, with Beyonce and Rihanna doing 'item numbers' in Bollywood movies – in Indian dress, we're sure.

Yash · Post by **Yash** » 29 Jan 2009 18:52

Govt set to make computers available @ Rs 500

The computer will be a small equipment with expandable memory, LAN and Wi-Fi facilities. The government will also produce e-content on every subject which will be made available free of cost...The scheme would cost Rs 4,612 crore in the 11th Plan. "About 40 per cent of the fund will be spent on developing e-content. The e-content will be provided free to the institutions and students," he said.

Anybody have details about this one? DDM, as usual, lapping up vague prototype details w/o much effort to corroborate with scientists on how this is possible. Encouraging stuff if true.

Arya Sumantra · Post by **Arya Sumantra** » 30 Jan 2009 19:43

This news first came out in may 2007 even in international media. Just Google $10 laptop and see the results. India's MHRD had proclaimed that it had set on the goal of creating a $10 laptop working on open-source Linux platform. Before you mock the price, note that they had brought down the price upto $47. There were vendors who approached govt to manufacture it in huge volumes but none went below the price of $25-35.
I hope this endeavour is not sabotaged by Intel and Microsoft. Intel and Microsoft did hinder the OLPC laptop program of MIT professor by first joining in as collaborators and they did everything to raise the price of OLPC laptop from $100 to $175 now. After all low cost laptops not working on Intel chips and MS OS would hurt them big time.

vera_k · Post by **vera_k** » 30 Jan 2009 22:31

Hard to say if the $10 price is true and not DDM's usual fact-flexible reporting. The $10 price was previously stated to be a typo in place of $100.

Link

BajKhedawal · Post by **BajKhedawal** » 01 Feb 2009 06:12

I don't think its hard to conceive, specially if there are no royalty issues such as with using Microsoft o/s, etc.

http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/29/indi ... -at-least/

So even if its $100, it is still a major feat. No! at least we don't have to deal with Negroponte et al.

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/a ... r_all.html

R Vaidya · Post by **R Vaidya** » 03 Feb 2009 12:44

-- End of west –Asia as New Power

http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1227165

Rvaidya

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 04 Feb 2009 04:41

PanIIT 2008 event at Madras -- A report on the Rural transformation track
http://sites.google.com/site/ruraltrans ... conference

vsudhir · Post by **vsudhir** » 12 Feb 2009 05:31

Innovation from India: The Next Big Wave

Innovative companies the world over are discovering the research and development advantages to be found in India

A new portable electrocardiogram machine, the MAC 400, can take 100 EKGs on a single battery charge and weighs less than three pounds. This is appropriate for rural areas in emerging markets where electricity is not always readily available and where patients cannot easily travel to urban diagnostic centers. The product's roots are as remarkable as its capabilities: The MAC 400 was designed at General Electric's (GE) John F. Welch Technology Center in Bangalore by a team of Indian engineers. Most of the early growth at this research and development center, GE's largest outside the U.S., took place during the 2001-02 recession. Today, the 50-acre campus employs 3,500 scientists and engineers; they've created patents on aircraft engines and locomotives in addition to medical devices.

Recall twas PSUs like now-defunct hyd based IDPL that incubated the people with skillsets who later went on to germinate the biotech revolution in Des. DRL is one excellent example.

Many other companies are, like GE, turning to Indian talent for new product development. Technological innovation has powered the rise and the economic domination of the West for two centuries. With scientific research, technology development, and product innovations from the steam engine to the World Wide Web, the West has led the world in wealth creation. A vibrant and structured educational system coupled with a strong intellectual property regime has enabled the creators and owners of ideas to profit handsomely.

Good +ve psy-ops. More needed among the aam investing community globally.

But the balance of power has begun to shift. Despite the current economic problems both countries face, we will soon witness a dramatic rise in the participation of India and China in global R&D. The first reason for this is the diminished role of corporate laboratories that were the birthplace of many of the ideas of the 20th century. Bell Labs, Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, and IBM TJ Watson Center no longer enjoy the same preeminence that produced ideas such as the transistor and the mouse. Today's nimble companies rely on ecosystems of external innovation to drive new products to market; venture capital and private equity investors are eager to fund collaborative innovation for quick wins but have little appetite for long gestations for science.

Read it all.

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 12 Feb 2009 05:59

Check the comments

* VEE Feb 12, 2009 12:00 AM GMT THE MOST UNPATRIOTIC AMERICAN WHO EVER LIVED IS JACK WELCH(THE FORMER CEO OF GE), HE IS THE PIONEER OF OUTSOURCING JOBS TO INDIA, BECAUSE OF HIM LOTS OF GE EMPLOYEES GOT LAIDOFF. HE IS THE TREND SETTER FOR LAYOFFS IN AMERICA DUE TO OUTSOURCING.

