Contents

Simplifying knowledge dissemination Cover story:

Managing Editor
Sandeep Manudhane q Egypt rejoice, Mubarak has gone ......................................... 08
Manisha Manudhane
Senior Editor
Mitesh Sanghvi
Kapil Dev Upadhyay Current events
Executive Editor
Manish Saraf q India ........................................................................................ 16
Editorial Correspondents
Vinay Goyal q World ...................................................................................... 24
Correspondents q Business and economy .......................................................... 32
Tarin Mehta
Nimesh Upadhyay
Marketing and Sales :
Manish Saraf - 97555-99509
PT Panorama
Volume 9. Edition 08. February 2011
q The repositioning of Airtel ................................................... 05
Editorial Office
PT education Headquarters,
q Cement industries in India ................................................. 42
Yeshwant Plaza,
Opp. Railway Station Indore - 452001 q Problem-solving skills .......................................................... 48
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Fax : 0731-3070099
E-mail : preptalk@PTeducation.com
Profiles
© 2008 All rights reserved.
q
Reproduction or translation in any language in whole or in
parts without permission is prohibited. Pandit Bhimsen Joshi ............................................................ 65
Articles and contributions – courier or emails – should be q Jairam Ramesh ....................................................................... 69
addressed to
PREP-TALK DEPT., c/o Mr. B. S. Supekar.
Unaccepted articles may not be returned.

Published by Manish Saraf on behalf of PTETSL,

Yeshwant Plaza,
Regulars
Opp. Railway Station, Indore 452001.
q W. Edwards Deming .............................................................. 40
Disclaimer :
The information given in this magazine is true to the best of q Guestroom: My Guzaarish ................................................... 44
our knowledge. However, PT or any of its associates will not
be responsible in any manner for inadvertent errors that may
have crept into this publication. PT does not take q Facts about Indian Budget .................................................... 46
responsibility for returning unsolicited publication material.
q Brand icon: Wal-Mart Stores Inc.......................................... 51
q General knowledge ............................................................... 54
q Business Trivia....................................................................... 66
q Logo story............................................................................... 68
“To be a world class training and education organisation
shaping careers through innovative products and q Cricket World Cup Trivia ...................................................... 70
services & the use of human technologies.”
q Book review: It’s not about the bike ..................................... 72
 Take Quote

Dear Readers, “Champions aren't made in gyms.

Champions are made from
something they have deep inside
2011 has showed signs of being an eventful year, with turmoils and upheavals at them: a desire, a dream, a vision.
one end and spectacular carnival at the other. “The old order changed, giving place to They have to have the skill and the
new and god fulfilled himself in many ways. He knew lest one good custom should will. But the will must be stronger
corrupt the whole world.” These immortal lines of an English poet have proved to be than the skill.”
prophetic! – Muhammad Ali

Monarchy in Egypt is toppled; people's rule has come to be established. Dictators “You can never cross the ocean
are on the run, 'Vox populi' if unheeded, would prove to be catastrophic for the unless you have the courage to lose
incumbent. This is the cover story of the current edition of PrepTalk. sight of the shore.”
– Christopher Columbus
At the brighter side is the World Cup, the cricket carnival, participated by 14
countries across the globe. In a country where cricket is a 'religion' this 'Mahakumbh' “You can avoid reality, but you
is indeed a momentous occasion. The issue devotes some pages for entertaining cannot avoid the consequences of
readers with goings-on in cricket. With the passing away of Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, the avoiding reality.”
country has lost a titan of classical Music, who was a non-conformist and loved to - Ayn Rand
experiment in the realm of Classical Music.
“ When you do the common things
It is important to know certain things about cement industries, their economics in life in an uncommon way, you
and operations, their contribution towards the national economy. Some pages are will command the attention of the
earmarked towards this. The saga of Wal-Mart, a major brand, whose presence is felt world.”
in emerging India, would inspire each one of you. - George Washington Carver

Since many among you would be gearing up to encounter the GD/PI phase of “A friendship founded on business
selection to the IIMs and the B-schools, being equipped with the right arsenal would is better than a business founded
matter. Ideas on Budget, its features, factors behind its formulations, its on friendship.”
presentation, repercussions, fall out in the context of the economy, the finer and - John D. Rockefeller
subtler aspects, et, al, need to be gathered. The issue comes out with interesting
information regarding the budget. “ Research is what I'm doing when
I don't know what I'm doing.”
As always, PrepTalk aims to enrich, enlighten and elucidate on matters, issues - Wernher Von Braun
and concerns of contemporary interest. Many among you would have experienced
the GD/PI phase of selection. Many among you might be waiting for your turn. Life is “Democracy does not guarantee
dynamic. Move on, with full zeal and awareness, ready to take on the next challenge, equality of conditions – it only
unaffected by the outcome of the previous one. guarantees equality of opportunity.”
– Irving Kristol
The full-throated cries of KARKEDIKHAYENGE should fill the air.
“A pessimist sees the difficulty in
Manish Saraf every opportunity; an optimist sees
COO, PT education the opportunity in every difficulty.”
– Sir Winston Churchill

PT’s PrepTalk – February 2010 03

 Letters to the editor
India Goes Green
Green Technology is needed for
sustainable development. This idea
has impressed me. Likewise, Indian
IT industry should aim to become
“Green IT”. This is far-reaching in
nature (PrepTalk, Facets). The
handling of the subject was mature.
Facets contained many articles that
were readable. The reality behind
Reality shows was eye-opening.
Health Awareness in India came out
with harsh facts, which cannot be
ignored. The article on PDS, the
mechanism and the objectives would
certainly make many Indians sit up
and do something in this field.
There is so much happening
around us which calls for the
intervention of each one of us, in our
own capacity. Only that we should
wake up from slumber and strive to do
something for India.
– Bimal Gadhwala, Surat
Exploiting human resources
I was thrilled to learn that India’s
populous state need not be a cause to
ring alarm bells. India’s Demographic
Dividend threw sufficient light on the
feature of majority of India’s
population being active, unlike those
of China, Europe and America. Only
there should be literacy among them.,
They should be proficient and skillful.
‘Shakti’ has been the main feature of
the Indian way of living. It is no
wonder that women are empowered as
04 PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011
English and Trivia connected with
business. The profiles of Tulsi Tanti,
Nitish Kumar, Mark Zukerberg and
Gopalkakrishnan were touching. The
compendium of happenings in India
and the world is indeed a good recipe
for strengthening one’s General
Awareness. Snippets and other tit-
bits of information caught my
attention.
The issue was complete in coming
out with information. Tips on doing
well in forthcoming exams
supplemented the rest. Kudos to the
team for coming out with such rich
stuff.
– Gargi Ekbote, Pune
much as they are worshipped and
respected. Articles like the Ogre of Price
Rise, Skeletons in India’s cupboard and
the Growth story of China were
FEEDBACK !
enriching. I enjoyed reading the piece Your comments and
on Entrepreneurship. Facets edition of views on PrepTalk
PrepTalk was truly engrossing. There are needed to help
were variety of subjects on which well- Us make it better.
written pieces were made.
Which articles did you like?
–Charanjit Ghooi, Chandigarh
Which columns do you
like to read regularly?
India Going to UN Which are the best parts of
the magazine?
How nice it would be if India’s claim
Which are not?
for a permanent seat in theUN is taken
note of. Many leaders have supported How to improve?
this idea. PrepTalk, Facets, gave vivid
Send feedback to:
details of this development. At the other
end, the saga of Aung San Suu Kyi was preptalk@PTeducation.com
truly inspiring. The edition contained
useful section on GK. Improving
 The repositioning of Airtel
by Sandeep Manudhane

A ll of us have been hit

in the face by the new
logo and brand
identity assumed by Airtel
recently. There is no street,
What has changed, really?
Well, Airtel has evolved with changing times quite rapidly.
From a very small and loss making telecom company in the late
'90s to a mammoth multinational (almost), it has traversed a
long distance. The significant challenges it faced on the way
no traffic junction, no major
were strategic - Mukesh Ambani's entry into Telecom,
hoarding that's left
introduction of CDMA as a rival platform, emergence of newer
untouched by the striking
players, and the need to spread its footprint around the world
red and white combination of
(not restricting to India alone). To the credit of the company's
its unique new design.
founders, so far, the challenges have been met with ample
confidence and style. Reliance could not trample Airtel no
Why is Airtel doing what
matter how hard it tried to, and the myriad and byzantine
it is doing? And how is it
We have arrived, world! legal/regulatory apparatus of Indian Telecom sector did not
doing it? What does it hope to
decelerate its growth. It has also entered into all the new-fangled
gain from this? Here is a detailed analysis.
areas of telecom - broadband, 3G, VAS and all such terms which
most of us fail to fathom! Finally, Airtel rose to the occasion and
What's in a name! spread to Africa, thereby becoming the first true Indian Telecom
Well, nothing really, but surely a lot! The name carries the multinational. So now the Airtel head honchos feel that the new
entire persona of the brand with it. The words used, the colours look of their company must be very modern, smart, youthful and
chosen, and the way the whole thing blends together is a direct bright. Remember that India and Africa are both young regions.
representation of the class of the brand itself. Just like situations So, smallcaps + swoosh + red is the combination chosen.
and circumstances in the real world change, so does a brand's
need to stay relevant and contemporary. The latest major
upgrade by Airtel to its visual brand representation is precisely
Why smallcaps + swoosh + red?
Small caps - because it represents the
this - a desire to stay relevant (in the consumers' minds) in a
internet and email generation, and looks
changed world.
informal
Swoosh - touch of class, speed, modern
A picture speaks a thousand words Red - aggressive, appealing, visible
As said, the logo becomes the
visual depiction of the entire Also, if you look at the Zain logo carefully,
company. The striking visual the element of swoosh (resembling the "a") Swoosh?
becomes the live embodiement is there already. Perhaps, Airtel had to borrow that (as part of the
of everything that the company deal) and fix it into the new existence. So the new airtel is the old
stands for. People may not know Airtel plus the Zain as a shape, plus a striking red.
the company well, or may not be Time for goodbye
its customers, but the logo strikes a certain chord in their heads A problem this creates for Airtel
when they see it, and the company ensures that it (it's brand, that surely is that it is strikingly similar to
is) has ensured a position in the mindspace. At least for now. Vodafone's visuals. But I guess Red was
The large clutter in the brand street also explains why the "red" indispensable, and that's the
was chosen - the human mind is hit hard by red. That's why
Curry for the brain explanation. There are 3 major brands
traffic lights are red too (of course, there's the Physics behind it - now that come to mind that play on this
minimum scattering due to maximum wavelength etc.). Red factor - The Economist magazine, Vodafone and Airtel.

PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011 05

 What does this do to a consumer's mind?
Well, Red being the colour it is,
the logos' appeal tend to overlap.
When we see "The Economist"
logo, we may recall instinctively the
other two as well. And if this trend
accelerates, and some more
mainstream companies decide to
The original? go red, it'll be trouble.
Red, red everywhere and not a place to hide..
Operational excellence in executing the change
I would rate the company 9/10 on this. It was amazing to see
that the logo was changed almost "everywhere" simultaneously, a
gargantuan task, given that there must have been be thousand
outlets and locations where the old logo was prominently
displayed and the new one had to "suddenly" appear. We all know
that telecom companies specialise in such outdoor acrobatics
quite skillfully, but this was a very refined game that Airtel
played. I carefully saw that even on the smallest of shops
(sponsored glowsigns), the new design was up and running!
Now that's a fairly complex operation. My guess is that work on
this change must have begun at least 90-120 days in advance, and
a dedicated team of at least 20 to 30 at the Airtel HQ would have
directed the pan-India transformation. Maybe even more. But
the commitment shown towards this change was intense, and
appreciable. Not many companies will do it with such speed and
aggression. Now, if only Airtel can transfer the same spirit to the
other parts of its operations (customer service, delivery, new
products) it would be good.
A few pictures will prove this point!
Bach ke jayega kahan! Every single point of sales
Gamut of services Big time!
06 PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011
Why Africa?
That's the last frontier for capitalism. It's untapped,
unexplored and hugely nascent. Any company that has the 21st
century leadership dream on its radar can't afford to miss on that
continent. Also, telecom has proven to be the biggest social
transforming agent in developing nations. Studies have shown
an almost direct correlation between the growth of telecom
density and the growth of that country's GDP. Many African
nations understand this and are encouraging the telecom
sector's spread. Airtel (like many others) sensed this and was
trying to enter Africa for a long time. It finally succeeded with
the Zain deal.
Money, honey?
How much would this have cost the company? A better
question would be - how much would it have cost if the change
were not made by the company? Many companies delay a change
- it's taxing on top management's bandwidth, after all - and pay a
big price. In the world of branding, remember the golden rule -
Timely change is priceless, Delayed change is worthless.
Having read all this, it's worth reading the company's official
line on the change! Taken from their website, we quote
airtel unveils new youthful and dynamic global
identity
Crosses the 200 million customers landmark, reinforces
leadership position in global telecom
A R Rahman composes a refreshed airtel signature tune, in
line with the new identity and global outlook
Bharti airtel, a leading global telecommunications company,
unveiled a new identity – a shared worldwide vision across its
operations in 19 countries in Asia and Africa. airtel also
announced that it has crossed the significant milestone of 200
million customers, reinforcing its leadership position in global
telecom. Announcing this, Mr. Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman
and Managing Director, Bharti airtel said, “Fifteen years ago
Bharti airtel started its journey in India with a promise of
delivering world class and affordable services. Today, as we
expand on the global stage, this new brand identity gives us the
opportunity to present a single, powerful and unified face to our
customers, stakeholders and partners around the world. It
reinforces our promise to deliver innovative services and a
superior brand experience to our 200 million customers across
Asia and Africa.” From the birth of the brand as a single city
operation in India, airtel has truly gone global with the creation
of a single and unified identity across the world.
 The new face of airtel is youthful,
international, inclusive and dynamic –
representing the journey of the first Indian
brand to go truly global. The new identity
underlines airtel's willingness to embrace
everything that is new. The red colour, which is
an integral part of the brand, continues to
represent the energy and dynamism that has
made airtel the success which it is today. The
new curved addition to the logo is a symbol
which will help ensure instant recognition
across diverse international markets. The airtel
signature tune has also been refreshed by A R
Rahman, making it youthful and dynamic in line
with the new visual identity. Like the earlier
Not just Africa, tune, which has made history as world's most
Middle-east too downloaded mobile music with over 150 million
downloads, the maestro has once again
delivered a master piece.
The new tune retains the essence of the
original but uses an inspiring musical style,
with a universal appeal, that will be loved by
listeners the world over. The unveiling of the
new identity also marks the 200 million
customers milestone for airtel. airtel crossed 50
million customers in October 2007 and 100
million in May, 2009. The company added the
next 100 million customers in just 18 months.
This further cements airtel's positions as one of
world's leading telecom companies. For its
customers in India, airtel also announced that it
was on course to launch its 3G services by the
end of the year.
a

INS Shivalik:
India's first indigenous stealth warship

I ndia affected a generational shift in its warship-building

capability by commissioning INS Shivalik–the first
indigenously built stealth frigate that is the biggest in its
class in the world. The ship, which is 143 metres long, can
tactically fire weapons even before the enemy detects it.
In future, the Navy is looking
to have a data exchange system
with the IAF's Airborne
Warning and Control System
(AWACS). A system is being
integrated with the AWACS to
The hard-to-detect warship will form a crucial component provide data that may be out of
of the Indian Navy. It is equipped with a mix of Indian, Russian, the range of the ship. This will
Israeli and western weapons and sensors. provide an edge in firing of
weapons.
Two other such ships–INS Satpura and the INS
Sahayadari–would follow soon. Each ship would carry on board The naval satellite to be
long-range surface-to-surface Klub missiles, area defence launched in the near future will also help this ship to coordinate
missiles Shtil and Barak, anti-submarine torpedoes, 100 mm with other ships in the fleet for firing of weapons and will form
mounted gun and six-barrelled 30 mm gun. Ships like these the network centric operations. The combat management
would form the core of the India's battle fleet in the first half of system developed by the Bharat Electronic Systems will give the
this century. ship's captain a view of all weapons and data in one screen.

A 250-member crew, including 35 officers, will man INS INS Shivalik can hoodwink enemy radars, sensors by
Shivalik. The new design features give the ship enhanced concealing its size. It has three-dimensional warfare
operational capabilities in terms of survivability, stealth, sea capability–surface, air, underwater. Its weapons suites have anti-
keeping, ship handling and weapons. ship, anti-submarine and air defence missiles.

The sea king Choppers on board will carry torpedoes to
target submarines which are out of the ship's ranges. It will have
an array of sensors and an anti-missile defence for its own
protection and also coordinate the firing of on-board weapons.
The ship is powered by a unique combination of gas, diesel
engines and can stay in sea for more than 3 weeks or cover 10,800
km without refuelling. Its filters can protect crew during a
nuclear, biological or chemical attack.
a
PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011 07
Cover story

Egypt rejoice,
Mubarak has gone

C ries of "Egypt is free" rang out

and fireworks lit up the sky as
hundreds of thousands
danced, wept and prayed in joyful
pandemonium after 18 days of
peaceful pro-democracy protests
forced President Hosni Mubarak to
surrender power to the military,
ending three decades of authoritarian
rule.

Ecstatic protesters in Cairo's

Tahrir, or Liberation, Square hoisted
soldiers onto their shoulders and
families posed for pictures in front of
tanks in streets flooded with people
streaming out to celebrate. Strangers
hugged each other, some fell to kiss
the ground, and others stood stunned
in disbelief.
Chants of "Hold your heads high, you're Egyptian" roared
with each burst of fireworks overhead.
"I'm 21 years old and this is the first time in my life I feel free,"
an ebullient Abdul-Rahman Ayyash, born eight years after
Mubarak came to power, said as he hugged fellow protesters in
Tahrir Square.
An astonishing day in which hundreds of thousands
marched on Mubarak's palaces in Cairo and Alexandria and
besieged state TV was capped by the military effectively carrying
out a coup at the pleas of protesters. After Mubarak's fall, the
military, which pledged to shepherd reforms for greater
democracy, told the nation it would announce the next steps
soon. Those could include the dissolving of parliament and
creation of a transitional government.
Mubarak's downfall at the hands of the biggest popular
uprising in the modern history of the Arab world had stunning
implications for the United States and the West, Israel, and the
region, unsettling rulers across the Mideast.
The 82-year-old leader epitomized the complex trade-off
the United States was locked into in the Middle East for
decades: Support for autocratic leaders in return for stability, a
bulwark against Islamic militants, a safeguard of economic
interests with the oil-rich Gulf states and peace – or at least an
effort at peace – with Israel.
The question for Washington now was whether that same
arrangement will hold as the Arab world's most populous state
makes a potentially rocky transition to democracy, with no
guarantee of the results.
At the White House, President Barack Obama said
"Egyptians have inspired us." He noted the important questions
that lay ahead, but said, "I'm confident that he people of Egypt
can find the answers."
The United States at times seemed overwhelmed during the
upheaval, fumbling to juggle its advocacy of democracy and the
right to protest, its loyalty to longtime ally Mubarak and its fears
that the fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood – or more radical
groups – could gain a foothold. Mubarak's fall came 32 years to
the day after the collapse of the Shah's government in Iran, the
prime example of a revolution that turned to Islamic militancy.