* Vee Feb 11, 2009 11:56 PM GMT ANY ARTICLE THAT GOES AGAINST AMERICA, WHO TALK ONLY OF OUTSOURCING, AND WHO PLAN FOR MORE AMERICAN LAYOFFS SHOULD BE BANNED. WE DONT WANT TO READ SUCH ARTICLES, THERE IS TOO MUCH UNEMPLOYMENT IN THIS COUNTRY NOW, WHICH IS DUE TO OUTSOURCING, STOP ALL THESE INDIAN AURTHORS FROM WRITING ARTICLE PRAISING INDIA.

* ROB Feb 11, 2009 11:50 PM GMT Yes, I know: any article that states anything other than the unquestionned supremacy of China should be banned. In fact, any author who dares to say anything positive about India must be stoned to death, just as they do in the the great worker's paradise of Communist China. Where do these American mags like BW come off, anyway? Allowing Indian authors to say good things about India? Untkinkable! In China minorities are stoned to death for daring to say anything other than 'China is the best'. America and its stupid democracy and free speech: what nonsense!

BajKhedawal · Post by **BajKhedawal** » 14 Feb 2009 04:14

Refreshing article from a Canuk Gora, I wish our dhimmie media would talk positively for a change.

Indian tycoons are the 'knockout punch' against China

Thu-Apr 17, 2008

Toronto / Indo-Asian News Service
Heaping praise on India's billionaire business leaders, a major Canadian newspaper said Wednesday that they could take India ahead of China in the battle for economic supremacy in the 21st century.

In the Globe and Mail, which is the most respected Canadian newspaper, columnist Marcus Gee said the genius of its business leaders will be India's "knockout punch in the title bout 21st century business".

It said that though China was way ahead of India in exports, infrastructure development, foreign investment and energy consumption, India might surpass it in the long run because of its "smart, ambitious, and forward-looking" business leaders.

Thanks to their genius, it said, India, which was an "economic washout" just two decades ago, now has more billionaires than Japan.

"India has 53, up from 34 the year before. Four Indian billionaires are on the Top 10 list of the world's richest people, more than any other country can claim."

The newspaper said Indians were now accumulating money faster than the Japanese did in the 1980s and the Chinese in the 1990s.

Citing how Mukesh Ambani gifted his wife Neena an Airbus worth $60 million on her 44th birthday, it said Indian business leaders were no longer shy to flaunt their wealth. Even more impressive than their wealth, it said, was their leadership of their companies.

"It's the way they are taking their companies, and in the process their country, forward. The companies they are building are not just big, bold and brawny in the Chinese model, but smart, nimble and surprisingly modern," it said.

Describing his meetings with Ratan Tata and Azim Premji, Globe and Mail columnist Marcuss Gee said: "With men like these behind them, India may land the last blow."

Despite his great achievements - making the world's cheapest car Nano, and acquiring Tetley Tea, the Anglo-Dutch steel company Corus and the British Jaguar and Land Rover brands, the columnist said Tata is not given to hyperbole.

"He doesn't expect Tata to become a global brand like Sony or Coca-Cola." But by producing the $2,500 Nano, he has set new standards in creativity, which "other companies are rushing to imitate, not just in India but around the world".

Legendary honesty

Referring to the Tatas' legendary honesty and strict business values, the newspaper quoted Ratan Tata as fearing that the group might abandon them once he was not on the scene.

"I think the day we do that we have lost everything," he was quoted as saying.

Azim Premji came in for praise for his "vision of a bold, innovative, ethical company."

Discipline and modernity are Wipro's hallmarks, the columnist said.

Premji "encourages managers and employees to share all possible information with each other and to disagree openly with higher ups, something that goes against the grain in hierarchical India.

He invests heavily in training and retraining, fosters innovation and excellence, rewards success with stock and other bonuses and keeps a tight rein on costs (managers fly economy and often stay in guest houses or company suites instead of hotels).

The result is a lean, smart, progressive company that few in China could match and that many in North America might envy, the columnist added.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 19 Feb 2009 00:06

Pioneer op-ed

Hyderabad shows the way

Shailaja Chandra

Rajiv Gandhi Airport and Novotel Convention Centre in Hyderabad showcase what India can achieve. Provided we yank decision-making away from Ministries, their sarkari mode projects and their inept minions. People are exhausted with convoluted explanations, CAG reports and banalities. They want the promised infrastructure fast

It was the foggiest day of February. My Hyderabad flight was at 6 am. The journey to the airport was terrifying as the driver could see nothing beyond the window panes save for the tail lights of a ramshackle truck ahead. Once inside the airport, I got past security and squeezed a seat for myself amid chaos. Hoards of passengers had begun pouring into the departure hall with no option but to shuffle around or crouch on the floor. Some were bundled into waiting aircraft to make room for new arrivals. My plane was delayed by only four hours — nothing compared to 50 others that were delayed indefinitely or, worse, cancelled.

I arrived in Hyderabad, late for everything but in the three hours that I was in the city, my eyes opened wide. First the arrival side of the Rajiv Gandhi Airport was breathtakingly modern, with a peak hour capacity of 3,000 people. Squatting on the floor was unthinkable here. It was like the best European airports one has envied for decades, always wondering when India could match up. Happily Hyderabad had. With a 12-million-passenger capacity a year, the airport is ranked 10th among 25 of the world’s fastest-growing airports.