08 PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011


In Egypt, persecuted democracy activists frequently
denounced the U.S. government for not coming down harder on
Mubarak's rights abuses. Washington's mixed messages during
the crisis frustrated the young protesters. They argued that
while the powerful Brotherhood will have to be allowed to play a
future political role, its popularity would be diminished in an
open system where other ideologies are freed to outweigh it.
Neighboring Israel watched the crisis with unease, worried
that their 1979 peace treaty could be in danger. It quickly
demanded that post-Mubarak Egypt continue to adhere to it.
Any break seems unlikely in the near term. The military
leadership supports the treaty. Anti-Israeli feeling is strong
among Egyptians, and a more democratic government may take
a tougher line towards Israel in the chronically broken-down
peace process. But few call for outrightly abrogating a treaty that
has kept peace after three wars in the past half-century.
From the oil-rich Gulf states in the east to Morocco in the
west, regimes both pro- and anti-U.S. could not help but worry
that they could see a similar upheaval. Several of the region's
rulers have made pre-emptive gestures of democratic reform to
avert their own protest movements.
The lesson many took: If it could happen in only three weeks
in Egypt, where Mubarak's lock on power appeared unshakable,
it could happen anywhere. Only a month earlier, Tunisia's
president was forced to step down in the face of protests.
"This is the greatest day of my life." Nobel Peace laureate
Mohammed ElBaradei, whose young supporters were among
the organizers of the protest movement, told The Associated
Press.
"The country has been liberated after decades of
repression," he said adding that he expects a "beautiful"
transition of power.
Perhaps most surprising was the genesis of the force that
overthrew Mubarak.
The protests were started by a small core of secular, liberal
youth activists organizing on the Internet who only a few months
earlier struggled to gather more than 100 demonstrators at a
time. But their work through Facebook and other social network
sites over the past few years built greater awareness and
bitterness among Egyptians over issues like police abuse and
corruption.
When the online activists called the first major protest, on
Jan. 25, they tapped into a public inspired by Tunisia's revolt and
thousands turned out, beyond even the organizers' expectations.
From there, protests swelled, drawing hundreds of thousands.
The Muslim Brotherhood joined in. But far from hijacking the
protests as many feared, it often seemed co-opted by the
protesters, forced to set aside its hard-line ideology at least for
now to adhere to democratic demands.
About 300 people were killed in the course of the turmoil.
Police attacked the first protests with water cannons and gunfire
and then a force of regime supporters believed to be paid thugs –
assaulted Tahrir trying to dislodge the protesters, only to be
beaten back in two days of pitched battles.
Wael Ghonim, a Google Inc. executive who earlier this year
secretly created a Facebook page that became a crucial protester
organizing forum, said he "went mad" when he heard the news of
Mubarak's ouster.
"I expect a bright future. I trust in 80 million Egyptians,"
Ghonim, who was arrested immediately after the protests began
and held for 12 days, told The Associated Press.
Mubarak, a former air force commander came to power after
the 1981 assassination of his predecessor Anwar Sadat by
Islamic radicals. Throughout his rule, he showed a near
obsession with stability, ensuring control through rigged
elections, a constitution his regime wrote, a ruling party that
monopolized the levers of state, and a hated police force accused
of widespread torture.
PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011 09
 He resisted calls for reform even as public bitterness grew
over corruption, deteriorating infrastructure and rampant
poverty in a country where 40 percent live below or near the
poverty line.
Throughout the crisis, Mubarak backpedaled with
concessions, replacing his government, purging his ruling party
and moving to prosecute some of its most unpopular figures. But
the moves did nothing to diminish the regime's power – and did
not satisfy the steadily swelling protests.
Up to the last hours, Mubarak sought to cling to power,
handing some of his authorities to his newly appointed Vice
President Omar Suleiman, while keeping his title.
But an explosion of protests on Friday (February 11, 2011)
rejecting the move appeared to have pushed the military into
forcing him out completely.
Hundreds of thousands flooded the main squares of cities
around the nation. Soldiers stood by, even threw cookies and
biscuits to protesters who massed in front
of Mubarak's palaces in Cairo and
Alexandria, chanting for him to go.
Others blockaded the towering State
Te l e v i s i o n a n d R a d i o B u i l d i n g
overlooking the Nile River in Cairo,
blocking employees from entering.
Ahmed Kassam, an engineer, said
that he marched with crowds for two
hours across Cairo from Tahrir to the
Oruba palace. "We were shouting at
people standing in their balconies and
they came down and joined us. We have thousands behind us,"
he said. "Today I feel that something is going to change. I feel
very, very powerful."
Protesters stormed the main security headquarters in
southern Egypt's main city Assiut, and two were killed by police
opening fire before the province's governor was forced to flee,
escorted to safety by the army.
The ousted Mubarak himself flew to his isolated palace in
the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, 250 miles from the
turmoil in Cairo.
Suleiman – who appears to have lost his vice president's post
as well in the military takeover – appeared grim as he delivered
the short announcement on state TV Friday night that Mubarak
was stepping down.
"In these grave circumstances that the country is passing
through, President Hosni Mubarak has decided to leave his
10 PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011
position as president of the republic," he said. "He has mandated
the Armed Forces Supreme Council to run the state. God is our
protector and succor."
The question now turned to what happens next. Protesters
on Friday had overtly pleaded for the army to oust Mubarak. The
country is now ruled by the Armed Forces Supreme Council,
consisting of the military's top generals and headed by Defense
Minister Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi
After Mubarak's resignation, a military spokesman appeared
on state TV and promised the army would not act as a substitute
for a government based on the "legitimacy of the people."
He said that the military was preparing the next steps
needed "to achieve the ambitions of our great nation" and would
announce them soon. He praised Mubarak for his contributions
to the country. Pointedly, he did not salute his former
commander-in-chief. Instead he stood at attention and raised
his hand to his cap in a salute to protesters killed in the unrest.
Abdel-Rahman Samir, one of the
protest organizers, said that the
movement would now open negotiations
with the military over democratic reforms
but vowed that protests would continue to
ensure that change is carried out.
"We still don't have any guarantees yet
– if we end the whole situation now, then
it's like we haven't done anything," he
said. "So we need to keep sitting in Tahrir
until we get all our demands."
But, he added, "I feel fantastic. .... I feel like we have worked
so hard, we planted a seed for a year and a half and now we are
now finally sowing the fruits."
For the moment, concerns over the next step were
overwhelmed by the wave of joy and disbelief – and an
overwhelming pride that they had waged a peaceful campaign
crowned with success.
In Tahrir Square, the crowds of several hundred thousand
watched and listed to Suleiman's speech on televisions and on
mobile-phone radios. When he finished, they burst into wild
cheers, waving flags and chanting "Allahu akbar," or "God is
Great" and "the people have brought down the regime."
Spontaneous lines of dancers threaded through the packed
mass of people. One man kissed the ground and thanked God
while others screamed, "Hosni is gone, Hosni is gone." Around
the capital of 18 million, cars honked their horns in
celebration.

Outside the Oruba presidential palace, one man sprawled on
the grass in shock amid the cheers. Others handed out sweets
and waved their hands in V-for-victory signs. The crowd then
began to march in a sea of Egyptian flags back to the protest's
heart, Tahrir.
Throughout the night, Tahrir Square and the surrounding
downtown streets were transformed into a massive party.
Thousands streamed in from across the city, jamming bridges
over the Nile. Army checkpoints surrounding the square for days
melted away as some soldiers threw themselves into the throngs.
In the streets, parents took pictures of their children posing with
Egyptian flags.
State television, a bastion of unwavering support for
Mubarak, had an almost instant change of tone. After
disparaging the protesters as foreign-backed troublemakers for
days, it began reporting the celebrations as a victory for freedom.
Egyptians, one reporter outside Oruba palace proclaimed, "are
able to move the waters that have been still for 30 years.”
History
Incumbent President Hosni Mubarak, a long-time
heavyweight in the Middle East, was re-elected in Egypt's first
multi-candidate presidential election, the Presidential Election
Commission announced on Sep. 9, 2005.
Hosni Mubarak, Egypt's longest-serving ruler since
Muhammad Ali in the early 19th century and one of the longest-
serving leaders in the Arab world, succeeded Anwar Sadat, who
was assassinated on October 6, 1981 while attending a military
parade to commemorate the 1973 Arab-Israeli war.
Born in 1928 in Munofiya governorate in the Nile River delta,
Mubarak exhibited a leaning toward the military. A graduate of
the Air Force academy, he served as its director between 1966
and 1969.
In 1972, Sadat appointed him as Air Force commander; he
later received accolades from the late president over the
Egyptian Air Force's accomplishments during the conflict with
Israel.
In 1975, Sadat appointed Mubarak to the post of vice-
president and gave him his first taste of mainstream politics as a
senior member of the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP).
It was not clear why Sadat chose Mubarak, although some
believe it was in reward for Mubarak's effective tenure as chief of
the air force.
Sadat's assassination
Talaat Sadat, the late president's nephew and current
member of parliament, alleged that Mubarak was about to be
dismissed from his post a few days before Sadat's
assassination.
In 2006, marking the 25th anniversary of his uncle's death,
Sadat accused unnamed generals in the Egyptian military of
masterminding the assassination plot.
The military strongly denied the allegations and a military
court sentenced Sadat to one year in prison for defaming the
national army.
EGYPT'S ISOLATION
When Mubarak assumed power, Egypt was isolated from
Arab and Muslim countries, many of whom had broken off
diplomatic ties after Sadat signed a peace treaty with Israel in
1979.
In one of its greatest diplomatic defeats, Egypt was kicked
out of the Arab League and its headquarters were moved from
Cairo to Tunisia.
Mubarak's first foreign policy mandate was to bring his
country back into the Arab fold and to resume ties with major
players in the region.
His first success was in building a relationship with the then
influential Arab leader Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi president,
whose country was locked in a bloody war with Iran.
PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011 11
 Egypt signed on as Iraq's ally in the conflict, providing
military assistance and expertise to Baghdad.
By the time the Iran-Iraq war ended in 1988, Egypt had
successfully emerged from its isolation. In 1990, in a move
spearheaded by Iraq and Yemen, the Arab League headquarters
were returned to Cairo.
But the Arab rapprochement was short-lived as Egypt
opposed Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in August 1990. Mubarak
urged Saddam to withdraw his forces from Kuwait; when
Baghdad failed to do so, Egypt joined the US-led international
effort to drive Iraqi troops out of Kuwait.
ECONOMIC GROWTH
Egypt's military and logistical role in the US-led coalition
during the first Gulf War
earned for it Washington's
favour, which, in turn,
pressured G8 countries to
write off much of Cairo's
foreign debt.
The 1990s saw an increase in US financial aid to Egypt and
revived US-Egyptian strategic talks. The talks resulted in a
strategic alliance between the two countries and the
implementation of the US-Egypt Science and Technology
Cooperation Agreement.
The agreement was vital for Egypt, which is known to have
considerable high-calibre manpower, but suffers enduring
financial problems.
One of the main objectives of the US-Egyptian alliance was a
commitment to the peace process in the Middle East.
Throughout the 1990s, Egypt became the main peace broker
between the Israelis and Arabs, including the Palestinians.
In 1994, Jordan followed Egypt's diplomatic route and signed
a peace treaty with Israel.
In successive years, the Egyptian resort of Sharm El Sheikh,
which lies on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula - an area
seized by Israel in 1967 but returned in the 1980s as part of the
peace treaty - hosted several peace summits.
Arab press metaphorically nicknamed the resort the Arabian
Camp David.
In 2008, Mubarak managed to draw up a lull between Hamas
and Israel. Mubarak's government is also currently playing a
major role in Hamas-Fatah talks in Cairo for Palestinian national
reconciliation.
12 PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011
CRACKDOWNS
While Mubarak's foreign policies long dominated the Middle
East, his domestic record was not nearly as successful.
Mubarak refused to lift a martial law decree, in force since
Sadat's assassination, which allowed security forces to detain
civilians without warrants and to try them in military courts.
Opposition groups say that the decree has allowed the
government to crack down on political expression.
In June 1995, Mubarak survived an assassination attempt on
his motorcade while he was attending an Organisation of African
Unity Summit in Ethiopia.
Egyptian authorities accused al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya, a
violent group which had targeted Egyptians and tourists in
previous attacks in Egypt in a bid to overthrow the government,
of orchestrating the attack.
Shortly after Mubarak's return to Cairo, the authorities
cracked down on Islamist groups, imprisoning hundreds,
leading human rights organisations to accuse the government of
human rights violations.
POLITICAL REFORMS
In February 2005, Mubarak
called on parliament to amend
Article 76 of the constitution to
allow multiple candidates to run
in elections scheduled for later
that year.
However, opposition groups
said that the reforms imposed
new restrictions on independent
presidential candidates that were not fielded by the ruling NDP.
Nevertheless, elections were held in September 2005, and
for the first time, Egyptians were able to vote for multiple
candidates. Mubarak won the elections with 88% of the vote.
Since his win, opposition and civil rights organisations have
accused Mubarak of planning to pass the presidency on to his
youngest son Gamal, who was appointed in 2002 as secretary-
general of the NDP's policy committee.
The Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist movement founded
in 1928, is considered one of the most effective and popular
opposition groups in Egypt and is perhaps Mubarak's greatest
anathema.
 Banned as a political party, the Brotherhood has persistently
called for political reforms and voiced strong opposition to
Mubarak's continuing presidency. Hundreds of its members,
including senior leaders, have routinely been arrested.
POVERTY AND CORRUPTION
Under Mubarak's liberal economic policies, business in
Egypt has experienced an unprecedented boom in the past few
years, most notably in the real estate sector.
However, Egypt is still plagued by rampant unemployment,
with millions living in poverty.
The dichotomy of classes in Egypt has exacerbated criticism
that Mubarak, and his son Gamal, favour a group of
businessmen within the NDP.
Opposition groups say that the NDP's business cartel have
used their authority to monopolise the country's wealth, while
most of the Egyptian people are living in despair.
The NDP has denied these accusations repeatedly and
stressed that the party is open to all Egyptians.
Egyptian opposition groups also blame Mubarak's
government for not doing enough to fight corruption. According
to the corruption perceptions index compiled by Global
Coalition Against Corruption, Egypt ranked 105 in the list of
least corrupted countries in 2006, tied with Burkina Faso and
Djibouti, and 115 in 2008.
Mubarak is also accused by opposition groups of failing to
fulfil the promise he made during his 2005 election campaign to
increase job opportunities.
This accusation has been denied by the NDP's economic
committee which claims that the government managed to
reduce the number of unemployed Egyptians from 2.5 million in
2003 to 1.9 million in 2008.
MEDIA FREEDOMS
Mubarak has also come under severe criticism for cracking
down on the local press. Despite some progress - the press,
theatre and cinema have become bolder in touching on issues
once considered taboo, including serious criticism of the
government and ruling party - critiquing the president is still
considered a red line.
In September 2007, several opposition journalists and
editors were arrested for "harming the public interest" by
publishing articles which a judge said implied that the NDP was
dictatorial.
Mohammed Sherdy, the deputy editor of Al-Wafd newspaper,
told Al Jazeera in 2007 that the sentencing stands as a message to
writers and journalists in Egypt that they are not allowed to
exercise their right to criticise the government.
Ibrahim Eissa, the editor of the opposition newspaper al-
Dustour, was arrested in March 2008 and imprisoned in
September for publishing reports suggesting that the president
was ill. Eissa's arrest cast doubts over just how free the Egyptian
press really is.
Although pardoned by Mubarak, Eissa went on to criticise
the lack of press freedom in his country.
"This verdict isn't just about freedom of the press and
freedom in this country. This proves that anything concerning
the president is a sacred and untouchable matter," he said.
"In this country, it's normal for journalists to be jailed while
businessmen are freed," he said in reference to an acquittal in
August of five defendants over a 2006 ferry sinking, in which
more than 1,000 people died.
Victory March
PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011 13
 VICE-PRESIDENT: OMAR SULEIMAN
Omar Suleiman was appointed as vice president in January
2011 amid a popular uprising against the government and given
the task of opening talks with the opposition.

The post is the one that President Mubarak occupied before

he was promoted to the presidency, but which he kept vacant
until 2011.

Mr Suleiman has been intelligence chief since 1993 and has

played a prominent public role in diplomacy - including in
Egypt's relations with Israel and key aid donor the United States.

As head of intelligence, he was said to be the mastermind

behind the fragmentation of Islamist groups which led the
uprising against the state in the 1990s. He is described as a long-
term confidant of Mubarak.

PERSONAL LIFE:
Born May 4, 1928, north of Cairo in Monufia governorate,
where Sadat was also born.
Married to Egyptian-Welsh Suzanne Mubarak. They have
two sons: Alaa, a businessman not involved in politics; and
Gamal, a banker who has reportedly been groomed to succeed
his father. Mubarak is in his 83rd year.
EGYPT FACTS:
r Full name: Arab Republic of Egypt
r Population: 84.5 million (UN, 2010)
r Capital: Cairo
r Area: 1 million sq km (386,874 sq miles)
r Majorlanguage: Arabic
r Majorreligions: Islam, Christianity
r Lifeexpectancy: 69 years (men), 73 years (women) (UN)
r Monetary unit: 1 Egyptian Pound = 100 piastres
r Mainexports: Petroleum, petroleum products and cotton
r GNIpercapita: US $2,070 (World Bank, 2009)
r Internationaldiallingcode: +20
The press
r Al-Ahram - state-owned daily, the oldest newspaper in the
Arab world
r Al-Ahram Weekly - English-language
r Al-Jumhuriyah - state-owned daily
r Al-Akhbar - semi state-owned daily
14 PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011
r Al-Ahali - opposition
r Al-Wafd - opposition
r Al-Messa - pro-government
r The Egyptian Gazette - pro-government daily
r The Daily News Egypt - private daily
r Egypt Today - English-language monthly
Television
r Egypt Radio Television Union (ERTU) - state-run,
operates domestic and satellite networks, including Nile
TV International and Nile TV thematic channels
r Dream TV - private satellite network, operates Dream 1
targeting young viewers and Dream 2, an entertainment
channel
r Al-Mihwar - private, via satellite
Radio
r Egypt Radio Television Union (ERTU) - state-run,
operates eight national networks and external services
Radio Cairo and Voice of the Arabs
r Nile FM - private, Western pop
r Nogoum FM - private, Arabic pop
News agency
Middle East News Agency (MENA) - state-run
=
 What is the 2G spectrum
scam about?
H ere is a background on the 2G spectrum controversy
that resulted in Communications and IT Minister A.
Raja of DMK resigning.

The issue dates to 2008, when nine telecom companies were

issued scarce airwaves and licences for second generation (2G)
mobile phone services, at Rs.1,658 crore (less that $350 million),
for a pan-India operation. As many as 122 circle-wise licences
were issued.

The opposition said that by giving the

airwaves cheap, that too in the controversial
manner of first-cum-first-served basis, the
exchequer had lost billions of dollars. The cut-
off date for applications was also arbitrarily
advanced.
Later, based on the auction of airwaves for third generation
(3G) services, which got nearly $15 billion to the exchequer, and
that for broadband access, which fetched over $8.5 billion, the
notional loss was estimated at $38 billion to the exchequer.
But Prime Minister Manmohan Singh himself defended
Raja's decision and said that all that his Communications
Minister had done was to implement a policy already in place and
none of the norms was flouted.
2G (or 2-G) is short for second-generation wireless
telephone technology. Second generation 2G cellular telecom
networks were commercially launched on the GSM standard
in Finland by Radiolinja (now part of Elisa Oyj) in 1991. Three
primary benefits of 2G networks over their predecessors were
that phone conversations were digitally encrypted; 2G
systems were significantly more efficient on the spectrum
allowing for far greater mobile phone penetration levels; and
2G introduced data services for mobile, starting with SMS
text messages.
The opposition further stepped up its attack with two
examples on 2G auction:
Ø A new player, Swan Telecom, bought licences for 13
circles with the necessary spectrum for $340 million but
managed to sell a 45-percent stake in the company to UAE's
Etisalat for $900 million. This swelled its valuation to $2 billion
without a single subscriber.
Ø Another new player, Unitech, paid $365 million as
licence fee but sold a 60-percent stake to Norway's Talenor for
$1.36 billion, taking its valuation to nearly $2 billion, again
without a single subscriber.
Similarly, another licensor, Datacom, later became Videocon
Mobile and S Tel now has large stake by Baharian Telecom. The
other companies are Tata Tele, Idea Cellular, Loop Telecom,
Shyam Telelink and Spice.
As recently as last month, the Supreme Court asked the
solicitor general why the prime minister had not responded to
the representation by the opposition to sanction proceedings
against Raja.

First downloaded media content was also introduced in 2G
phones. Ringtones were downloaded and paid for. Mobile
advertising was also introduced when SMS was used for
sending advertisementsand short headlines of news.
The final blow came after the Comptroller and Auditor
General of India said that the entire process of spectrum
allocation was undertaken in an arbitrary manner and that the
advice of the industry watchdog was ignored and misused.
=
PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011 15
Current events
India
GOVT SCRAPS ISRO-DEVAS DEAL ON S-BAND
SPECTRUM ALLOCATION
The controversial S-Band spectrum
deal between ISRO's commercial arm
Antrix and private firm Devas
Multimedia was scrapped.
The decision to annul the deal was
taken at a meeting of the Cabinet
Committee on Security (CCS) chaired by Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh on the basis of a recommendation from the
Space Commission.
The annulment comes in the wake of a raging controversy
over the deal for handing over 70 MHz of S-Band spectrum to
the private firm for Rs 1,000 crore on which the CAG has already
initiated action.
According to certain estimates, this deal may have resulted
in a loss of Rs two lakh crore to the exchequer.
After news reports about the possible revenue loss appeared,
the Government and ISRO said the project was already under
review and action has been initiated for termination of the
contract.
The Prime Minister said that the deal had never been
operationalised and rejected suggestions that his office had held
"backroom" talks with Devas after the Space Commission's
decision to scrap the deal.
He had said that if there has been delay in scrapping the deal,
this has been "only procedural".
Devas Multimedia had termed as "disturbing and
inappropriate" the government's "unilateral" decision to
terminate the agreement and threatened to take legal action.
It said the government had reached the decision "without
due investigative process and without following the principles of
natural justice".
16 PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011
VETERAN VOCALIST PT BHIMSEN JOSHI DEAD
Legendary vocalist Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, who enthralled
generations of connoisseurs with his renditions of Hindustani
classical music, passed away at a city hospital, Pune after a
prolonged illness. He was 84.
A recipient of Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award, Joshi
had been put on life support system, following old age- related
ailments leading to kidney and respiratory failure after his
admission to hospital on 31st December, his family said.
Joshi, the most-celebrated exponent of 'Kirana gharana' of
Khansahib Abdul Karim Khan, leaves behind three sons and a
daughter.
A pall of gloom descended on the city as the news of his
demise spread, with people making a beeline to his residence to
pay their last respects to the singer who was the most powerful
figure on the Hindustani music concert platform of 'khayal gayki'.
tututu
ALL SPECTRUM DECISIONS SINCE 2003-08 WERE
WRONG: TELECOM PANEL
All decisions on spectrum allocation since 2003 by
successive govts, including the UPA, were procedurally wrong,
concluded the one-man committee, which probed into the
procedural lapses following the telecom scam.
Unveiling the report of the Shivraj V Patil committee,
Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal said in New Delhi that the
findings on procedural lapses are being sent to the Central
Bureau of Investigation, which is looking into the criminal
culpability in the scam.
Addressing a press conference after the arrest of former
telecom minister A Raja, Sibal said his predecessor had said that
he had "not deviated from the previous policies (the NDA
government) but the problem was that the previous policies
were wrong."
 Quoting the report, Sibal said that the committee found that
original spectrum allocation was "bad" and procedures were not
followed both during the NDA government till 2004 and the UPA
government up to 2008.
It also said the DoT did not follow the advice of the Law
Ministry or the views of the Finance Ministry over pricing of
spectrum.
The committee has also recommended reforms in allocation
of spectrum and penalty on hoarding of the scarce natural
resource.
The former telecom minister has been arrested by CBI,
which is investigating the case under the supervision of the
Supreme Court.
tututu
IAF INDUCTS 'SUPER HERCULES' TRANSPORT
AIRCRAFT
After four decades, the Indian
Air Force (IAF) inducted an
American origin aircraft, the C-
130J 'Super Hercules' transport
plane, augmenting its special
operational capability.
Defence Minister A K Antony
formally commissioned the
aircraft into the newly formed 77 Squadron of the IAF by
handing over the keys of the aircraft to Unit Commanding
Officer (CO) Group Captain Tejbeer Singh at Hindon air base
near UP.
"C-130J will help the IAF to maintain its qualitative edge and
enhance its war fighting capabilities," Antony said in his address
at the induction ceremony.
Besides the Defence Minister, IAF chief P V Naik and the
American Ambassador to India Timothy J Roemer were also
present at the ceremony.
The C-130Js, the latest version of Hercules, with four
powerful engines and around 20-tonne payload-carrying
capacity, will enhance India's rapid reaction capabilities since
the rugged aircraft can land on unprepared.
Asked if the IAF would exercise the option of procuring
another six aircraft, the Defence Minister said, "We will increase
the number of aircraft in the transport fleet of the IAF".
"The process to get the C-17 heavy-lift aircraft is in the final
stages. We are not satisfied with six C-130J only." Defence
Minister added.
With its 20-tonne payload capacity, the aircraft will also help
the IAF bridge the gap in load-carrying capabilities of the
Russian Ilyushin-76 and Antonov-32, which can ferry loads up to
40 tonnes and 8 tonnes respectively.
The contract with the US includes training of aircrew and
maintenance technicians, spares, ground support and test
equipment, servicing carts, forklifts, loading vehicles, cargo
pallets and a team of technical specialists who will be based in
India during a three-year initial support period.
The Super Hercules is a highly integrated and sophisticated
configuration, primarily designed to support India's special
operations requirement.
Equipped with an Infrared Detection Set (IDS), the aircraft
can perform precision low-level flying, airdrops and landing in
blackout conditions.
But in absence of defence agreements such as the CISMOA,
the C-130Js will be without some of the critical communication
equipment that is fitted on the American aircraft.
The USAF, which is executing the government-to-
government deal, had taken possession of the first C-130J at a
ceremony at Marietta near Atlanta on 16th Dec last year and
handed it over to the IAF the same day.
The IAF along with Lockheed Martin has modernised the
home base of the C-130Js and created infrastructure for housing
12 such aircrafts there, along with creating servicing and
operations facilities for the aircraft.
The company has also reinvested over USD 260 million into
Indian defence sector under the offsets clause, which mandates
investment of at least 30 per cent of the worth of deals over Rs
300 crore in Indian defence companies.
Referring to the growing defence relationship between the
two countries as a key component of the US-India strategic
partnership, the US ambassador said, "The sale of six C-130J
aircraft strengthens our bilateral military relationship and
enhances joint regional security efforts between our two
democracies."
Roemer also mentioned that the US President Barack
Obama also, while addressing the Parliament during his India
visit, referred the two countries as "two global leaders".
PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011 17

INDIAN FIRM GETS COURT NOD FOR ISLAMIC BANKING
CONCEPT
The Kerala High Court gave
the green signal to a company
registered under the tenets of
sharia to start operating a
financial institution based on
the principles of Islamic
banking with the participation
of a state-run firm. Such
institutions cannot charge
interest.
Dismissing the petitions of Janata Party leader Subramanian
Swamy and others, a division bench headed by Chief Justice J.
Chalameshwar gave the go ahead to Al-Baraka Company to start
the institution, with Kerala State Industrial Development Corp
as an investor.
Al-Baraka has 14 promoters who have contributed Rs.4.20
crore toward its capital and a 17-member board, with prominent
Gulf-based businessmen P. Mohammed Ali as Chairman and
C.K. Menon as the Vice-chairman.
Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation will have a
11-percent stake in the firm, which will have to follow some
strict rules that specify which areas or businesses money can be
extended. The company also cannot charge interest as per
sharia laws.
"We welcome the honourable court's order. We will very
soon convene a meeting of our board of directors and discuss
the future course of action to begin operations," member and
another prominent businessman E.M. Najeeb said.
"The basic principle which our company would follow is:
There will be no interest charged, no interest taken. There are
many people who are willing to put in their money and need no
interest. We will pool this money and invest in infrastructure
projects," Najeeb added.
Al-Baraka Company, accordingly, will not operate as a bank
and extend loans, but make direct investments into such
projects, after which profits would be shared in the form of
dividends and not as interest.
In its interim judgment last year the bench had asked the
state government and agencies under it to keep off from the
proposed bank but said in its final order that there was nothing
wrong in granting permission.
18 PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011
The verdict also leaves some questions unanswered since
the current laws do not permit Islamic banking in the country,
because of which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had asked
the Reserve Bank of India last October to study this issue in
detail.
"There have been from time to time demands for
experimenting with Islamic banking in the country," the Prime
Minister had said in Malaysia during an official visit there in
October last year.
"I would certainly recommend to the Reserve Bank of India,
which is looking into this question, to look at what is happening
in Malaysia in this regard," the Prime Minister had added.
As per estimates, nearly $1 trillion is currently being
managed by about 400-odd Islamic banks worldwide.
"However, Islamic banking is possible through a separate
legislation." Swamy had objected to Al-Baraka's concept on the
principle that since public money was involved, with a state-run
agency proposed as a partner, the application would favour one
particular community in a secular country.
Islamic banking has been a major demand of Muslims in
India, who number more than 160 million – the third-largest
such population in the world, after Indonesia and Pakistan
where they number 200 million and 175 million respectively.
In Kerala, Muslims form the second largest community, with
close to 24 percent of the 32 million populations. According to a
study done by Prof. S. Irudayarajan of the Centre for
Development Studies, out of 1.85 million non-resident Keralites
in 2007, nearly 50 percent were Muslims and accounted for half
the remittances into the state.
tututu
2G CASE: FORMER TELECOM MINISTER A RAJA
ARRESTED BY CBI
Former Telecom Minister A Raja has been arrested by the
CBI in the 2G Spectrum case while his former aides R K
Chandolia and Sidharth Behuria have been also arrested.
Earlier, CBI questioned A Raja for the fourth time in
connection with the funding and allegedly showing favours to
some telecom companies in granting 2G spectrum between
October 2007 and 2008.
Raja, who was questioned earlier on 24th December and
25th December 2010 and 31st January 2011, was called to the
CBI office and quizzed.