Once outside, I was driven past miles of landscaped grass on either side of a luxuriant central verge bursting with pink oleander and lilac bougainvilleas. As we sped over a 40-km journey to the high-tech city, the road quality even in an old Indica taxi felt smooth. Be it Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, or any city in China, the roads feel like the first world no matter which dictator made how much money in the process. A recent visitor told me that even Kigali in Rwanda (despite its history of genocide and abject poverty) has perfect roads. What a far cry from Delhi where MoRTH, the Delhi Government, the Central Road Research Institute, the Indian Road Congress, the National Highway Authority of India, the CPWD, PWD and MCD all combine to give us the bumpiest, potholed network any capital city dares exhibit.

I was deposited at the Novotel Convention Centre which was another eye-opener. It is India’s largest and most technologically-advanced conference facility with a seating capacity of 4,000 people expandable to 6,500, again executed in PPP mode. A four-day Global Conference was in progress, making determined use of the high-tech plenary halls, an array of conference rooms, perfect acoustics, escalators to every floor and ‘just right’ air-conditioning.

Having said my piece, I was deposited back at the airport where an imposing departure hall with a high, imaginatively designed ceiling and countless check-in counters gave a sense of unending space. Alluring shops, automatic X-ray screening (eliminating trundling trolleys and grotesque security machines) all added up to project a great ‘look and feel’. Even a visit to the loo exhibited a state of efficiency and hygiene unseen in India. A uniformed staff member thoughtfully squirted disinfectant on the door knobs after each use; the automatic water systems and toiletry dispensers actually functioned.

As we took off from Hyderabad airport, I settled down to ooh la la la of good times, struck by only one thought. The airport and the convention centre were shining examples of what could be achieved through sensible partnerships and the capacity to think big. The airport contract had been awarded to the GMR group from Malaysia holding 74 per cent equity. GMR also brought with it the ability to foresee and get past hurdles, howsoever insuperable. Much like the Metro’s E Sreedharan who has acquired complete freedom to eschew meddling, raise levels and ring alarm bells when needed.

The GMR group is also handling the fast developing Indira Gandhi International airport with a capacity of 37 million passengers despite having none of the advantages of a greenfield project. Civil Aviation mandarins crow that the Chinese sent a delegation to ferret out the engineering and management details as Beijing could build a 50-million-passenger capacity only in six years. Be that as it may, much of the flush has faded after the huge airport ‘development fee’ of Rs 200 for domestic and Rs 1,300 for international travel was announced. But that is another story.

To return to Hyderabad, we can learn from its achievements and compare that with what the National Highway Authority has failed to accomplish, even after nine years. Both are great case studies, one of great success, including of political commitment no matter which party was in power, and the other of abject failure. How else can one explain India Today’s recent report that more than three quarters of the 33,000 km of the National Highway Development Programme are nowhere near ready? Contentious qualification criterion, non-acquisition of land, rampant delays in awarding projects, preoccupation with ‘in my backyard’ issues have been responsible for the mess-up-not the recent financial crisis now touted as an alibi.

We need to yank decision-making away from Ministries, their sarkari mode projects and their inept minions. People are exhausted with convoluted explanations, CAG reports and banalities. They want the promised infrastructure fast. High-tech Hyderabad says it all.

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 19 Feb 2009 00:49

Nice article, but with one glaring error:

The airport contract had been awarded to the GMR group from Malaysia holding 74 per cent equity. GMR also brought with it the ability to foresee and get past hurdles, howsoever insuperable.

GMR = Grandhi Mallikarjuna Rao , not 'from Malaysia' but a self-made billionaire from Andhra Pradesh itself . The Malaysian airport authority was part of the consortium, but GMR led the way. GMR is also in charge of the massive expansion of Delhi International Airport, and so far the huge new terminal there is coming up well.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 19 Feb 2009 01:03

Thanks for pointing it out. But AP politicians and businessmen have Malaysian and Marutitus as their partners for insourced venture capital.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 19 Feb 2009 01:05

I realized today the SATS ground handling services in BLR is actually singapore air terminal services. looks like they have imported a mix of "Cobus3000" low floor buses and low floor volvos for moving passengers into planes.

the cobus3k is bigger than most BDA plots but there is a giant "engine space"
beside and behind the driver which could fit two leopard tank engines easily. not
sure why such a huge vol is locked up.

typical clean german engg - the electrical panels are reachable from passenger side, dual mode exhaust system to spare passengers the smoke, pneumatic systems, tall...
http://www.contrac-cobus.de/4-1-cobus-models.html

SRay · Post by **SRay** » 20 Feb 2009 00:11

Along the lines of Acharya's post...

Bollywood dance classes drawing big crowds (in US)
Workouts mix traditional Indian folk dances with hip-hop moves
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29278667/

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 20 Feb 2009 03:07

And public transport buses in Santa Clara county have ads for Bollywood movies and desi TV channels(Star TV and Star+) from Comcast.