The DMK MP would be confronted with some questions
and documents recovered from the computers seized during
raids conducted by the investigation agency earlier at his
premises.
Raja was on earlier occasions questioned at length on the
circumstances leading to spectrum allocation which has been
criticised severely by the Central Vigilance Commission and the
Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).
He was also asked about his conversations with corporate
lobbyist Niira Radia and the reasons of advancing the cut-off
date of allocation of the spectrum in 2007.
Raja was forced to resign on November 14 last year in the
wake of the CAG report which held that the spectrum allocation
at undervalued prices resulted in a notional loss of Rs.1.76 lakh
crore to the state exchequer.
Raja got the telecom portfolio on 18th May, 2007 and was re-
elected as a Member of the 15th Lok Sabha and continued as
Telecom Minister from 31st May, 2009, till 14th November, 2010
before he tendered his resignation.
The Supreme Court has asked CBI and Enforcement
Directorate to submit status reports on their investigations into
the 2G spectrum case to it by February 10 when the case will
come up for further hearing.
In its FIR, CBI mentioned the loss as Rs 22,000 crore based
on CVC findings which had referred the case to it.
Radia was quizzed by CBI as she had come under the
scanner after her tapped telephonic conversations with various
influential people including industrialists, politicians and
journalists became public.
CBI has also questioned former Telecom Regulatory
Authority of India (TRAI) chief Pradip Baijal, a 1966 batch IAS
officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre, and former Telecom
Secretaries Siddarth Behura and D S Mathur in connection with
the case.
tututu
25P COINS TO BE HISTORY AFTER JUNE
The Reserve Bank of India has
asked state-run banks and some
private lenders to accept 25 paise
coins for exchange until end-June
2011.
The humble 25 paise coin
representing 'four annas' of a bygone
era will soon be history. The RBI has
said that coins with a denomination of
25 paise and below will be pulled out of circulation by June 2011
after which they will cease to be legal tender.
Raging inflation has reduced the monetary value to such an
extent that it will not buy even the cheapest lozenge. Also, the
cost of minting these coins is higher than their value because of
which they are no longer minted. Although many traders already
refuse to accept payments in small change below 50 paise, these
coins are currently legal tender and it is an offence to refuse
them.
The RBI has for some time now been working on a strategy
for the reverse flow of coins from circulation before withdrawing
them as legal tender. Having now put in place a process, the RBI
has asked 45 banks, including all government-owned banks,
which maintain small coin depots to arrange for exchange of
coins.
The general public can exchange small denomination coins
at any branch of these banks.
The government had earlier under Section15A of the
Coinage Act, 1906 decided to withdraw the coins of
denomination of 25 paise and below from circulation, with effect
from June 30, 2011. From this date, these coins shall cease to be
legal tender for payment as well as on account.
Some time back, the RBI had recommended that the
government should withdraw coins below 50 paise. The central
bank had also asked for coinization of low-denomination notes
of up to Rs 10, since these are high velocity notes and have to be
replaced very frequently.
PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011 19
 ANAND FINISHES SECOND IN TATA CHESS;
NAKAMURA WINS
Five times winner Viswanathan
Anand had to be content with a
second place finish, following a draw
with Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia
in the 13th and final round of 73rd
Tata Steel Chess tournament in the
Netherlands.
The World Champion could
draw a big consolation from the fact
that he would be the number 1
ranked player all over again as the
results proved that he will be
overtaking world number 1 Magnus Carlsen of Norway in the
next rating list.
Hikaru Nakamura of United States owns the title after
drawing his final round game with Wang hao of China.
For the records, Nakamura tallied 9 points in all, a half point
more than Anand in this category-20 super tournament between
14-players.
The American not only performed way beyond his rating of
2751 but also finished ahead of the world's top four ranked
players.
Anand got the better position with his black pieces but could
not find a breakthrough AS Nepomniachtchi simply got an
impregnable position in the end game arising out of a Sicilian
defense game.
The Indian ace settled for a draw in 37 moves.
“Disappointing," said Anand after the final results were out.
"When I reached a plus-four score (Four wins and rest
draws), I felt I was well on my way to a final victory but Hikaru
just kept winning, picking up six points in a row, which was quite
amazing.
"But I'm not unhappy; it's difficult to be unhappy with a plus-
four score. It's a pity I didn't manage to win the tournament but I
think I performed above my rating, which isn't bad at all," the
World Champion said.
The third place was shared by Magnus Carlsen and Levon
Aronian of Armenia who both scored 8 points apiece. The last
round of the tournament turned out to be a damp with all the
games ending in draws for the first time in the event this year.
20 PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011
GOVT GRANTS CONDITIONAL CLEARANCE TO POSCO
Environment ministr y
approved South Korean
POSCO's plans for a $12 billion
steel plant in Orissa, a boost for
the foreign investment climate
after several setbacks for big
ticket industrial projects.
The long-delayed clearance
for India's biggest foreign direct
investment – as long as the company meets a series of
environmental standards – follows a year in which Environment
Minister Jairam Ramesh has blocked several projects, raising
criticism that he was jeopardizing India's growth story.
"Undoubtedly, projects such as that of POSCO have
considerable economic, technological and strategic significance
for the country," the statement said. "At the same time, laws on
environment and forests must be implemented seriously."
The plant in eastern Orissa state has been delayed by
criticism that it would ruin lives of thousands of poverty-stricken
people, who say the plant will disrupt their betel leaf plantations
and forest-based livelihoods.
India, one of the world's fastest growing major economies,
needs foreign capital to boost infrastructure and allow its
economy to grow at near double digits. But projects have met
with protests from local farmers in this densely-populated
country.
A government panel had earlier said that there were no
ecological concerns over the plant and the final decision was
with Ramesh.
Posco is among several corporations, including Vedanta
Resources, which have come under scrutiny from Ramesh,
putting his ministry in conflict with others in the government
who are pushing for rapid industrialization.
tututu
CBI REGISTERS CASE IN ADARSH HOUSING SOCIETY
SCAM
The Central Bureau of Investigation registered a case
against some retired Army officials and bureaucrats of
Maharashtra Government in connection with the Adarsh
housing society scam.
 The case was registered after
the CBI received flak from the
Bombay High Court for its tardy
probe in the case.
It was not immediately clear
whether the name of the former
Maharashtra Chief Minister, Mr
Ashok Chavan, figures in the FIR
registered at the special designated court in Mumbai.
The CBI FIR names two former senior Army officials of the
rank of Major General and Brigadier, sources said. The agency
had registered a preliminary enquiry into the scam in November
last year.
The decision to register a case was taken after seeking a legal
opinion on the evidence which had favoured registering of a case
against some people for allegedly forging the documents and
abusing official position.
During hearing of a petition in the Adarsh case, a Division
Bench of Mr Justices B.H. Marlapalle and Mr U.D. Salvi had
asked CBI why it had not registered the case.
“It has been more than two months since CBI has been
conducting a preliminary inquiry into the case. Why have you
(CBI) not registered FIR as yet?” it had asked.
Two former army chiefs Gen. Deepak Kapoor and Gen. N.C.
Vij and ex-navy chief Admiral Madhavendra Singh owned flats in
the scam-hit society building in upscale Colaba. However, the
former top chiefs have claimed that they have now surrendered
the flats.
The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests had on
January 16 ordered demolition of the building within three
months, holding it as “unauthorised” and built in violation of the
spirit of coastal regulations.
Apart from violating the CRZ norms, the society is alleged to
have got clearances from various authorities through dubious
means.
The plush housing society, built on prime defence land has
been constructed in alleged violation of rules. The building was
originally meant to be a six-storey structure to house Kargil war
heroes and their kin but was later extended to 31 floors without
mandatory permission.
Mr Chavan had resigned as chief minister in the wake of the
scam.
SIBAL DELINKS SPECTRUM FROM LICENCES; NEW
TELECOM POLICY SOON
In a major shift in
spectrum allocation policy,
Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal
announced that henceforth no
licence would be issued
bundled with spectrum and
also the operators would have
to pay a market price for an
additional spectrum.
He also said that for new
operators, the contracted
amount of spectrum would be 4.4 Mhz and for the incumbent
players like Bharti, Vodafone and Idea, the limit would be 6.2
Mhz.
"In future, the spectrum will not be bundled with licence.
The licence to be issued to telecom operators will be in the
nature of 'Unified Licence' and the licence holder will be free to
offer any of the multifarious telecom services," Sibal said.
"In the event, the licence holder would like to offer wireless
services, it will have to obtain spectrum through a market driven
process," the minister said.
This means the new operators, if their licences are held
valid, would have to pay a market price for the additional 1.8 Mhz
of 2G spectrum and this may make their operations financially
unviable.
While the old operators, who are holding spectrum beyond
6.2 Mhz, would have to pay market driven price for the extra
airwaves.
These changes would be implemented with immediate
effect, Sibal said.
"We need to seriously consider the adoption of an auction
process for allocation and pricing of spectrum beyond 6.2 Mhz
while ensuring that there is adequate competition in the auction
process," Sibal said.
He also announced that there would be a uniform rate of
revenue share to be paid by the operators as spectrum charge to
the government, as part of level playing field for all players.
These changes would be part of new telecom policy being
framed by the Department of Telecom.
PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011 21
 NCC STRENGTH TO RISE TO 15 LAKH: PM
The strength of the National Cadet
Corp will increase to 15 lakh, with Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh announcing
the government's nod for addition of two
lakh cadets.
"I am very happy to inform you that in
recognition of the good work done by the
National Cadet Corps, the Government
has sanctioned an enhancement in its
authorised cadet strength from 13 lakh to 15 lakh," Dr. Singh
said addressing the NCC Rally in New Delhi.
The NCC is a voluntary organisation which recruits cadets
from high schools, colleges and universities all over the country.
The increase in the number of cadets will facilitate the
raising of five new group headquarters and 40 NCC units.
The Prime Minister said that the NCC was a proud symbol
of national integration and of the values of discipline, patriotic
service and team work.
"I believe that value education is a vitally important part of
our upbringing and organisations such as the NCC should show
the way forward. NCC cadets should set an example of working
with local communities," he said.
Dr. Singh asked the cadets to imbibe the inspiring teachings
of Swami Vivekananda by trying to achieve excellence in
whatever fields they choose in life.
Observing that the young cadets come from every corner and
community of the country, he said, "You speak different
languages and profess different faiths. The work of the NCC
shows that diversity in our society does not cause differences but
rather is a source of strength and vitality. The multitude of
talent, experience and learning in the NCC are a great resource
for the country," Dr. Singh said.
tututu
STATES NOT READY FOR SUGAR DECONTROL: SHARAD
PAWAR
Decontrol of the sugar industry (from levy and monthly free
sale quota obligations) will seem “difficult” as several producing
States, including Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Karnataka and Tamil
Nadu are not ready for it, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad
Pawar said in New Delhi.
22 PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011
Speaking to journalists after
Cabinet reshuffle, Mr. Pawar said
only Maharashtra and Gujarat had
agreed to the decontrol proposal.
“Unfortunately, many States are
not ready for it. If only three or four
States accept, it is difficult to
implement. And Prime Minister
has always said that for this kind of
policy, States should be taken into
the confidence.”
Asked if this meant the proposal would be put on the back
burner, Mr. Pawar said, “You can't say. If there is more
production and prices come down, then States may rethink and
accept.”
Referring to the proposed National Food Security Bill, Mr.
Pawar said the Ministry had not received either the
recommendations of the National Advisory Council or the views
of the C. Rangarajan Committee that examined the NAC
suggestions.
The Minister said the two considerations would be
availability of marketable surplus and the subsidy that would
accrue when wheat was given at Rs. 2 a kg and rice at Rs. 3, the
economic cost to the government being estimated at Rs. 16 and
Rs. 22. “Even now when States have been given an additional
allocation at 50 per cent of the economic cost, the lifting is not
even 30 per cent.”
Mr. Pawar, who is the president of the Nationalist Congress
Party, said that he was “much relieved and happy” that Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh had lightened his burden. “I had
been asking the Prime Minister for more than a year that my
burden should be eased.” Relieved of the charge of Food and
Consumer Affairs, he will now handle only the Ministry of
Agriculture and Food Processing.
Expressing confidence that the agriculture growth rate this
year would be 3.5 per cent (from 0.2 per cent the previous year)
as good production of wheat, rice, pulses and sugarcane was
expected, Mr. Pawar said: “Not production, but storage of
foodgrains will be an issue in the coming months.”
Up to 10 per cent of paddy crop had suffered in quality due
to weather conditions in Andhra Pradesh and Orissa but no
drop in output was expected. As for cotton, he said that
production this year was estimated to be more than last year,
but whether more exports should be allowed before cotton
from the United States hit the global market would have to be
decided by the Empowered Group of Ministers, headed by
Pranab Mukherjee.
 PRIME MINISTER HAS UNDERMINED MGNREGA, SAY
SOCIAL ACTIVISTS
Expressing distress at the
Prime Minister's refusal to pay
the statutory minimum wages to
workers under the employment
guarantee programme, a group of
150 social activists has criticised
the government's decision to
merely allow an index-linked rise
in current wages.
They accused the Prime
Minister of further undermining
the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee
Act (MGNREGA) by delinking the remuneration from the
Minimum Wages Act that too after the Ministry of Rural
Development arbitrarily froze the wage at Rs. 100 a day in
January 2009.
The present controversy stems from the Prime Minister's
letter to the National Advisory Council chairperson Sonia
Gandhi in response to her request for payment of minimum
wages to MGNREGA workers.
The Prime Minister turned down the proposal but agreed to
link the wage rate of Rs. 100 a day with the Consumer Price Index
for Agricultural Labour to cover erosion in real wages due to
inflation.
Indexation resulted in a rise in MGNREGA wages between
17 and 30 per cent in most States, but still fell short of the
statutory minimum wage in 11 States
Describing the Prime Minister's action as “immoral,” the
signatories alleged that it amounted to denial of Constitutional
and legal protection to the lowest stratum of workers.
The statement expressed surprise that the Prime Minister
had ignored not only an Andhra Pradesh High Court ruling
suspending the notification freezing wages for workers under
MGNREGA, but also the opinion of the Additional Solicitor
General and the Labour Ministry that non-payment of
minimum wages was a violation of the Constitution.
Even the pleas of United Progressive Alliance chairperson
Sonia Gandhi failed to influence the Prime Minister, who also
ignored the request of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister to abide
by the High Court ruling.
The World Tourism Day is observed on September27.
The Prime Minister's stand belied his promise of not
allowing anyone to sleep on a hungry stomach, the signatories,
who included Aruna Roy, Jean Dreze, Nikhil De, Annie Raja,
Yogendra Yadav and Medha Patkar, alleged.
The statement demanded that the government uphold the
fundamental right of the poorest of workers and declare a
national floor-level need-based wage, below which no legal wage
could be paid.
tututu
NIRUPAMA RAO CONCLUDES NEPAL VISIT
Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao
wrapped up a three-day official visit to
Nepal, which focused on the country's
political situation and bilateral
relations.
During the visit, she met Nepal's
entire top political leadership,
including President Ram Baran Yadav,
Prime Minister Madhav Kumar
Nepal, and Unified Communist Party
Nirupama Rao
of Nepal (Maoist) chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda.'
Elaborating on Ms. Rao's meetings, the Indian Embassy in
Kathmandu said in a statement: “The political leaders of Nepal
stressed the importance they attached to close relations between
Nepal and India.”
The Foreign Secretary “stressed to all the leaders that India
stands for a democratic, stable, peaceful and prosperous Nepal.
She also assured them of India's support to the constitution-
drafting process while strengthening inclusive multi-party
democracy in Nepal, and also for successfully concluding the
Nepali-led peace process.”
During her meeting with Mr. Prachanda, Ms. Rao is learnt to
have asked him about his party's “anti-India” stance. Mr.
Prachanda clarified that the Maoists were not anti-India but felt
that “certain historical issues like treaties” had to be looked at
“in a new manner,” sources said.
The Maoist leader asked Ms. Rao about India's position on
government formation in Nepal and expressed concern that
India may be seeking to “isolate” the Maoists. She stressed that
this was entirely up to Nepal's political parties and that India was
willing to work with any government in Nepal.
=
PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011 23
Current events
World
ASEAN TO DISCUSS THAI-CAMBODIA SKIRMISHES
OVER SHRINE DISPUTE
As tension continues to simmer
on the Thailand and Cambodia
border over a 11th century Hindu
Shiva temple, a concerned Asean
grouping has asked all its foreign
ministers to meet for an urgent
conclave to discuss the Preah Vihar
shrine dispute.
The invitations to the foreign ministers have been sent by
Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, the current
ASEAN chair and the meeting is set to be held on 22nd February.
While Cambodia has sought an urgent Security Council
meeting calling for a UN buffer force to be put in place,
Thailand has said that the dispute should be resolved bilaterally.
Meanwhile, Thailand has said that more than 20,000 soldiers
will be deployed on the Thai-Cambodian border as part of a
national defence plan and an incident action plan approved by
the army commander, 'Bangkok Post' quoted army sources as
saying. The plan is to remain in effect till 30th March .
The main entrance of the Shiva temple known as Preah Vihar
is officially on the Cambodian side but most of the other parts of
the temple spill over to the Thai side.
Officially the foreign ministers have been invited to discuss
"regional and international issues," but the purpose of the
meeting is clear, senior Asean officials told the Bangkok Post.
The Indonesian foreign minister has met both Cambodian
and Thai foreign ministers so far. He has said that Asean's role is
one that supports bilateral efforts to resolve the conflict.
Recent reports had said that parts of the temple had been
damaged in the recent skirmishes between the two neighbours
after Cambodian troops used the shrine as a military base to fire
on the Thai soldiers.
24 PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011
Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has sent a letter to the
UN Security Council saying Thailand's action during the
clashes in recent months with Cambodia was appropriate and is
in line with international principles.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged both the
countries to come up with mechanisms to solve their disputes
and end armed confrontation as soon as possible. US has also
called for Thailand and Cambodia to exercise restraint.
The construction of the first temple at the site began in the
early 9th century and continued in the following centuries
dedicated to Shiva in his manifestations as the mountain gods
Sikharesvara and Bhadresvara.
The earliest surviving parts of the temple dates from early
10th century, when the empire's capital was at the city of that
name.
In the wake of the decline of Hinduism in the region, the site
was converted to use by Buddhists. In 1954, Thai forces
occupied the temple, following the withdrawal of French troops
from Cambodia.
Cambodia protested and turned to the International Court
of Justice, which later ruled in 1962 that the shrine belonged to
Cambodia.
tututu
BENNY GANTZ APPOINTED HEAD OF ISRAELI MILITARY
The Israeli cabinet unanimously approved the appointment
of Maj Gen Benny Gantz as the next chief of the armed forces.
The appointment of Maj Gen Gantz comes at a time when
the region, engrossed in a strong political turmoil, faces one of
its worst instability in decades.
"Maj Gen Benny Gantz is an outstanding officer and an
experienced commander," Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu told his ministers.
 "His experience is vast both in
terms of operation and organisation.
He is endowed with all of the qualities
needed to be a wonderful commander
for the Israel Defence Forces (IDF),"
Netanyahu added.
Gantz's appointment ended
months of infighting that brought to
the fore ego clashes in the top
echelons of Israel's defence and politcal establishment.
Barak during the recent months looked hell-bent on
preventing an extension for Ashkenazi in the position, and
pushed through with Gantz's elevation to the post after his
efforts to put a temporary Chief of Staff to allow proper
screening of the next army head was scuttled by strong political
opposition by ministers in his cabinet and opposition
parliamentarians.
Gantz's appointment was authorised by the Turkel
Committee for senior public appointments and was approved by
the cabinet.
The official transition ceremony between Ashkenazi and
Gantz would be held at the Prime Minister's office in Jerusalem.
The farewell ceremony for the outgoing Chief of Staff will be
held at Tel Aviv University.
Barak was scheduled to deliver a speech at the ceremony, but
continuing tensions between him and Ashkenazi have raised
doubts that he will participate.
tututu
THAILAND TO REJECT UN HELP OVER CAMBODIA: PM
Thailand will tell the UN Security Council that there is no
need for outside mediation to resolve a deadly border conflict
with Cambodia, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said.
He said that Thailand was confident that it could make a
strong case at the closed-door meeting in New York to show that
Phnom Penh sparked the standoff over the disputed territory,
which left eight people dead.
"We're confident that we can explain that (Cambodia's
claims) are wrong," he said in his weekly television address.
"Cambodia is calling for (intervention by) a third country, the
UN and peacekeeping forces.
Thailand will call for a return to bilateral talks on
demarcation," he said. Thailand will present evidence including
pictures and media reports to support its case and show that
Cambodia used an ancient temple at the centre of the dispute as
a military base, he added.
Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya is due to attend
Security Council meeting, along with his Cambodian
counterpart Hor Namhong.
Thailand and Cambodia have blamed each other for the
clashes around the ancient temple of Preah Vihear.
Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen sought an urgent
Security Council meeting and called for a UN buffer force to be
put in place. Thailand has repeatedly said the dispute should be
settled between the two countries.
tututu
PROTESTERS CLASH WITH COPS IN YEMEN
Young Yemeni protesters have
reportedly squared off against
security forces, with some
marching to the presidential
palace in Sana'a (Yemen) in the
hope of repeating and emulating
the revolution in Egypt.
The protests, organized largely via text messages, were the
largest yet by young Yemenis, with more than 1,000 marching,
the New York Times reports.
A rift appears to be brewing between Yemeni youth and
opposition groups in the wake of previous demonstrations
wresting significant concessions from beleaguered President Ali
Abdullah Saleh, including the promise that he would relinquish
power in 2013.
Leaders of established opposition groups did not join the
crowd which has called for the immediate ouster of Saleh.
Earlier, demonstrators were violently repulsed by armed
security forces both uniformed and in plain clothes, some armed
with sten guns, witnesses said.
There were reports of several injuries, but no deaths.
The Joint Meeting Parties (JMP), a coalition of opposition
parties, have said that it will continue to press for a change of
leadership in Yemen.
PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011 25
 Unlike the earlier protests in Yemen, which were highly
organized and marked by color-coordinated clothing and signs,
the spontaneity of the younger demonstrators appeared to have
more in common with popular uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt,
where opposition groups watched from the sidelines as
leaderless revolts grew into revolutions.
The opposition coalition said at a news conference in Sana'a
that it welcomed the new street protests, but cautioned that the
situation could quickly escalate if mass uprisings took hold in
Yemen, a country with a well-armed populace.
President Saleh, an important ally of the United States in the
fight against terrorism, in recent months sought to counter a
rising tide of opposition and preserve his three-decade rule by
raising army salaries, having income taxes and ordering price
controls, among other concessions.
US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has urged
Saleh to enter into a dialogue with the opposition, in the interest
of preserving stability in Yemen.
The opposition coalition has said it would be willing to
restart talks with the ruling party if specific conditions were met,
like including members of the southern separatist movement in
the dialogue.
It remained unclear to what degree a widening popular
uprising could set off renewed armed clashes in the south.
Protests across the south have been notably more violent than
those in the country's north.
tututu
PAK COURT ISSUES NON-BAILABLE ARREST WARRANT
AGAINST MUSHARRAF
A Pakistani anti-terrorism
court issued a non-bailable
arrest warrant against former
President Pervez Musharraf to
secure his presence in the
hearing in the Benazir Bhutto
assassination case.
The court in Rawalpindi
issued the warrant after
hearing the arguments of prosecution lawyers.
The Federal Investigation Agency also submitted a detailed
chargesheet that named Musharraf as an accused in the case
related to the murder of Bhutto.
26 PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011
The FIA had earlier named Musharraf as an "absconder" for
failing to cooperate in the probe into the assassination.
Musharraf, currently living in self-exile in Britain, had
refused to cooperate with investigators and answer their
questions, prosecutors said.
The detailed charge-sheet said that there was a conspiracy
behind Bhutto's assassination, and that Musharraf allegedly
provided slain Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan chief Baitullah
Mehsud with the opportunity to carry out a suicide attack on
Bhutto by failing to provide her adequate security.
A report compiled by the FIA's investigation team said:
"Musharraf was equally responsible for facilitation and
abetment of the assassination of Benazir Bhutto through his
government and justified failure in providing her the requisite
security protection that her status demanded twice. There was a
security lapse."
The FIA has also alleged that two top former police officials,
who were recently arrested for alleged negligence in providing
security to Bhutto, were acting on the orders of Musharraf.
Musharraf's spokesman and legal aides have dismissed the
charges levelled against him, saying that the Pakistan People's
Party-led government was trying to deflect attention from
charges of inefficiency and corruption levelled against it.
Bhutto was killed by a suicide bomber shortly after she
addressed an election rally in Rawalpindi in December 2007.
The former military ruler has been living out of Pakistan
since April 2009. Former Pakistani Taliban chief Baitullah
Mehsud was killed in a US drone strike in 2009.
tututu
KHANAL SWORN IN AS PM AMID POWER SHARING
ROW WITH MAOISTS
Nepal's veteran communist leader Jhalanath Khanal was
sworn in as the new prime minister, even as his party failed to ink
a power sharing deal with its key ally Maoists, delaying the
cabinet formation.
President Ram Baran Yadav administered the oath of office
and secrecy at a grand function in the presence of top Nepalese
leaders, including Vice President Parmananda Jha, caretaker
prime minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, Maoist chairman
Prachanda, Nepali Congress president Sushil Koirala and
Parliament Speaker Subhas Chandra Nembang.
 "I will remain committed and honest to the nation and its
people to fulfill my duty," said
60-year-old Khanal.
Even as it ended a seven-
month leadership vacuum in
the country, the cabinet
formation was postponed as
the CPN-UML failed to
finalise a power sharing deal
with its main supporter
UCPN-Maoist who are
seeking their pound of flesh
for having ensured Khanal's
victory, sources said.
The UCPN-Maoist has
238 seats and the CPN-UML has 108 seats in the Constituent
Assembly, which acts as the country's interim Parliament.
The former rebels are pushing for key portfolios, including
Home Ministry, which was rejected by Prime Minister Khanal,
leading to the delay in cabinet formation, according to a senior
leader of CPN-UML.
CPN-UML sources said that the party has finalised the
names of Bharat Mohan Adhikari, Bishnu Poudyal and Ganga
Lal Tuladhar for key portfolios of Finance, Home and Education.
Two Terai based parties, Madhesi Peoples Rights Forum led
by former Foreign Minister Upendra Yadav and Madhesi
Peoples Rights Forum (Nepal) led by Mahendra Yadav are likely
to join the government, sources said.
Nepali Congress, the second largest party with 114 members
in the House, has decided to sit in the opposition.
There is growing anger in a section of the CPN-UML party
and the Nepali Congress, which supported the Communist
party-led government since 2009, over a secret deal with the
Maoists during the voting in the parliament, sources said.
Khanal's party, which is the third largest party in the
parliament, got support from the main Opposition Maoist Party
after Prachanda quit the race in a last minute decision.
Nepal's parliament voted under revised election rules
designed to break a deadlock that had left the country without a
government even after 16 rounds of elections.
The political deadlock over the last seven months has been
hugely damaging for Nepal, which is still reeling from its decade
of civil war that ended in 2006.
The standoff has also delayed the drafting of a new
constitution and conclusion of the peace process.
The Maoists, who fought a 10-year battle against the state
before entering politics and winning elections in 2008, had
pushed for leading a new coalition.
But they did not have an absolute majority and had been
unable to win the support of smaller parties that they would need
to form a coalition government.
tututu
PALESTINIANS TO HOLD ELECTIONS IN JULY
The Palestinian cabinet was meeting to set a date for the first
elections since 2006. Speaking on condition of anonymity, it said
that mid-July was the most likely date for the local elections,
which would probably be limited to the West Bank following the
refusal of the Gaza Strip's Hamas rulers to take part.
Local polls were originally set for 17th July 2010 but
postponed after the Islamic movement said that it would not
participate. Hamas restated its opposition to a vote after Prime
Minister Salam Fayyad said that local polls would be held "this
year" and that it was also time to start preparing for a general
election.
"The movement will not participate in this farce," Hamas
said in a statement in response. "The movement will not
recognise the result of this process."
Hamas has refused to recognise the authority of the West
Bank-based government of president Mahmud Abbas since his
four-year term expired in January 2009 and was then indefinitely
extended by his supporters pending new elections.
The Gaza Strip and the West Bank are separated by Israeli
territory and are ruled by rival administrations. Abbas's
government called a general election for January 2010, then
backed down after Hamas refused to hold parallel polls in the
Gaza Strip.
Hamas, which won the 2006 parliamentary race by a
landslide, has said that there can be no fresh vote without
reconciliation with the rival Fatah party, which is headed by
Abbas and dominates the Western-backed Palestinian Authority.
The Islamist movement took power in Gaza in June 2007
when it drove out forces loyal to Abbas in a week of bloody street
battles, the culmination of years of struggle between the two
main Palestinian movements.
PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011 27
ASSANGE WARNS OF RELEASING OF 'ENCRYPTED KEYS'
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange
has warned of releasing "encrypted
keys" containing large amount of secret
information, if the whistleblower
website is permanently shut down.
Assange was speaking to CBS
News's "60 Minutes" at a country house
in England where he is under house
arrest waiting for an extradition hearing,
which will determine whether he is sent
to Sweden to be questioned on sexual assault charges.
"There are backups distributed amongst many, many people,
100,000 people and all we need to do is give them an encrypted
key and they will be able to continue on," Assange said.
"If a number of people were imprisoned or assassinated,
then we would feel that we could not go on, and other people
would have to take over our work, and we would release the keys,"
he said.
Last year, WikiLeaks, an online whistleblower organization
published hundreds of thousands of classified material on the
wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as diplomatic cables that put
the spotlight on backdoor meetings among US officials and their
counterparts in different countries.
Since then, the US government has been trying to nab and
prosecute Assange for espionage but no specific charges against
him have been framed.
The former Australian hacker has argued that all the actions
taken by his organization are protected under the First
Amendment that protects free speech in America.
When questioned about the material on Bank of America,
Assange did not confirm or deny but simply said, "I won't make
any comment in relation to that upcoming publication". At the
same time, Assange said that he didn't mind making these big
banks 'squirm'.
Last year, he had said that WikiLeaks would be releasing
documents on a US bank.
“We have all these banks squirming, thinking maybe it's
them," he said.
The WikiLeaks founder, who did not discuss the allegations
of sexual assault that have been levied against him, has
previously said that these charges are false.
28 PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011
IRELAND'S PM TO DISSOLVE PARLIAMENT
Ireland's embattled Prime
Minister said that he would dissolve
Parliament and announce a new date
for early elections, as the upper
house began debate on legislation to
slash spending and raise taxes
expected to be its last major act
under his government.
Brian Cowen said that he
intends to ask President Mary
McAleese to dissolve the national Parliament.
He would then announce a new election date, which must be
within 30 days. That election is expected to result in a drubbing
for Cowen's Fianna Fail, Ireland's long dominant political party,
and usher in a new team led by the Fine Gael party.
Cowen, who was Ireland's finance minister from 2004 to
2008, is widely blamed for Ireland's stunning slide from Celtic
Tiger boom economy to the brink of bankruptcy. The finance
bill is designed to comply with a massive international rescue
loan.
The European Union-International Monetary Fund support
is contingent on Ireland cutting euro15 billion (USD 20.56
billion) from its deficit spending over the coming four years and
is imposing the harshest cuts this year.
It includes a 90 per cent tax on bonuses paid to employees of
any of the Irish banks that needed state support to survive after a
runaway property market collapsed.
tututu
JUNTA-LED NIGER VOTES FOR CIVILIAN PRESIDENT
Niger goes to the polls to replace a military junta with a
civilian president who will rule one of the world's poorest
countries living under the growing menace of Al-Qaeda
militants.
The North African state of 15 million people covered mostly
by the Sahara desert has watched helplessly as the influence of
the regional offshoot of Al-Qaeda has grown in recent years.
Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has staged a
series of kidnappings of foreigners, the latest being two young
Frenchmen snatched by militants from the capital, Niamey,
killed during an abortive rescue mission launched by France.
 Junta leader Salou Djibo said that
security was the top priority for
impoverished Niger, ahead of the
presidential and parliamentary polls.
"Security has no price," he said,
while acknowledging that Niamey has
few resources of its own to combat the
fundamentalist threat which crosses national borders
throughout the Sahara region.
The junta took power in February last year to end a crisis
triggered by then president Mamadou Tandja's attempts to
extend his rule beyond the constitutionally allowed two
consecutive five-year terms.
The military agreed to preside over a transition to civilian rule
and no member of the ruling junta is standing for election in polls.
The key candidate is opposition leader Mahamadou
Issoufou whose Social Democratic Party represents change, but
he faces a challenge from three other candidates intent on
blocking his way.
Seini Oumarou is the anointed follower of the deposed
leader Tandja, who is still languishing in jail, and whose National
Movement for the Development of Society he leads.
Former prime minister Hama Amadou is also close to the
deposed leader while Niger's first democratically-elected president
in1993,MahamaneOusmane,istryingforanotherterm.
Oumarou, Amadou and Ousmane have created a stir in
Niger by forging a pact meant to keep Issoufou from victory
should no candidate emerge with an overall majority and the
presidential poll goes to a second round. In the event one of them
finds himself in a head-to-head against the social democrat, the
other two will give him their full backing.
tututu
US REMOVES ISRO AND DRDO FROM ENTITIES LIST
The US has removed nine Indian space and defense related
companies including those from ISRO and DRDO from its
export control 'Entity List', in an attempt to expand high
technology trade and strategic cooperation with India.
The US decision meets a long pending Indian demand and is
the first step to implement the export control policy initiative
announced by US President Barack Obama and Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh on 8th November last after their summit talks
in New Delhi.
The Federal notification
issued in the Federal registry
came days ahead of the high-
profile visit of Commerce
Secretary Gary Locke to New
Delhi on 6th February.
Locke is leading a high-tech trade mission comprising 24
businesses that will also visit Bangalore and Mumbai.
"Today's action marks a significant milestone in reinforcing
the US-India strategic partnership and moving forward with
export control reforms that will facilitate high technology trade
and cooperation," Locke said after the notification was issued.
The nine entities are Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL), four
remaining subsidiaries of the Defense Research and
Development Organization (DRDO) in the US sanction list and
another four of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).
The DRDO subsidiares are Armament Research and
Development Establishment (ARDE), Defense Research and
Development Lab (DRDL), Missile Research and
Development Complex and Solid State Physics Laboratory.
Liquid Propulsion Systems Center, Solid Propellant Space
Booster Plant (SPROB), Sriharikota Space Center (SHAR), and
Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (VSSC) are the four ISRO
subsidiaries.
Removal from the 'Entity List' eliminates a license
requirement specific to the companies, and results in the
companies off the list being treated the same way as any other
destination in India for export licensing purposes, the
Commerce Department said in a statement.
The notification removes India from several country groups
in the Export Administration Regulations(EAR), resulting in
the removal of export license requirements that were tied to
India's placement in those country groups.
It further adds India to a country group in the EAR that
consists of members of the Missile Technology Control Regime,
to recognize and communicate India's adherence to the regime,
the US-India strategic partnership and India's global non-
proliferation standing.
"These changes reaffirm the US commitment to work with
India on our mutual goal of strengthening the global non-
proliferation framework," said Under Secretary of Commerce
Eric L Hirschhorn.
Obama during his India visit had assured India that he would
remove these companies from the Entity List.
PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011 29
 Obama had said that commensurate with India's non-
proliferation record and commitment to abide by multilateral
export control standards, the US will remove all civil space and
defense-related entities from the Department of Commerce
'Entity List'.
"Inclusion on this list generally triggers an export license
requirement for items that otherwise do not require an export
license," said a fact sheet issued by the White House during the
Obama visit.
The Locke delegation that will visit India includes senior
officials from the Export-Import Bank (EX-IM) and the Trade
Development Agency (TDA).
tututu
'YEAR OF INDIA IN CANADA' LAUNCHED IN OTTAWA
India has launched year-long
activities and programmes for its
'Year of India in Canada' to
showcase the country's rich art
and culture, as well as its rise as an
economic power.
Indian high commissioner S M
Gavai launched the programme, with a major investment in
Canada-India Centre for Excellence in Science, Technology,
Trade and Policy at the Carleton University.
Gavai and Roseann O'Reilly Runte, Carleton University
president, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU)
governing the visiting chair in the field of humanities and social
sciences that would bring together key members of the
academic, business and public policy communities in both
countries to provide cutting-edge research, analysis, training
and exchanges.
Gavai said that the year-long festivities would include
exhibitions of Indian art and culture, seminars on promoting
trade and business, conferences on enhanced co-operation,
food and film festivals and more in different parts of the country.
The celebratory year was designated for 2011 by the Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh and his Canadian counterpart
Stephen Harper during the latter's visit to India in November
2009.
"The aim is to showcase India's rich art and culture, as well
as its rise as an economic power, thereby promoting closer
people-to-people ties across a broad range of sectors, including
business," Gavai said.
30 PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011
"A number of positive developments point to an upward
trajectory in this bilateral relationship. A sustained engagement
of Canada with India is evident from the number of agreements
and MOUs already signed between two countries such as
Civilian nuclear cooperation agreement; higher education earth
sciences and mining and cultural cooperation," Gavai said, while
talking to newsmen after the function.
"Social security agreement, the foreign investment
promotion and protection agreement, and MOU on
transportation are under negotiation and are expected to be
concluded soon," he said.
Gavai said that both the governments were committed in the
formation of a broader human connection strategy linking
segments of civil society and corporate sector in India and
Canada with knowledgeable members of India Diaspora, so as to
formulate an action plan for next twenty years.
"This generous contribution will make Carleton's centre a
unique resource for the university, the community and our
country," Runte said.
Carleton currently has 25 faculty members conducting
India-related research, partnerships with seven Indian post-
secondary institutions and many formal relationships with
Indian businesses and organizations.
Last Fall, the university hosted Canadian business leaders
for round-table discussions with two top Indian ministers and
hosted other Indian government delegations.
As part of the celebration, the 2011 regional PBD (Pravasi
Bharatiya Divas) would be held in Toronto on June 9 and 10th,
Preeti Saran, consul general of India, said in Toronto after
hoisting tricolor to commemorate India's Republic Day.
Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce would be the nodal
agency for the event. The theme is Building Bridges: Positioning
Strategy of the Indian Diaspora.
Indian diaspora members in Canada, USA, Mexico and the
Caribbean countries are expected to attend the PBDCanada
2011 convention in large numbers.
For the first time, the 12th edition of the IIFA awards will
take place in Toronto later this year, which has become the first
North American city to host the glittering ceremony, popularly
known as the Oscars of Bollywood.
The International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) takes
place in a different world city each year.

OBAMA ADMIN PROPOSES USD 11.8 BILLION FOR
NUCLEAR SECURITY
The Obama Administration
has proposed a USD 11.8 billion
for the modernisation and
security of the country's nuclear
arsenal.
Noting that it remains
dedicated to modernising
America's nuclear arsenal and
the complex that sustains it, US
President Barack Obama, in his
budget sent to the Congress,
proposed USD 11.8 billion for
National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).
This investment includes USD 7.6 billion, to maintain a
safe, secure, and effective nuclear arsenal by improving and
replacing ageing facilities and infrastructure, continuing
nuclear weapon life extension programs, and sustaining
stockpile surveillance and certification activities.
The Administration funds USD 2.5 billion to prevent the
proliferation of nuclear weapons by fully funding efforts to
secure and dispose of nuclear material, develop technologies to
detect and deter nuclear testing and smuggling and support
international non-proliferation treaties, regulatory controls and
safeguards.
It also proposed USD 1.2 billion for naval reactors, to include
construction of new reactor fuel handling infrastructure and
continued reactor development for a new ballistic missile
submarine to sustain a robust nuclear deterrent.
The budget also includes USD 31.8 million for the
reorganised chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high-
yield explosive consequence management structure, which will
be in place prior to the end of 2012.
It also proposed USD 665 million to enhance the
development of next generation medical counter-measures
against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats;
USD 200 million for a public-private partnership of a vaccine
manufacturing facility, in support of the Administration's new
Medical Counter Measure Initiative and USD 138 million to
continue building DOD's (Department of Defense) Institute of
Infectious Disease at the new Interagency Biodefense Campus.
The budget proposes USD 97 million to improve the
security of online transactions, enhance cyber security
education efforts, increase cutting-edge cyber security R&D,
and improve network security at small Federal agencies; and
funding to support the full operational capability of the new US
Cyber Command and other programmes to protect the
information networks.
UScharges7inplottosupplymissilestoTaliban
US authorities have charged seven men, including two
American citizens, with conspiring to aid Taliban fighters in
Afghanistan by selling the militant group weapons, including
surface-to-air missiles, and moving drugs through West Africa.
According to the charging documents unsealed in
Manhattan federal court, the men agreed to smuggle and sell
heroin and missiles to undercover Drug Enforcement and
Administration (DEA) agents, who were posing as members of
the Taliban in Afghanistan.
The seven men charged are - Maroun Saade, Walid Nasr,
Francis Sourou Ahissou, Corneille Dato, Martin Raouf
Bouraima, Alwar Pouryan and Oded Orbach. The men agreed to
receive and move ton-quantities of Taliban-owned heroin
through West Africa, portions of which they understood would
then be sent to the United States.
They also agreed to sell substantial quantities of cocaine to
the undercover agents that the Taliban could sell at a profit in the
US. Saade, along with US citizens Pouryan and Orbach, agreed
to sell weapons to the militant group including surface-to-air
missiles to be used to protect Taliban-owned heroin laboratories
against US attack in Afghanistan.
Five of the men were arrested in Liberia last week and were
due to be extradited to the United States to face the charges.
The two American citizens Pouryan and Orbach were arrested
in Bucharest, Romania last week where they will remain pending
extradition to the US.
According to the indictment, the men communicated with
the undercover DEA agents through telephone, email and
videotaped meetings over several months in 2010 in Benin,
Ghana, Ukraine, and Romania.
During these meetings, Saade, Pouryan and Orbach agreed
to arrange the sale of weapons, including surface-to-air missiles
to the undercover agents for the Taliban's use in Afghanistan.
Saade introduced the agents to Pouryan, whom Saade
described as a weapons trafficker affiliated with Hezbollah.
Pouryan and Orbach told the agents about specifications,
pricing and the provision of training for the sale of various
weapons, including anti-tank missiles, grenade launchers, AK-
47s and M-16s.
=
PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011 31
Current events
Business and economy
INDUSTRIAL GROWTH PLUNGES TO 1.6%
The industrial growth has
slowed down to 1.6 per cent for
December which suggests a
considerable slowing down in
industrial production. The
numbers are on expected lines
taking into consideration high
base effect. The industrial
growth a year ago stood at 18%.
The GDP numbers announced by the government earlier
this week also hinted at slowing of economy.
Reacting to the weak numbers in industrial growth, Finance
Minister Pranab Mukherjee said, “ The numbers are
unfortunate and disappointing. But weekly and monthly figures
do not reflect the whole picture. We’ve to take into account the
numbers for the whole year.”
The government has pegged the economic growth for the
financial year 2010-11 at 8.6 per cent, which is signal to a slowing
economy as the growth stood at 8.9 per cent during the first half
of the current fiscal.
The industrial growth for November stood at 2.7 per cent.
“The numbers are on expected line and it is difficult to pick
out any fundamental story from the numbers. The slowing in
Industry is corroborated by GDP number which showed a
decline. Investment revival also doesnot seem to be panning
out,” said Abheek Barua, chief economist at HDFC Bank.
The manufacturing growth fell further to 1 per cent from 2.3
per cent in December. Mining output for the month also
dropped to 3.8 per cent from 6 per cent a month ago. The
electricity sector growth, however, rose to 6 per cent from 4.6
per cent in November.
However, the good news was the growth in consumer goods,
which jumped from a negative 3.1 per cent recorded in
Novemeber to 3.9 per cent in December.
32 PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011
The steepest decline came in capital goods growth that
showed a negative growth of 13.7 per cent. Also, consumer non-
durables growth continued to show a negative growth at 1.1%.
tututu
GOOGLE, FB IN RACE TO TAKE OVER TWITTER
Google Inc and Facebook Inc, plus others, have held low level
takeover talks with Twitter that give the Internet sensation a
value as high as $10 billion, the mediaperson reported.
In December, Twitter raised $200
million in financing in a deal that valued it
at $3.7 billion. The company, which allows
users to broadcast 140-character messages
to groups of followers, had 175 million
users as of September.
The Wall Street Journal reported on its website that
executives at Twitter have held “low level” talks with executives
at Facebook and Google in recent months about a possible
takeover of Twitter.
Citing people familiar with the matter, the WSJ said other
companies have also held similar talks.
“But what’s remarkable is the money that people familiar
with the matter say frames the discussions with at least some
potential suitors; an estimated valuation in the neighbourhood
of $8 billion to $10 billion,” the report said. The paper said the
talks have so far gone nowhere and that Google, Facebook and
Twitter all declined to comment.
Despite the valuation, the report said Twitter’s executives
and board were working on building a large, independent
company.
“People familiar with the situation said the company believes
it can grow into a $100 billion company,” the WSJ said. Twitter,
created in 2006, is among a crop of popular Internet social
networking services that includes Facebook, Zynga and
LinkedIn.
 A growing secondary market has developed in shares of the
privately held Web sensations and investors are monitoring the
companies closely in the hope they might float shares. It was only
in the middle of 2010 that Twitter offered marketers a way to
advertise on the service.
Industry research firm eMarketer said last month that
Twitter, which doesn't disclose financial information, generated
an estimated $45 million from advertising in 2010 and is
expected to generate some $150 million this year.
Google, the world’s number 1 Internet search engine,
generated roughly $29 billion in revenue in 2010 and Facebook,
recently valued at $50 billion.
tututu
TRAI RECOMMENDS SIX-FOLD HIKE IN 2G SPECTRUM
PRICE
In a development that has huge
financial implications for existing as
well as new operators, telecom
regulator Trai has recommended
fixing the price for 6.2 Mhz of pan-
India start-up 2G spectrum at Rs.
10,972.45 crore, more than six times
the pre cent cost of Rs. 1,658 crore.
In its recommendations to the
Department of Telecom (DoT), Trai
has also said that every Mhz of
additional spectrum (on an all-India
basis) beyond the contracted limit of
6.2 Mhz would cost a massive Rs. 4,571.87 crore.
Most of the telecom firm, including Bharti, Vodafone, Idea
and state-owned companies like BSNL and MTNL, hold extra
spectrum beyond 6.2 Mhz and the new norms would put a huge
financial burden on these telcos.
In addition, the licences of some of the operators, including
Bharti, are due for renewal after completing 20 years periodicity
in several circles. Such companies would have to pay to renew
their licences as per the new norms recommended by Trai.
When contacted, Trai Chairman J S Sarma said, "Yes we have
submitted the recommendations to the DoT on the revised
norms for 2G spectrum pricing."
According to the report, the spectrum prices for both
categories - up to 6.2 Mhz and beyond 6.2 Mhz - vary from circle
to circle.
In the category of up to 6.2 Mhz of spectrum, the prices of
one Mhz varies from Rs. 7.60 crore in the case of Jammu and
Kashmir to Rs. 187.38 crore in the case of Tamil Nadu.
In the category of beyond 6.2 Mhz of spectrum, the price
varies form between Rs. 22.89 crore per Mhz in Jammu and
Kashmir to a maximum of Rs. 431.95 crore in Andhra Pradesh.
The revised prices recommended by TRAI are effective from
April 1, 2010, the report said.
tututu
BANNED IN CHINA, FACEBOOK OPENS OFFICE IN HONG KONG
Facebook has opened a Hong Kong office
as it looks to boost its presence in Asia, even
though the social networking giant is banned
in mainland China, a potentially huge
market.
The opening of the sales office in Hong Kong, a semi-
autonomous Chinese territory, comes after Facebook opened an
office in Singapore last year, as social networking sites and
Internet traffic see a marked rise in the region.
Last March the California-based group announced a new
office in the southern Indian IT hub of Hyderabad to deal with
advertising and customer support.
The Hong Kong opening, ‘following Singapore
demonstrates Facebook's commitment to Asia, and in particular
to Hong Kong and Taiwan, where there are active online
populations and sophisticated digital marketing communities,’
Facebook said in a statement.
The company, which already has a network of sales offices in
North America and Europe, said more than 80 of the top 100
advertisers in the United States advertise on Facebook, adding
that it is working with major brands across Asia.
"We are investing in a team to scale with the business here in
the region, and will start with a handful of employees and add
more as the business grows," a spokeswoman said.
She declined to disclose the number of Facebook users in
Hong Kong and Taiwan. The site has about 500 million users
worldwide.
Blake Chandlee, Facebook's vice-president and commercial
director for emerging markets, played down the idea that the
Hong Kong office is a sign that Facebook is eyeing a move into
China - where it remains banned.
PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011 33
 "We have no plans right now to talk about entering into
mainland China and trying to be aggressive in that," he said.
Chandlee said the site was available in ‘all the Chinese
dialects’ and ‘for us that is the first step in any part of the world to
make sure people are able to experience Facebook in a language
they're comfortable with.’
Last year, search engine Google claimed it was the victim of a
highly sophisticated cyber attack in mid-December 2009 that
originated from China, apparently to gain access to email
accounts of Chinese human rights activists.
Google shut down its Chinese search engine, automatically
re-routing mainland users to its uncensored site in Hong Kong.
The firm later ended the automatic re-direct to avoid having its
licence suspended by China.
Other Asian nations have also presented challenges to
technology firms with several countries including Vietnam and
Thailand having moved to limit political debate online in recent
years by attempting to block some sites, including Facebook.
tututu
IMPLEMENT SAFTA IN LETTER AND SPIRIT: INDIA
Advocating deepening of intra-
SAARC trade, India has pressed for
implementation of SAFTA in its letter
and spirit, in an apparent reference to
Pakistan which has refused to
implement the commerce opening pact
in the context of India.
"SAFTA (South Asia Free Trade
Agreement) can be an important instrument to deepen intra-
regional trade if it is complied with by all member states and
implemented in letter and spirit," Foreign Secretary Nirupama
Rao told a meeting of SAARC Foreign Secretaries in Thimphu.
She did not name any country but was clearly referring to
Pakistan which has refused to implement SAFTA in the context
of India and insists on doing trade with it only on the basis of
'positive list'.
Pakistan, while signing the SAFTA that came into force on
1st July 2006, had agreed to implement it without reservation but
backed out later.
India has been complaining, even to the SAARC Secretariat,
that the issue of restricted import of goods from India by
Pakistan under the SAFTA was against the letter and spirit of
SAFTA.
34 PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011
At present, the direct annual trade between Pakistan and
India is around USD 2 billion which has a potential to grow to
USD 10 billion. The indirect trade between the two countries is
manifold.
Rao also pressed for early ratification of the SAARC
Agreement on Trade in Services signed at the 16th SAARC
Summit in Bhutan last April, saying it will give a boost to
realizing the full potential of trade in services in the region.
Rao emphasized that India was fully committed to working
with other SAARC countries to enhance the prosperity of the
South Asian region through social development and regional
economic integration.
In this context, she referred to launch of projects in the
important areas of health, education, food, water and energy in
some of the neighbouring countries.
Talking about the SAARC during its 25 years of existence,
Rao said, "the process is maturing" and the grouping was now
gradually focusing on providing more services for the economic
and development needs of our people.
The Seventh Steering Committee Meeting has, in
September 2010, finalized all the modalities of the University
and plans are now afoot for the first meeting of the Governing
Board of the SAU to be convened.
Rao said valuable progress has been achieved in developing a
regional framework of cooperation in areas such as
environment, energy, agriculture, rural development and trade.
SAARC has also facilitated some encouraging steps towards
greater cooperation in the prevention of trafficking of women
and children and increased people-to-people interaction has
been facilitated by greater cultural and social exchanges under
the auspices of SAARC.
Referring to Secretary General Sheelkant Sharma's report,
she said it stresses the need to hold SAARC meetings on
schedule to ensure timely implementation of decisions.
Bashir said Pakistan was seeking to carry forward contacts
and "engage seriously and pragmatically" to chart a way forward.
"That is essentially what this meet is all about," the Pakistan
Foreign Secretary said.
Bashir said the two Foreign Secretaries would focus on
carrying forward the directives of the two Prime Ministers to
engage with each other. "Hopeful there will be positive
comments coming out after the meeting," he said.
 On India's concerns over terrorism continuing to emanate financing, insurance, real
from Pakistan, Bashir said, "Terrorism is a global issue. I think estate & business services (9.2
this whole argument about terrorism emanating from any per cent), transport, storage
particular country or region is fictitious. We ought to have a very and communication (15.0 per
objective approach." cent), community, social and
personal services (11.8 per
tututu cent)," the official data
showed.
MOBILE CASH ON CARDS BY APRIL
In addition, the GDP growth estimate for FY2008-09 has
The National Payments Corporation been revised marginally upward to 6.8 per cent from the previous
of India (NPCI), an RBI functionary, estimate of 6.7 per cent.
hopes to rope in about 25 banks into its
fold to implement its Interbank Mobile Agriculture sector growth recorded 0.4 per cent growth in
Payment Solution (IMPS). FY2009-10 after witnessing a 0.1 per cent decline in FY2008-09,
the data showed.
“We have ten banks that have gone live with Interbank
Mobile Payment Solution and expect 15 more to join the group In addition, the mining and quarrying sectors registered 6.9
before April end,” said NPCI chief operating officer, Mr M. per cent growth in FY'10, as against 1.3 per cent expansion in the
Balakrishnan after unveiling the facility for Karur-based previous fiscal. Furthermore, electricity, gas and water
Lakshmi Vilas Bank in Chennai. production recorded 6.4 per cent growth in FY'10, compared to
4.9 per cent expansion in FY'09.
IMPS is a real time fund transfer facility via mobile phones
and does not require the account number of the beneficiary. tututu

Once registered with the bank for the service, a unique
mobile money identifier (MMID) is issued to the customers,
which along with the mobile phone number, is used for both
credit and debit transactions. Though the service is enabled
through a mobile application download, it can also be used in
low-end phones by regular SMS facility.
“Since IMPS does not use the customer’s account number,
there is no fear of misuse of accounts through hacking of mobile
phones,” Mr Balakrishnan said.
The maximum daily credit limit for encrypted phones is
50,000 spread over five transactions and for low-end phones is’
1000/day. With over 600 million mobile users in the country, the
system is ideal to take banking services to rural areas, he added.
tututu
GOVT REVISES GDP GROWTH FIGURE FOR FY'10
UPWARD TO 8 %
The government revised the GDP growth rate for the 2009-
10 financial year upward to 8 per cent from the earlier estimate of
7.4 per cent on the back of improved performance of the
manufacturing and services sectors.
"The growth rate of 8 per cent in the GDP during 2009-10
has been achieved due to high growth in manufacturing (8.8%),
US INDIA BILATERAL TRADE INCREASES BY OVER 30
PERCENT IN 2010
The Indo-US bilateral trade is
expected to increase by more than 30
percent in the first 11 months of 2010
to touch USD 50 billion.
The bilateral trade could even
touch the magical figure of USD 50
billion when the statistics for
December are available, officials said,
adding this reflects the growing trade
relationship between the two
countries.
According to the latest figures
made available by the US Department
of Commerce, between January to November 2010, the total
bilateral trade between India and the United States was USD
45,011 million.
This is in comparison to USD 34,416 million during the
same period in 2009; showing an increase of 30.79 percent.
The total bilateral trade in 2009 was 37,607 million(about
USD 37.61 billion), which was a a significant drop from USD
43,386 million in 2008 mainly because of the downturn in the
global economy.

PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011 35

 In 2007, the total bilateral trade was USD 39,042 million.
The figures also reflected a greater increase in India’s export to
the US than American export to India; even though both showed
signs of increase.
Between January to November 2010,India’s export to the US
had stood at USD 27,398 million as against USD 19,381 during
the same period in 2009; thus showing an increase of 41.36%.
Meanwhile, US exports of merchandise to India grew by 17.2
percent from USD 15.03 billion during the period Jan- Nov 2009
to USD 17.61 billion during the corresponding period in 2010.
Cut and polished diamonds and jewellery are a major item of
India’s exports to the US, accounting for 21.5 percent. Exports
of this item had declined from USD 5.6 billion in 2008 to USD
4.6 billion in 2009.
Textiles exports to the US, which account for 23 percent, fell
by 10.3 percent from USD 5.42 billion in 2008 to USD 4.86
billion in 2009. Iron & Steel products which account for 5.3
percent of India’s exports to the US, fell by 33.8 percent from
USD 1.68 billion in 2008 to USD 1.12 billion in 2009.
Exports of Organic Chemicals fell by 10.2 percent from 1.46
billion in 2008 to USD 1.32 billion in 2009. Exports of
pharmaceutical products grew from USD 1.43 billion in 2008 to
USD 1.66 billion in 2009.
tututu
GOOGLE OPENS ONLINE STORE FOR ANDROID USERS
In an effort to compete with the rival
Apple in the wireless sector, search
engine giant Google has launched a new
online store of advanced software
applications that run on mobile phones
powered by Android software.
Google's new online store, Market.
Android.com, will allow Android users
find new applications more easily from their computers, see
recommendations by friends and download applications to their
mobile devices, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Users of Android devices such as Motorola Mobility Inc.'s
Droid or HTC Corp.'s Evo smartphones have previously had
access to the application market via their devices, but many
application makers complained it was difficult to get noticed
there because the marketplace was partly built around lists of
featured applications and top downloads.
36 PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011
Earlier, Apple had an edge over Android because it allowed
users to find applications and buy them through the iTunes
programme on their computers. These "important changes to
the Android market meet the needs of both users and
developers", Chris Yerga, a Google engineering director, was
quoted as saying.
Google said that the application makers could create
Android applications that charge users for in-app purchases of
virtual goods in games, among other things - a feature already
available on applications running on Apple devices.
Developers can also set prices for their applications in
foreign currencies, which previously they had been unable to do,
Google said. There are more than 350,000 mobile applications
available on Apple devices compared with more than 100,000 on
Android devices.
tututu
INDIA TO ALLOW PAYMENT FOR IRANIAN CRUDE
THROUGH GERMAN BANK
India decided to pay for Iranian crude oil in euro through a
German bank based in Hamburg, a finance ministry official
said.
The conduit (route) was decided at a high level meeting
chaired by National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar
Menon."State Bank of India (SBI) has been instructed to clear
over USD 2 billion of backlog payment beginning this evening,"
the official said.
The meeting was also attended by Economic Affairs
Secretary R Gopalan, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and Oil
Secretary S Sundareshan.SBI will route euro payments to
National Iranian Oil Co's account in the Hamburg-based
Europäisch-Iranische Handelsbank AG (EIH Bank).
The official said over USD 2 billion payment is pending
since September and another USD 1.3 billion is outstanding
since December 23.This is when the Reserve Bank of India
(RBI) disallowed payments for Iranian crude using a long-
standing clearing house system, run by the central banks of nine
countries – including India and Iran – dubbed as the Asian
Clearing Union.
India imports 12 million barrels of crude oil every month
from Iran. Iran accounts for 12 per cent of India's supplies and is
its second-largest supplier behind Saudi Arabia.Iran had
continued to supply crude oil to India on credit after the RBI
move, the official said.
 MARUTI LAUNCHES NEW LUXURY MODEL 'KIZASHI'
The country's largest car maker
Maruti Suzuki India launched its
luxur y sedan Kizashi, with an
introductory price of upto Rs 17.5 lakh.
The car, powered by a 2.4 litre
petrol engine, will be imported from
parent Suzuki's Japan facility. "The Kizashi is a major step
forward for Maruti Suzuki. With the launch of this luxurious
sporty sedan, the company is able to offer an international car to
top-end customers in India," Maruti Suzuki India Managing
Director and CEO Shinzo Nakanishi told reporters here.
The car would be available in two variants, manual
transmission priced at Rs 16.5 lakh and automatic transmission
at Rs 17.5 lakh. The company has already started bookings for
the car, deliveries for which will begin in March this year.
tututu
INDIA'S ICT EXPORTS RISE BY 244 PERCENT IN 2009
India's exports and imports of
information and communications
technology (ICT) experienced a
rapid rise in 2009 as Asia accounted
for two third of global ICT exports,
according to a UN agency.
India's exports and imports of
information and communications technology (ICT)
experienced a rapid rise in 2009 as Asia accounted for two third
of global ICT exports, according to a UN agency.
While India's ICT exports increased by a dramatic 244
percent, a rapid increase in imports too moved it from 28th to
17th in the global ranking of importers, according to the data
compiled by the UN Conference on Trade and Development
(UNCTAD).
The agency also noted that more than a third of the world's
ICT exports now originate from mainland China and its special
administrative region of Hong Kong.
In the wake of the global financial crisis, mainland China
exported ICT goods valued at $356 billion in 2009, followed by
Hong Kong ($142 billion) and the US ($113 b), UNCTAD said.
Reliance on exports of ICT products is most pronounced in
Hong Kong, where the goods represent more than 43 percent of
all merchandise exports, it said.
Other economies in which ICT goods make up 30 percent or
more of exports include mainland China, Singapore and the
Philippines.
The data shows that while ICT exports from most major
exporters declined in 2009 as a result of the financial crisis, the
fall was particularly pronounced among several European
countries.
ICT exports dropped by more than half in Portugal and
Finland, by 36 percent in Ireland, and by more than 20 percent in
the Czech Republic, France, Germany, and Sweden. Japan and
the US also saw sharp declines.
The US tops the list of ICT importers, followed by China
and Hong Kong. Among major importers, declines of more than
35 percent were registered by Finland, Ireland, Portugal, Russia
and Spain in 2009.
Economies for which ICT goods represent large shares of
their imports are mainly in East and Southeast Asia. A few Latin
American countries also report a high reliance on ICT goods
imports, including Costa Rica (17 percent), Mexico (20 percent)
and Paraguay (26 percent).
tututu
RBI HIKES KEY RATES BY 0.25%, RETAINS GDP
FORECAST AT 8.5%
With a view to rein in high inflation, the
Reserve Bank of India raised its key short-
term lending and borrowing rates by 0.25
per cent each with immediate effect.
The short-term lending (repo) rate has
been hiked to 6.50 per cent and the
borrowing (reverse repo) to 5.50 per cent, a
move that will make funds expensive for banks and may lead to a
hike in interest rates.
The Reserve Bank, however, projected GDP growth at 8.5
per cent with an upside bias. It also warned that inflation is a
matter of concern and revised its projection for FY'11 to 7 per
cent from 5.5 per cent earlier.
These initiatives, the RBI said will "rein in rising inflationary
expectations, which may be aggravated by the structural and
transitory nature of food price increases."
The apex bank further said its monetary action was aimed at
reining in rising inflationary expectations, while at the same
time being moderate enough not to disrupt growth.
PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011 37
 It also aims to contain the spill-over from rising food and fuel
prices to generalised inflation and continue to provide comfort
to banks' liquidity management operations, the RBI said.
tututu
INDIA TO CUT EXPORT DEAL COSTS BY RS. 21BN
India announced a slew of
measures, including round-the-clock
customs clearance at eight ports and
reduction in levies, that will cut export
transaction cost by nearly Rs. 2100
billion ($466.66 million), making the
countr y's overseas trade more
competitive.
Fi n a n c e M i n i s t e r Pr a n a b
Mukherjee released a report of the task force on transaction
costs that has made 44 recommendations aimed at improving
competitiveness of Indian exports.
The government has agreed to implement 32 of the 44
identified issues that are related to various ministries and
departments, said Minister of State for Commerce and Industry
Jyotiraditya M. Scindia.
"Of these, 21 issues have been implemented and another two
are likely to be implemented in a couple of months. The
remaining issues are under the process of examination and
consultations for implementation," Scindia said.
"It is expected that implementation of 23 issues is likely to
mitigate the transaction cost by approximately Rs. 21 billion.
Permanent reduction of transaction cost through these
initiatives will have a long term positive impact on the
competitiveness of India's exports," Scindia, who chaired the
task force, added.
The major recommendations that have been implemented
include round-the-clock customs clearance at eight ports -
Visakhapatnam, Kolkata, Jamnagar, Mangalore, Jawaharlal
Nehru Port Trust (Navi Mumbai), Mumbai, Bhubaneswar and
Chennai - and reduction in various levies.
Booking charges for the foreign currency have been reduced
from Rs. 750 per transaction to Rs. 400-500 per transaction.
Delhi International Airport has reduced the charges levied
for screening express cargo and courier shipments from Rs. 6 to
Rs. 1.65 per kg for the export courier at its Express Courier
Terminal at Indira Gandhi International Airport.
38 PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011
Leading banks have agreed to extend pre-shipment credit in
foreign currency at London Interbank Offered Rate (Libor) plus
2 per cent with no additional charges levied.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has instructed all the
commercial banks to ensure that post- shipment credit is
available at prescribed rates up to 180 days as stipulated in case
of overdue bills.
tututu
HP LAUNCHES RECLINING PC
Computers are increasingly coming in all shapes and sizes.
Now there is even a reclining computer.
HP announced the new
form factor, saying that it
believed the ability to lay the
screen almost horizontal
would be eagerly welcomed by
consumers and companies
such as hotels and other
customer-facing businesses.
Analysts said HP was hoping that the devices could help the
world's top computer maker fend off the challenge posed by
Apple's iPad, which is being widely adopted by businesses such
as hotels, car dealers and others who like to share online
information with customers.
Part of HP's TouchSmart line, the new devices feature 58-cm
touch screens that can recline to a 60-degree angle and be
swiveled from side to side. Both the consumer and business
versions of the device run on Windows 7.
The consumer device goes on sale with prices starting at
$899. The business version will be available in May.
"As a leader in touch computing, HP has made each iteration
of the TouchSmart PC more intuitive, resourceful and fun for
users," said HP executive James Mouton.”
“The latest generation is no exception with a new design that
makes it easier and more comfortable to use, and it allows
businesses to integrate the TouchSmart where convenience,
space constraints and appearance matter." he added.
HP is expected to unveil its own line of tablet computers also.
The devices will run the company's WebOs operating system
that it acquired as part of its $1.6-billion purchase of Palm last
year.
INDIA TO LAUNCH OF MICROSOFT WINDOWS PHONE 7
Microsoft plans to
launch its Windows Phone
7 and search engine Bing
in the Indian market this
year, an official said in
Hyderabad.
The software major's
India development centre
has fine-tuned the innovative applications of Bing for its launch
in India.
"Windows Phone 7 will be launched in a few months but the
date has not yet been decided," Amit Chatterjee, managing
director of Microsoft India Development Centre (MSIDC), told
reporters.
He did not agree that Windows Phone 7 already launched
abroad is heavy and slow. "A number of products are to suit the
demands of a billion satisfied customers all around the world.
We are making all efforts to give them a brand new visual
experience," he said.
He said the device allows Microsoft to bring together its
assets like Office, Explorer and search engine Bing. The
applications range from simple to those with more work flow.
Windows Phone 7 has already been launched in the US and
other countries with its global partner HTC. Windows Phone 7
and Bing are two of the focus areas of MSIDC.
Chattterjee, who recently succeeded Srini Koppulu as the
MD, termed Bing as a decision engine, quite different from the
other search engines.
On cloud computing, Chatterjee said it offered great
opportunity and MSIDC has a team focusing only on cloud
computing.
Chatterjee said the centre has contributed to 270 patents
filed during last five years.
He denied that Microsoft downsizing workforce elsewhere
had any impact on MSIDC here. "We will continue our robust
campus hiring. We will continue to recruit 150 to 170 graduates
every year from the campuses across India," he said.
One of Microsoft's largest product development centres
outside Redmond, MSIDC along with its Bangalore unit has a
strong team of 1,650 employees and is developing new products
and technologies for the global Microsoft portfolio.
AVIATION SECTOR CAN ABSORB USD 120BN
INVESTMENT: PM
Observing that the aviation sector had a potential to absorb
USD 120 billion investment, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
said efforts were on to create world-class aviation infrastructure
across the country on a mission mode.
The growth of low-cost air travel has given a strong
competition to the railways by making new frequent flyers, he
said while inaugurating the new international terminal building
at the airport in Thiruvananthapuram.
Emphasizing the importance of aviation sector in the
country's economy which was getting integrated to the global
economy, Dr. Singh said the government has formulated various
policies to give a boost to this vital sector.
Creation of modern and efficient infrastructure at the
airports to handle passenger volumes of this magnitude requires
huge investment. This creates significant opportunities and
challenges, he said.
A roadmap to modernize the existing airports on a mission
mode to create world-class infrastructure was being
implemented at a fast pace as air transport in the country was
witnessing an unprecedented growth, the Prime Minister said.
While domestic air traffic has tripled international traffic to
and from India more than doubled in the last seven years.
Noting that aviation was earlier considered only for the
affluent, he said, "With the growth of low-cost air travel, the
airlines are now giving strong competition to the railways and
many passengers who earlier used to travel only by trains today
frequently use air flights".
To meet the growing air traffic demand, he said the policy on
airport infrastructure aimed to increase airport capacity to stay
ahead of demand and garner the maximum share of traffic in the
region.
"We wish to make our airport facilities user friendly and
achieve high levels of customer satisfaction. We also seek to
ensure the safety and security of airport operations and develop
multi-modal transport linkages," he said, adding aviation
infrastructure was being modernized through joint ventures
under the private-public partnership model.
Complimenting the Airports Authority of India, he said the
entire investment of the new International Terminal Building in
Thiruvananthapuram at a cost of Rs 289 crore was being met
through AAI's internal resources.
=
PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011 39
 W. Edwards Deming:
Quality Guru
D r. W. Edwards Deming, the father of Japanese post-war
industrial revival, was regarded by many as the quality
guru in the United States. Trained as a statistician, his
expertise was used during World War II to assist the United
States in its efforts to improve the quality of war materials.
WORK IN JAPAN
After World War II (1947), Deming was involved in early
planning for the 1951 Japanese Census. He was asked by the
Department of the Army to assist in this census. While he was
there, his expertise in quality control techniques, combined with
Deming's business philosophy is summarised in his famous “14 his involvement in Japanese society, led to his receiving an
Points”, which have inspired significant changes among a invitation from the Japanese Union of Scientists and Engineers
number of leading companies in the world striving to compete in (JUSE) for his lectures. A number of Japanese manufacturers
the world's increasingly competitive environment. applied his techniques widely and experienced unheard-of
levels of quality and productivity. The improved quality,
INTRODUCTION combined with the lowered cost, created new international
demand for Japanese products.
William Edwards Deming (1900–1993) was an American
statistician, college professor, author, lecturer and consultant. When Deming declined to receive royalties from the
Deming is widely credited transcripts of his 1950 lectures, JUSE established the Deming
with improving production Prize (1950) to repay him for his services. The Deming Prize –
in the US during World War especially the Deming Application Prize, which is given to
II, although he is perhaps companies – has exerted an immeasurable influence directly or
best known for his work in indirectly on the development of quality control and quality
Japan. From 1950 onwards management in Japan.
he taught top management
in Japan how to improve WORK IN THE US
design (and thus service), Ford Motor Company was one of the first American
product quality, testing and corporations to seek help from Deming. In 1981, Ford recruited
sales through various Deming to help jump-start its quality movement. Ford's sales
methods, including the were falling. Between 1979 and 1982, Ford had incurred $3
application of statistical billion in losses. Deming questioned the company's culture and
methods and hypothesis the way its managers operated. To Ford's surprise, Deming
testing. talked not about quality but about management. He told Ford
that management actions were responsible for 85 percent of all
Deming made a problems in developing better cars.
significant contribution to
W. Edwards Deming Japan's later renown for In a letter to Autoweek Magazine, Donald Petersen, then
innovative high-quality products and its economic power. He is Ford Chairman, said, “We are moving toward building a quality
regarded as having had more impact on Japanese manufacturing culture at Ford and the many changes that have been taking
and business than any other individual not of Japanese heritage. place here have their roots directly in Dr. Deming's teachings.”
Despite being considered something of a hero in Japan, it was By 1986, Ford had become the most profitable American auto
only at the time of his death that he was beginning to win company. For the first time since the 1920s, its earnings had
widespread recognition in the U.S. Deming was the author of exceeded those of arch rival General Motors (GM). Ford had
Out of the Crisis (1982–1986) and The New Economics for come to lead the American automobile industry in
Industry, Government, Education (1993), which includes his improvements. In the following years, Ford confirmed that its
System of Profound Knowledge™ and the 14 Points for success was not a fluke, for its earnings continued to exceed
Management (described below). those of GM and Chrysler.

40 PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011

DEMING'S 14 KEY PRINCIPLES
Deming offered 14 key principles of management for
transforming business effectiveness. In summary:
r Create constancy of purpose towards improvement of a
product and service, with a plan to become competitive and
stay in business. Decide to whom top management is
responsible.
r Adopt the new philosophy. We are in a new economic age.
We can no longer live with commonly accepted levels of
delays, mistakes, defective materials and defective
workmanship.
r Cease dependence on mass inspection. Require, instead,
statistical evidence that quality is built in (prevent defects
instead of detecting defects).
r End the practice of awarding business on the basis of price
tag. Instead, depend on meaningful measures of quality
along with price. Eliminate suppliers that cannot provide
statistical evidence of quality.
r Find problems. It is the management's job to work
continually on the system (design, incoming materials,
composition of material, maintenance, improvement of
machine, training, supervision, retraining).
r Institute modern methods of training on the job.
r The responsibility of the foreman must be to change from
sheer numbers to quality, which will automatically improve
productivity. Management must prepare to take immediate
action on reports from the foreman concerning barriers
such as inherent defects, poor maintenance of machines,
poor tools and fuzzy operational definitions.
r Drive out fear, so that everyone may work effectively for the
company.
r Break down barriers between departments. People in
research, design, sales and production must work as a team
to foresee problems of production that may be encountered
with various materials and specifications.
r Eliminate numerical goals, posters and slogans for the
workforce, asking for new levels of productivity without
providing methods.
r Eliminate work standards that prescribe numerical quotas.
r Remove barriers that stand between the hourly worker and
his right to pride of workmanship.
r Institute a vigorous programme of education and
retraining.
r Create a structure in top management that will push every
day on the above 13 points.
QUOTATIONS UNSCRAMBLED
r “There is no substitute for knowledge.” There is a need to
know more, about everything in the system. It is considered
as a contrast to the old statement, “There is no substitute
for hard work” by Thomas Alva Edison (1847–1931).
Instead, a small amount of knowledge could save many
hours of hard work, just as knowing a password could save
hours trying to remember or getting the password
reauthorised or reset.
r “The most important things cannot be measured.” The
issues that are most important in the long-term cannot be
measured in advance. However, they might be among the
factors that an organisation is measuring, without being
understood as the most important at the time.
r “Experience by itself teaches nothing.” This statement
emphasises the need to interpret and apply information
against a theory or framework of concepts that is the basis
for knowledge about a system. It is considered as a contrast
to the old statement, “Experience is the best teacher”. To
Dr. Deming, knowledge is best taught by a master who
explains the overall system through which experience is
judged; experience, without understanding the underlying
system, is just raw data that can be misinterpreted against a
flawed theory of reality.
r “Devise a policy of acceptable defects rather than waste
efforts on zero-defect goals”. Dr. Deming stressed the
importance of establishing a level of variation, or
anomalies, acceptable to the recipient (or customer) in the
next phase of a process. Often, some defects are quite
acceptable, and efforts to remove all defects would be an
excessive waste of time and money.
r “The worker is not the problem. The problem is at the top
Management!” Deming states that workers represent only
15 percent of the problem and that “system” is responsible
for the other 85 percent. The “system” is the responsibility
of management. Instead of blaming production and service
problems on the work force and demanding that workers
work harder to do their jobs in the way they were taught,
management should evaluate the system and work to
transform it. The essence of quality management is the
ability to treat problems of the system and of the people
simultaneously.
a
PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011 41
PT Panorama

Cement industries in India

ndia, world's second largest cement producer after China, is

I the home to a number of top cement companies. As various

infrastructure projects, road networks and housing projects
are coming up, many of which are backed by the government,the
cement industry in India is growing at a great pace these days.
With the capacity of 151.2 Million Tones (MT), the Indian
cement industry is truly big in size and hence accommodates a
number of cement companies in the market. Not only that, more
growth is further expected in the coming years, which will also
lead to the growth of top cement companiesin India.

The Indian cement industry is largely dominated by a few

companies. The top 20 cement companies account for almost
70% of the total cement productionof the country. During April-
September 2009, the Indian cement companies produced 11
MT cement, whereas the total cement product in the country in
FY09 was 231 MT. It is further expected to reach 236.16 MT in
FY11 and 262.61 MT in FY12.
ABOUT CEMENT INDUSTRY IN INDIA
Indian Cement Industry has seen both ups and downs.
However, its competitiveness and tendency
to grow for achieving a technologically
sound status has helped the industry see an
impressive increase in export. Today, export
of Indian cement may see further growth on
account of an expected increase in
production and consumption level. The
industry is predicted to grow by 9 to 10%
along with bringing stabilizationin rates.
ABOUT EXPORT OF CEMENT FROM INDIA
But, along with that, growth in Indian cement export has also
been the result of the varieties that are produced here. Ordinary
Portland Cement (OPC), Portland Blast Furnace Slag Cement
(PBFS), Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC), Rapid Hardening
Portland Cement, Oil Well Cement, Sulphate Resisting Portland
Cement and White Cement are some of the types of cement that
are availablehere.
Some cement plants have even gone an extra mile in their
endeavor to launch committed jetties in order to promote huge
transportationand export.
COMPARATIVE OUTLOOK OF EXPORT OF CEMENT FROM
INDIA
During 2007-08, the export of cement from India touched
the 2.16 million tonnes mark. However during 2008-09, the
cement export from India stood at 1.46 million tonnes.

Abounding in about 130 big and 300 small cement plants,
India's cement production capacity stands at 167.36 million
tonnes. Currently, the cement industry in India is positioned at
number 2 in the world. With incorporating modern techniques
in the production, the Indian cement industry has not only been
able to meet domestic demands but also serving well to the
international arena. Undoubtedly, the credit for this can be
attached to the superlative quality of the cement produced in
India, which in turn has helped in registeringboom in exports.
In spite of seeing fall during 2008-09, the export segment of
the industry is expected to grow again on account of various
infrastructure projects that are being taken up all over the world.
TYPES OF CEMENT IN INDIA
The booming cement industry in India is well recognizedfor
producing vast varieties of cement that conform to Bureau of
Indian Standards (BIS).

42 PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011

VARIETIES OF CEMENT IN INDIA
There are some varieties in cement that always find good
demand in the market. To know their characteristics and in
which area they are most required, it will be better to take a look
at some of the details given below.

Portland Blast Furnace Slag Cement (PBFSC): The rate

of hydration heat is found lower in this cement type in
comparison to PPC. It is most useful in massive construction
projects, for example- dams.

Sulphate Resisting Portland Cement: This cement is

beneficial in the areas where concrete has an exposure to
seacoast or sea water or soil or ground water. Under any such
instances, the concrete is vulnerable to sulphates attack in large
amounts and can cause damage to the structure. Hence, by White cement: It is a kind of Ordinary Portland Cement.
using this cement, one can reduce the impact of damage to the The ingredients of this cement are inclusive of clinker, fuel oil
structure. This cement has high demandin India. and iron oxide. The content of iron oxide is maintained below
0.4% to secure whiteness. White cement is largely used to
Rapid Hardening Portland Cement: The texture of this increase the aesthetic value of a construction. It is preferred for
cement type is quite similar to that of OPC. But, it is bit more tiles and flooring works. This cement costs more than grey
fine than OPC and possesses immense compressible strength, cement.
which makes casting work easy.
Apart from these, some of the other types of cement that are
Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC): Also referred to as availablein India can be classifiedas:
grey cement or OPC, it is of much use in ordinary concrete
construction. In the production of this type of cement in India, r Low heat cement
Iron (Fe2O3), Magnesium (MgO), Silica (SiO2), Alumina r High early strength cement
(AL2O3),and Sulphurtrioxide (SO3) componentsare used. r Hydrophobic cement
r High aluminiumcement
Portland Pozolona Cement (PPC): As it prevents cracks, r Masonry cement
it is useful in the casting work of huge volumes of concrete. The
rate of hydration heat is TOP 10 CEMENT COMPANIES IN INDIA
lower in this cement type.
Fly ash, coal waste or burnt Let's have a look at the top 10 cement companiesin India.
clay is used in the
production of this category r ACC Limited
of cement. It can be availed
at low cost in comparison to r Gujarat Ambuja CementsLimited
OPC. r Ultratech

Oil Well Cement: r Grasim

Made of iron, coke, limestone and iron scrap, Oil Well Cement is r India Cements
used in constructing or fixing oil wells. This is applied on both
the off-shore and on-shore wells. r JK CementLtd
r Jaypee Group
Clinker Cement: Produced at the temperature of about
1400 to1450 degree Celsius, clinker cement is needed in the r Century Cement
construction work of complexes, houses and bridges. The r Madras Cements
ingredients for this cement comprise iron, quartz, clay,
limestoneand bauxite. r Birla Corp.
=
PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011 43
Guestroom

MY GUZAARISH
Lt. Col P. Deogirikar (Retd.)

I had the privilege of viewing Bhansali’s “Guzaarish” last week. A masterpiece all right despite many shortcomings.
The media was full of reviews and experts’ opinions. I neither have the expertise nor the intention to add to it. But I
would like to take a different approach. This movie raises the question, “Should we permit an individual to take
his/her life, if it becomes unbearable?” Now, should we not start from the basics and then reach this ‘life and death’
question? Here is the elaboration.

Birth- Start at the beginning. Does a female fetus in our
society have exactly the same freedom to take birth as the male
one? How many times have you seen a girl being born in a family
after three or even two sons? And have you not seen a boy being
born after two, three or even four daughters? Q.E.D.! When we
don’t give some of them the choice to exist, how can we even
think about the choice of ‘wish-death’ ?
Water- If it is a fact that there is even one well in one village
in this country where particular caste(s) are not allowed, do we
have the moral right of even considering this ‘Guzaarish’
question?
Education- Would you bet that the girls have the same
encouragement in our society to have the education as the boys?
Across the country? Let us admit that the word ‘son’ is
synonymous to ‘career’ here and the daughter to ‘marriage’.
Hasn’t a lady Supreme Court Judge written her daughters
names under liability? So, the girls do not have the freedom to
get educated as they want. The government does acknowledge
this by handing over free bicycles to school-going girls but not
boys! Our collective energies should be spent in getting this
right for all.
Location- I get scores of requests from the parents of the
girls that they should be considered for a job in Indore only. Look
at the logic, ‘Look we have given her education. It is the privilege
of her would be in-laws to decide whether she pursues a career
or not. As for as we are concerned, she works in Indore if she
works!” Case dismissed!
And why only girls, we have considerable number of boys
who do not step out of their home town just to be under the
‘aanchal’ of their mothers! ‘Indorilals’, as they are known, are
ready to sacrifice their career (and later crib about it) just to be
with their parents and just to meet their friends every evening at
‘56 dookan’ or sarafa! And we are talking about giving the right to
die!
Marriage- I thought the scene was changing for better, but
then ‘khap’ happened! Forget about getting married in other
religion, we do not permit them to get married in the same
‘gotra’! If they do, the punishment is ‘death penalty’! And it was a
shock to know that some very formidable members of the society
concur with this view point.

Career- Again, the same discrimination is observed in the

career part. I came across a simple logic from a worried parent of
a daughter who had done MBA in HR. I had found that she did
not have a liking for the subject. I had asked the father as to why
did she take HR then. “Finance is not a woman’s area, marketing
was out of question - she is not supposed to tour a lot, and
computer gave her headaches. So that left only HR.” I had heard
‘management by exception’, here it was ‘career by exception’!

If you want to get an endorsement from Bollywood (may be

Aamir Khan), is not Madhavan declared an engineer in the first
minute after his birth? As someone has said, “Indians do dream
but those are someone else’s dreams!”. When we can’t allow
them to decide on their all-important career, how would we allow
them to take their lives?
‘Guzaarish question’ can only be compared with a question asked
by the car passanger to this woman, “Would you like a best-seller
book instead?”

44 PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011

 Life after Marriage- In some homes we permit the
daughter-in-law to stay alive only as long as she brings in
handsome amounts in dowry. We order her execution if she does
not!
Religion- There may have been a fair dilution now, but can
we still say that each one of us is free to follow the religion of their
choice? Okay, one may have been permitted but who guarantees
(peace after Ayodhya judgement may have been an aberration)
that we will not pick up the sword on the slightest of provocation?
Regionalism- We have strong reservations when one
citizen from one province lands into another for job or business.
All sorts of noises are made against it. Law and order is thrown
out of window. Even if we permit, we expect them to take second-
class citizenship there.
Srikrishna Committee submits report
on Telangana
The 5-member Justice Srikrishna Committee has
submitted its report on the separate Telangana state demand to
Home Minister P Chidambaram, who said government will
consult all political parties before taking an "appropriate"
decision on the issue.
The two-volume report, prepared by the
Committee after extensive discussions
with political parties and other
organisations in the state over the past 11
months, was submitted a day before the
Committee's term was to expire.
Chidamba ram sa i d t h a t t h e
government will consider the report
carefully and begin the process of
consultations with all political parties
before taking appropriate decisions on
the report.
"The report is in two volumes. The
report will be carefully studied in the
Ministry of Home Affairs and will be shared
with the ministries or departments concerned of the
government.
The government has great faith in the wisdom, maturity and
tolerance of the people of Andhra Pradesh, he said.
Corruption- At the end of blotched 2010, we are compelled
to ask ourselves, “Is it really possible for any one to have an
honest business in this country?”
And I can go on to picking many more such ‘basic’ questions
which need our attention. The gist is, let us first take care of
these issues before we spare our time and energy in asking that
terminal question.
Let other matured societies
(may be Bhansali makes movies
for them!) think about this
question, we should get back to
the basics! Once we get at least
partial solutions to these
questions, we will welcome Mr. Bhansali to our desk.
a
The Home Minister said that all political parties and
groups have given an assurance that they will maintain peace,
harmony and law and order. "We welcome and believe these
assurances".
He said that he has noted that there was some concern about
the deployment of security forces.
"Let me assure the people of Andhra
Pradesh that the deployment of security
forces is a purely precautionary measure.
They will remain in the force headquarters or
police stations as a reserve force."
Earlier, the five-member committee held its last
sitting and is understood to have finalized the contents
of the much awaited report.
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh reviewed the political
and security situation in the state with his senior cabinet
colleagues.
Govt issues directive to all television channels. Meanwhile,
Information and Broadcasting Ministry has issued a directive to
all television channels in the country to be objective and act with
restraint while reporting on the Telangana issue. Ministry said
there should not be any provocative broadcast that could stir up
emotions of people without reason.
a
PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011 45
 Facts about Indian Budget
r The word Budget is a derivative of
the Middle English word 'Bowgette'
& French word 'Bougette, which is a
derivative of 'Bouge', meaning
“LEATHER BAG”.

r Budgets have always been

presented on the last day of February. So B-day is always on
February 28, except on leap years when it is presented on
February 29. However, last year, the Budget was presented
on February 26 as 28th was a Sunday.

r Of course, there are occasions when instead of a full-

fledged Budget, an interim budget is presented. On
occasions, a vote on account is presented in place of a
Budget: this is done during an election year. The full or
interim Budget, as the case may be, is presented by the new
dispensation that has been voted to power.
r R K Shanmukham Chetty presented independent India's
first budget. R K Shanmukhan Chetty served as the finance
minister in Jawaharlal Nehru's Cabinet between 1947-49.
r The highly confidential Budget papers are printed at
finance ministry's own printing press. The press at the
basement of the building, becomes a forbidden area. A week
before the budget is presented, the employees of the press
stay in the ministry and have no means of communicating
with the outside world.

r On November 26, 1947, Chetty r The finance minister is required to submit the Budget to
presented the first Budget of the Parliament usually on the last working day of February
independent India. Actually, it was so that the Lok Sabha has one month to review and modify
a review of the economy and no new the Budget proposals.
taxes were proposed as the Budget
day for 1948-49 was just 95 days r The Budget proposed by the finance minister comes into
away. effect after parliamentary discussion on the Budget has
been completed by April 1.
r Chetty resigned in 1949 due to differences with the then
prime minister Pandit Jawarharlal Nehru. r Indira Gandhi has been India's only woman finance
minister for a year from 1970 to 1971.
r The Budget is discussed in two stages in Lok Sabha. First,
there is the general discussion on the Budget as a whole. r Moraji Deasi has presented the
This lasts for about four to five days. maximum number of Budgets,
He has presented 8 Budgets.
r Only the broad outlines of the Budget and the principles (Under Nehru and three years
and policies underlying it are discussed at this stage. The under Indira Gandhi). He holds
'Annual Financial Statement' is laid on the table of Rajya a unique record of presenting 2
Sabha at the conclusion of the speech of the finance budgets on his birthday
minister in Lok Sabha. (29/2/1964 and 29/2/1968).

46 PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011


r C D Deshmukh was the first Indian Governor of the
Reserve bank of India to have presented the Interim Budget
for 1951-52.
r Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Indian prime minister to
present the Budget when he was in charge of the finance
ministry in 1958-59. Indira Gandhi and Manmohan Singh
too held the finance portfolio.
r Many Indian finance ministers later became prime
ministers. Morarji Desai, was twice the finance minister of
India – 1959-64 and 1967-70. He served as the prime
minister from 1977 to 1979. Chaudhary Charan Singh
became the prime minister in late 1979, having held the
finance portfolio earlier the same year.
r V P Singh was finance minister from 1985 to 1987 and prime
minister from 1989 to 1990.
r Two finance ministers, Yashwant Sinha and Manmohan
Singh have presented 5 budgets in a row.
r R Venkataraman was the only Finance Minister who later
became the President of India.
r Yashwant Sinha has the distinction for maximum rollbacks
in the Union Budget that was presented in 2002; he went
back on at least five budget proposals.
r Finance Minister who has been for 13 days is Jaswant Singh.
r Rajiv Gandhi presented
the budget for 1987-88
after V P Singh quit his
government.
r Manmohan Singh, in his
annual budgets from
1992-93, liberalised the
economy, encouraged
foreign investments and
reduced peak import duty from 300 plus per cent to 50 per
cent.
r Until 2000, the Union Budget was announced at 5 pm on
the last working day of the month of February.
r This practice was inherited from the British, when their
Parliament would pass the budget in the noon, followed by
India in the evening of the day. Yashwant Sinha changed the
timing to 11 a.m.
r The Union Budget of India for the year 1997-98, presented
on February 28, 1997 by the Finance Minister P
Chidambaram, was hailed as a 'Dream Budget'. The budget
unveiled a road map for economic reforms in India.
Chidambaram lowered income tax rates, got rid of the
surcharge on corporate tax and reduced corporate tax rates.
r The 1965-66 budget contained the first disclosure scheme
for black money.
r In 1950-51 budget, the then Finance Minister John Mathai
announced the creation of the Planning Commission.
r Budget papers began to be
prepared in Hindi from 1955-
56.
r India has had 28 finance
ministers since
Independence.
r Of 17 Budgets since 1991-92, on 10 occasions the stock
markets fell in the one month following the Budget.
r In the present history, budget is the political tradition which
is steeped in every part of human life.
r The government of India makes its own guidelines and also
some outlines for the budget for the next upcoming years.
r There will be two economic forecasts to which the
government treasury will be legally bound.
a
PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011 47
PT Panorama
Problem-solving Skills
Introduction
In the digital age business organizations are being
challenged by global competition, as well as technological and
social change, to solve bigger, tougher problems faster, better,
and cheaper than ever. Improved problem-solving capability is
the. Ultimate competitive advantage and the best organizations
are increasing the sophistication with which they systematize
their problem-solving processes. Individuals who wish to lead
organizations or build successful careers in the digital age will
need to build their understanding of problem-solving as a field
in itself.
Sophisticated problem-solving is based on simple
essentials
Knowing how simple
elements generate complex
results is the ultimate source of
power. Three primary colours
blend to make up the paintings
and films that capture our
imagination. Two binary states
are the foundation of the digital
processing that underpins the
information age.
In the same way, there are six
essential skills involved in human
problem-solving: generating mindset, acquiring "knowledge,
building relationships, managing problems, creating solutions,
and delivering results. The tougher, larger and more demanding
a problem or opportunity is, and the faster and more competitive
your environment is, the more important these skills become.
One is not talking about the 'old' problem-solving
–traditional cookbook approaches that are small-scale, linear,
deficiency-oriented and tactical. What is talked about is a 'new',
rapidly-evolving definition of problem-solving that
encompasses large-scale, nonlinear, opportunity-oriented and
strategic work. This is problem-solving in the age of biotech, the
Web, smart materials, and the global economy.
48 PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011
In an era when information technology is one’s primary tool,
knowledge the strategic asset, and problem-solving the
paramount skill, problem-solving ability is now the most
sought-after trait in up-and-coming executives, according to a
recent survey of 1,000 executives by Caliper Associates, reported
in the Wall Street Journal by Hal Lancaster. To put it bluntly, if
one is not a problem-solver, one’s career potential is limited.
The Problem-solving Journey
The problem-solving journey is referred to because the
mixture of problem-solving and adventure blends two rich
sources of knowledge into one. After all, every problem is an
adventure, involving a movement from situation A to situation B,
and every adventure is a problem to be solved, involving a
movement from point A to point B. Exactly like an adventure,
problem-solving is a journey from a starting point to some
distant destination. It is a journey into the unknown through fear
and exhilaration, confidence and disappointment.
Thinking of the solutions of problems (or opportunities) as
journeys brings the topic alive. Professional knowledge about
problem-solving is, by definition, abstract. But the language,
images, ideas, and principles of adventure and exploration make
it accessible and invest it with the drama that real problem-
solvers experience: the disciplined planning, the long waits, and
the moments of crisis and celebration. Moreover, since we
people have all traveled, this metaphor helps them tap into their
own undiscovered sources of wisdom about the principles and
practices of problem-solving journeys.
The Difference between the best and the worst
problem-solvers
The difference; between the best and the worst problem-
solvers is how many of the six essentials they can marshal (by
themselves or with others"), and how deeply the skills are
understood, individually and collectively. Poor problem-solvers
understand the skills incompletely and therefore cannot
marshal a complete capability; great problem-solvers know the
skills well enough to pull together and manage all six, or exhibit
one in great depth as part of a team.

The journey from novice to world-class expert in any field
begins by understanding the six essentials, practicing them,
mastering them at one level, and then moving on towards the
limits of one’s potential.
At some point in this process, the best problem solvers rise
above their profession in a multi disciplinary fashion. Each of
the six essentials represents a bundle of habits, skills, and
knowledge that come together in problem-solving
'personalities'. Each personality draws its strength from a variety
of specialities and professions.
The six personalities serve as a convenient way to assess
oneself and others that one works with. They allow one to
determine your own personal mix of strengths and weaknesses
and how one can put together complete problem-solving
capability. Great problem-solvers know their strengths and
weaknesses, and they build teams to compensate for them,
creating wholes that are equal to or greater than the sum of their
parts.
The Six essentials of problem-solving
Generatethemindset(theinnovator)
The innovator ionizes on moving from self doubt to
innovation by developing potent ideas and attitudes, above
all through seeking out alternative points of view. The ability to
do this improves the effectiveness in moving creatively
through a problem-solving effort. An innovator's potent
mindset sets the stage for discovery, because the combination of
commitment and open-mindedness generates the widest
possible: field of opportunities to consider,
Leading innovators such as Dee Hock founder of VISA
international, Jeff Bozos of Amazon.com, and John Sealy Brown
of Xerox PARC epitomize the Innovator's mindset Great
companies known for a History of innovation, such as 3M.
IDEO, and Proctor & Gamble, have made it a pervasive art of
their culture.
Knowtheterritory(thediscoverer)
The discoverer concentrates on moving from innovation to
insight by asking the right questions and getting good, timely in-
librarian. Better knowledge helps one determine problems more
effectively, choose the best routes, and identify what's at stake. A
discoverer's knowledge of a territory brings understanding and
insight, which reveal the most likely problems and opportunities
in higher relief. With more investigation, the causes and
implications of those problems become more, apparent.
Leading discoverers such as Craig Venter of Celera
Genomics, Motel Prize winner Dr Eric Wiesehaus, or Gordon
Moore of Intel are examples of what outstanding discovery can
produce. Great companies and universities that have built a
foundation on research and discovery include Bell Labs, MIT,
and CalTech.
Buildtherelationship(thecommunicator)
The communicator deals with how to move from insight to
community by cultivating quality communication and
interaction-and so creating an ever-expanding circle- of
relationships based on service, loyalty, and identity. Through
their mastery of relationship building, communicators connect
potential journeys to their actual implications for real people.
They help determine whether a problem-solving efforts are
worth-while for worry, and why. Then they generate a core group
that will tackle the journey and a network that will support the
effort.
Great communicators like Franklin Roosevelt or Winston
Churchill demonstrate the power of communication and
relationship building in tackling historic problems. Companies
that have built worldwide reputations for service because of
their attention to communication include L.L. Bean, Hallmark
Cards and Doll.
Managethejourneys(theplaymaker)
The playmaker focuses on moving from building a
community to giving that community a sense of direction and
clear priorities by choosing destinations and strategic fostering
an understanding at the stages of any problem-solving journey
helps people to set goals, define success and develop effective
plans. Playmakers take the attitude, knowledge and people
brought into play and shape the destinations, direction and
strategies to make the journey a reality. Playmakers such as
Nelson Mandela, Colin Powell and Jack Welch demonstrate the
power of leadership in directing problem-solving efforts.
Companies like Kleiner, Perkins Venture Capital, McKinsey &
Company, and American Airlines have institutionalized that
leadership in a way that has lasted over decades of business
success.
Createthesolutions(thecreator)
The creator shows how to move from leadership to power by
PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011 49
 achieving full resolution and not on redesign, unplanned
maintenance or changing requirements.

Great performers such as Lou Gerstner in business,

Reinhold Messer in mountain climbing and Isabelle Autissier in
sailing show the character and wisdom it takes to deliver great
performances. Companies like Federal Express and McDonalds
have built empires on the precision and consistency of
performance over time.

MAKING IT HAPPEN
r Master the six problem-solving essentials and the stages of
any problem-solving journey so that you can locate yourself
designing, building, and maintaining optimal solutions. in problem-solving situations and organize your attack on
Creators help to bring the best technology, people and tools the problem
together in complete, flexible solutions that will fit the problem
one is trying to solve. A creator takes the requirements and goals r Diagnose yourself to understand your strengths and
of a playmaker, which define the journey, and works out what it weaknesses and how to compensate for them. Do a tree
will take to get the group where they want to go. When there is diagnostic self-assessment to find out what type of
more innovation and better knowledge, when there are richer problem-solver you are at-www.exolve.com
relationships and better-defined problems, then solution design
is more focused and efficient. r Move in the new direction, and fill the gaps in your
problem-solving team.
Great creators such as Bill Gates and Paul Allen, Steve Jobs,
Steve Wozniak, and Thomas Edison exemplify the passion, Conclusion
talent and will required to build new solutions. Companies such
as Microsoft, Toyota and General Electric have built corporate The new professional economy is placing an increasing
systems and cultures that sustain quality creative ability over premium on the mind, body and soul of the adventurer the
long periods of time. problem-solver–on people who can conceive, organizes, and
lead expeditions that add value to society, business and
Delivertheresults(theperformer) humanity. These problem solvers have an adventurer's blend of
The performer concentrates on moving from power to innocence and wisdom, self-reliance and a willingness to
sustainable advantage through intuitive and disciplined collaborate, professional competence and the capacity to scale
implementation which allows him/her communally to exceed new peaks, as well as the resilience to persevere through
expectations. Performers can help to conquer complexity, uncharted territory.
friction and scale with simplicity, discipline and a competitive
edge. Performers take the goals and strategies of the playmaker And just as in the old economy or the next economy after this
and the solutions of the creator and work to achieve lull one, no amount of buzz, momentum or technology will cover the
resolution of the problem. Innovation, knowledge and well- lack of problem-solving essentials for long. True problem-
developed relationships aid in their efforts. When all the other solving capability is what drives enduring advantage in any field,
roles arc done well, the performer is able to focus completely on at any time, in any place.
=
Facebook
Facebook's user base is constantly growing and now it reaches more than 300 million active Facebook users. With 50 million
mobile users Facebook wants you to stay connected to your friends and family whereever you go. The interesting fact is that
Facebook just recently started making profits (in 2009). Enormous expenses and growing databases pushed Facebook inventors to
re-invent their advertising market. 2009 was the great year for Facebook, even this being the year of greatest recession since 1930's.
We, as users, hope that Facebook will continue working on privacy issues and never share our individual information with
companies and government agencies. Soon we can expect voice chat directly from Facebook.

50 PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011

 Brand icon

Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

Fact File
Founders: Sam Walton.
Distinction: Parlayed retailing innovations into worldwide
dominance.
Primary Products: Softgoods, hardgoods, electronics,
groceries..
Numberof employees: 2,100,000.
Majorcompetitors: Costco Wholesale, Kmart, Target.
Chairman: S. Robson Walton;
Chairmanof the ExecutiveCommittee: H. Lee Scott Jr.
CEOand President: Mike Duke
Headquarters: Bentonville, Ark.
Year founded: 1962.
Web site: www.wal-mart.com.
Still, Walton persevered and his vision proved a winner long

O n a crisp fall day in 1983, just about all of the 9,300

residents of Bentonville, Ark., turned out to toast the
neighbors who made good. It was Sam and Helen
Walton Appreciation Day. A rousing parade with bands and floats
was organized to honor the locals who changed the course of
retailing–and the town they called home. Portraits of the couple
were everywhere. The newspaper printed a special souvenir
edition. President Reagan phoned to offer congratulations. And
the Waltons happily soaked it all up from a reviewing stand on
Main Street, directly across from the site where they opened a
five-and-dime store in 1950.
Things, of course, had gone rather well during the ensuing
three decades for Sam Walton and the Wal-Mart discount chain
he later founded from this spot in the Ozarks. He was already
considered the king of retail. And in just two years, Forbes
magazine would declare him America's richest man.
But the start of Wal-Mart may have caused Walton to wonder
whether he had indeed chosen the proper career path. The very
same year he broke ground on his first Wal-Mart Discount City
in Rogers, Ark., three other major chains–Kmart, Woolco and
Target–also opened their doors. And when Walton launched his
second store in nearby Harrison, two truckloads of promotional
watermelons that were spread along the sidewalk exploded
ominously in the summer heat.
before his death in 1992 at age 74. By the turn of the century, his
company was selling everything from sporting goods and
apparel to auto accessories and groceries. Its three types of
stores (traditional discounters, superstores, and membership
warehouses) were omnipresent across the globe, with some
4,000 operating in all 50 states and nine countries from Canada
to China. Along with a fledgling Web site with tremendous
potential, the combination solidly cemented Wal-Mart's position
as the world's number-one retailer.
While some critics have blasted it for destroying small mom-
and-pop stores, Wal-Mart has nonetheless done much to benefit
neighbors and employees. And, for better or worse, it has
certainly changed the face of retailing.
It seems that Samuel Moore Walton always was destined for
greatness. The son of a farm-mortgage broker, he was the
youngest Eagle Scout ever in his native Missouri. He was also
president of his high school student council, as well as
quarterback of its state-champion football team. As a young boy
he dreamed of becoming U.S. president, and as a teenager,
yearned to seek an M.B.A. from the prestigious Wharton School.
Economic realities got in the way, however, and three days after
his 1940 graduation from the University of Missouri, he
accepted a management trainee position at a J.D. Penney store in
Des Moines, Iowa.

PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011 51


The work was hard and the salary was just $75 a month. But
the challenge and potential convinced Walton from the start that
business in general–and retailing in particular–was the key to his
future. He became even more confident of that when the chain's
founder, James Cash Penney, dropped in one day and personally
taught the young man how to tie an appealing package with
minimal twine and paper. The dual lesson of hands-on
management and corporate frugality impressed Walton greatly.
These lessons would stay with him for the rest of his life.
Walton left the business world briefly for a stint in the Army.
Upon his release in 1945, he bought a Ben Franklin variety store
in Newport, Ark. (He wanted to open in St. Louis, he said later,
but Helen wouldn't move to a town with more than 10,000
residents.) Walton quickly became the consummate small-town
merchant, catering to his neighbors' specific tastes and needs.
At the same time, he began seeking out sources around the
region who offered these goods at prices lower than his official
suppliers. After working in the store all day, he would hitch a
trailer or his car and drive across the state line into Tennessee
and Missouri in search of the products desired by his customers.
He'd then price them as cheaply as possible and quickly sell out
his entire inventory.
Walton, of course, had discovered the essence of
discounting: by cutting prices, sales increased and profits
soared. The folks at Ben Franklin didn't like it, but customers
certainly did. In less than five years, Walton's store had become a
huge success. His landlord, however, decided that it would make
a perfect business for his own son. He refused to renew the
store's lease. Walton–who had no place else to move in the tiny
town–was forced to sell out and start fresh somewhere else. He
settled on the even smaller Bentonville, he noted in his memoirs,
because it offered access to the hunting seasons in four states.
Around this time, he had read of two “self-service” discount
stores in Minnesota, and decided after visiting them that his new
Bentonville shop should also feature open merchandise racks
with checkout registers at the front. He called it “Walton's Fie
52 PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011
and Dime,” and promoted it with specials, such as a dozen
clothespins for 9 cents. Eager customers came from day one,
and kept coming every day after that.
By 1960, Walton and his younger brother, James L. “Bud”
Walton, owned 15 such stores tallying $1.4 million in total annual
sales. But Mr. Sam, liked them to be the massive discount stores
cropping up in urban areas from coast to coast, which were
selling more types of items at lower prices than any of their
competitors. When one encroached on his Arkansas territory,
Walton knew he had to act. And on July 2, 1962–at the age of
44–he opened Wal-Mart No. 1 in Rogers.
Everyone thought Walton's dream of brining the discount
concept to small rural towns was crazy. He and Helen were
forced to co-sign all the loan notes, pledging their home and
property as security. But the idea caught on. Within five years he
had 19 such stores including one in his old haunt of Newport
(where the landlord's son's Ben Franklin had since closed). By
contrast, Kmart opened in 250 locations during the same period.
It steadfastly ignored towns with populations under 50,000,
which gave Wal-Mart free rein to exploit its chosen niche.
Walton focused on utilizing everything that he had learned
over the past two decades. Each store catered to local tastes and
featured locally made goods. All honored hometown
achievements and supported neighborhood charities.
Employees were called “associates” and offered generous
profit-sharing plans. Shoppers were personally greeted upon
arrival. Building designs were minimal; product variety was
paramount. And, most importantly, prices were the absolute
lowest they could be. The combination helped Wal-Mart
flourish. And in 1970, it went public.
The subsequent cash influx pushed the company's growth
into high gear. It funded a self-contained ordering and
distribution system, which helped serve the increasingly out-of-
the-way locations that traditional suppliers wouldn't touch. It
also made the founders very rich, but didn't alter their values or
plans one bit. Like his former boss James Cash Penney, Walton
strove to visit every store at least once a year. And even though he
bought airplanes to do so (he piloted them himself), he still
drove around Bentonville in a Ford Pickup. “ Am I supposed to
haul my dogs around in, a Rolls–Royce?” he once asked.
By the 1980s, Wal-Mart began implementing a
computerized sales and inventory system that made it even more
efficient. It quickly became the envy of the retail industry.
Through it all, Walton remained in close touch with every facet
of his burgeoning operation. He would still don a Wal-Mart cap
and name tag and travel from store to store, pumping up
associates with his famous cheer (Give me a W… Give me an
A…) and questioning them on prices and sales percentages. If a
competitor opened nearby, he would slip off the cap and name

tag and anonymously check it out. Often, he would treat hourly
employees to lunch. And he once took dozens of donuts to a
distribution center at 2:30 a.m., so he could pick the brains of
night workers on the loading dock. Walton was first listed as
America's richest man in 1985. However, he hated the tag so
much that he distributed his billions among family members to
shed it. The only thing that proved beyond his indefatigable
BRAZIL STRIKER RONALDO
Career highlights of former Brazil striker Ronaldo, who
announced his retirement from soccer in Sao Paulo on
February 14, 2011.
r Born, September 22, 1976 on outskirts of Rio de Janeiro.
r Together with Zinedine Zidane, he is the only player to have
won the FIFA World Player of the Year award on three
occasions (1996, 1997 and 2002). He also won the European
Footballer of the Year award twice (1997 and 2002).
r Won two World Cups (1994, 2002) for Brazil and holds the
record for goals scored in World Cup tournaments with 15.
Also won the Copa America twice representing Brazil (1997,
1999).
r Won his first cap for Brazil as a 17-year-old and went on to
score 62 goals in 97 international appearances.
r Suffered a mysterious illness hours before the 1998 World
Cup final in France but after first being named as a
substitute, he was included in the starting lineup. He played
badly and Brazil lost 3-0 to France.
r Had problems with his knees throughout his career,
undergoing surgery while at Inter Milan and AC Milan.
Spent almost two years out of the game while recovering
from surgery after his knee buckled in the Italian Cup final
against Lazio in April 2000.
spirit, in fact, was the bone cancer that eventually felled him less
than one month after President Bush gave him the Presidential
Medal of Freedom. Bush called him “an American original who
embodied the entrepreneurial spirit and epitomized the
American dream.”
David Glass had replaced Walton as CEO four years earlier.
Before accepting his current position as chairman of the
executive committee at the start of 2000, Glass infused the
company with renewed energy by adding hundreds of
supercenters (which combine full-line groceries with the
discount stores). He also expanded the Sam's Club
membership-only warehouse concept initiated in 1983. He
cemented Wal-Mart's position as the number-two company in
the Fortune 500 by expanding internationally. It is now the top
retailer in Canada and Mexico, as well as the United States.
Wal-Mart's impressive success, though, really continues
because it still closely follows the tenets originally laid out by its
legendary founder.
=
r His best season came at Barcelona in 1996-97 when he
scored 47 goals in 49 games. Totalled more than 400 goals in
his career with seven clubs having made his debut at
Cruzeiro.
r His moves to Barcelona (USD 19.5 million) and Inter Milan
(USD 27.9) were both then world record fees. Real Madrid
paid 43 million euros (USD 58.26 million) for him in August
2002.
r Won only one league title in his first season at Real Madrid.
Never won the European Cup but won the Cup Winners'
Cup with Barcelona, the UEFA Cup while at Inter and the
old Intercontinental Cup with Real Madrid.
r Married Brazilian female footballer and model Milene
Domingues in December 1999. The couple had a child,
Ronald, and were divorced four years later. In 2005, got
engaged to Brazilian model Daniella Cicarelli, marking the
occasion with a lavish St Valentine's celebration at a French
chateau. The couple split up three months later.
r Following another knee operation while at AC Milan, he
returned to Brazil and joined Corinthians in 2009 but an
arrival heralded as key in the team's bid to win South
America's Libertadores Cup for the first time ended in
disappointment with only the lesser Copa Brasil and Paulista
(Sao Paulo) state titles.
PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011 53
 General knowledge
1. MAC in computer terminology stands for 8. Morphology is the study of
(1) Macintosh Advanced Computer (1) the effects of the drug morphine
(2) Menu Added Control (2) shape-shifting life forms
(3) Media Access Control (3) the replication of cells
(4) Microsoft Application Core (4) the physical structure and form of things

2. The ancient Indian text Panchasiddhantika deals with the 5 9. World Population Day is observed on
principles of which among the following? (1) December 12
(1)Vedic Rituals (2) October 8
(2)Philosophy (3) May 21
(3)Astronomy (4) July 11
(4)Medicine
10. Who is known as the father of modern economics?
3. The source of “Satyameva Jayate” is (1) Adam Smith
(1) Bhagavad Gita (2) John Maynard Keynes
(2) Ashoka Pillar (3) Thomas Robert Malthus
(3) Rigveda (4) Karl Marx
(4) Mundaka Upanishad
11. “A Tale of Two Cities” was written by
4. “Ariel” laundry detergents is a product of (1) Willian Shakespeare
(1) Dabur (I) Ltd. (2) Geoffrey Chaucer
(2) Marico Industries Ltd. (3) Charles Dickens
(3) Unilever Ltd. (4) Thomas Jefferson
(4) Procter & Gamble
12. The President is administered the oath of office by
5. Which automobile company launched “Libero”? (1) the Chief Justice of India
(1) Maruti Udyog Ltd. (2) the Prime Minister
(2) Lohia Machines Ltd. (3) the Vice-President of India
(3) Tata Motors Ltd. (4) None of the above
(4) Yamaha Ltd.
13. “Tejas” is a lightweight multirole jet fighter developed by
6. India's permanent station in Antartica is (1) France
(1) Manas Gangotri (2) Russia
(2) Dakshin Gangotri (3) Brazil
(3) Kanchenjunga (4) India
(4) Sagar Kanya
14. The scientist, who discovered that the earth revolves round
7. The Indus Valley houses were built of the sun, was
(1) bamboo (1) Newton
(2) bricks (2) Dalton
(3) wood (3) Copernicus
(4) stone (4) Einstein

54 PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011

15. Who is the 10th Managing Director of the International 22. The current chairman of the Film and Television Institute
Monetary Fund? of India (FTII) is
(1) Rodrigo Rato (1) U. R. Ananthamurthy
(2) Dominique Strauss-Kahn (2) Sharmila Tagore
(3) Santosh Kumar (3) Pankaj Rag
(4) Y. K. Modi (4) Anupam Kher

16. What is the ratio between width and length of the Indian 23. Name the business area in which the French company,
flag? Peugeot is operating
(1) 1 : 2 (2) 2 : 3 (1) Banking
(3) 5 : 7 (4) 4 : 5 (2) Toys
(3) Automobiles
17. Who was the chief guest at the Republic Day Parade in (4) None of these
2011?
(1) Vladimir Putin 24. The McMohan line is the boundary line between which
(2) Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono two countries?
(3) King Abdullah (1) India and Bangladesh
(4) Gordon Brown (2) India and Nepal
(3) India and China
18. At present, Subramanian Ramadorai is the Chairman of (4) India and Pakistan
which body?
(1) Bombay Stock Exchange 25. Who, out of the following rulers, did not embrace
(2) SEBI Buddhism?
(3) State Bank of India (1) Ashoka
(4) National Stock Exchange (2) Harsha
(3) Kanishka
(4) Samudragupta
19. Who, among the following, are appointed by the President
of India?
26. Zaveri Sisters are famous in the field of
I. Governors of states
(1) Manipuri dance
II. The Chief Justice and judges of High Court
(2) Mural painting
III. The Chief Justice and judges of Supreme Court
(3) Classical music
IV. Vice-President
(4) Sculpture
(1) I and II
(2) I, II and III
27. The velocity of light was first measured by
(3) I, III and IV
(1) Einstein
(4) I, III and IV (2) Newton
(3) Romer
20. Who, among the following are appointed by the President of (4) Galileo
India?
I. Chairman, Finance Commission 28. NCERT stands for
II. Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission (1) National Committee of Educational Research and
III. Chief Minister of a Union Territory Training
(1) I only (2) National Council of Educational Research and
(2) I and II Training
(3) I and HI (3) National Council of Education Rural Training
(4) II and III (4) None of the above

21. Bharat Natyam, the classical dance form, comes from the 29. The name of Professor Guru Dutt Sondhi is known behind
state of the foundation of which among the following?
(1) Tamil Nadu (1)Olympic Association of India
(2) Assam (2)Asian Games Federation
(3) Punjab (3)Indian Premier League
(4) Uttaranchal (4)Indian Badminton League

PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011 55

30. With which sports is Pankaj Advani associated? 38. By whose efforts did Buddhism become a global religion?
(1) Gymnastics (1) Bindusara
(2) Football (2) Ashoka
(3) Billiard (3) Harsha
(4) Boxing (4) Kanishka

31. 'Bishop' is the term associated with which sports 39. “Xenophobia” means fear of
(1) Cricket (1) religion
(2) Polo (2) strangers
(3) Chess (3) genetic diseases
(4) Golf (4) opposite sex

32. Which of these has brands like CellOne for its mobile 40. “Straight from the Heart” is the autobiography of
services, Bfone for fixed line telephone and Tarang for (1) Imran Khan
CDMA-based WLL limited mobility phones? (2) Kapil Dev
(1) Reliance Comm (3) Richard Hadlee
(2) MTNL (4) Ian Botham
(3) BSNL
(4) Bharti Airtel 41. The biggest producer of uranium in the world is
(1) France
33. At present, who is the chairman of the State Bank of India (2) India
(3) Canada
(SBI)?
(4) Zaire
(1) S K Bhattacharya
(2) Abhijit Dutta
42. Who benefits the most from inflation?
(3) Bharti Rao
(1) Government pensioners
(4) O P Bhatt
(2) Creditors
(3) Saving bank account holders
34. Which among the following exchanges launched the
(4) Debtors
TASIS SHARIAH 50 Index?
(1)National Stock Exchange
43. Which is the deepest point on the Earth's crust?
(2)Dubai Stock Exchange (1) Mariana Trench
(3)Bombay Stock Exchange (2) Tonga Trench
(4)Singapore Stock Exchange (3) Grand Canyon
(4) None of these
35. Which advertising agency devised the campaign for the
change of brand name Hutch to Vodafone? 44. After the Chauri-Chaura incident Gandhiji called off the
(1) Rediffusion DYR non-cooperation movement because
(2) Ogilvy & Mather (1) The people were fed up with the movement.
(3) J Walter Thompson (2) He did not want the movement to turn violent.
(4) McCann Ericsson (3) He realized that the government had almost crushed
the movement.
36. The Indus Valley Civilization is associated with (4) The masses did not display the desired enthusiasm.
(1) Egyptians
(2) Sumerians 45. The human face has .......... number of bones.
(3) Chinese (1) 10 (2) 4
(4) Mesopotamians (3) 14 (4) 20

37. We can know about early Vedic period from 46. Shivaji was coronated at
(1) Archaeological excavations (1) Raigard
(2) Jatak Katha (2) Aurangabad
(3) The Rig Veda (3) Peshawar
(4) Contemporary culture (4) Bundela

56 PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011

47. Zero tax rate would produce zero revenue and a 100% tax 52. What is the name of the DTH service launched by the
rate would also generate zero revenue, because there would Chennai-based Sun TV Group?
be no incentive to work. This principle is also known as (1) Sun Sky
which among the following? (2) Sun Satellite
(1) Beveridge curve (3) Sun Network
(2) Hubbert curve (4) Sun Direct
(3) Laffer curve
(4) Engel curve 53. Which entertainment channel was in the news for
launching a nationwide contest for India's first space
48. Which among the following kinds of Chemical reactions tourist?
cause the rocks turn red or yellowish? (1) Zee Café
(1) Hydration (2) Zone Reality
(2) Oxidation (3) Bindass
(3) Carbonation (4) Zee
(4) Exfoliation
54. BigStreet is the out-of-home (OOH) advertising venture of
49. Consider the following statements regarding the Capital which company?
Inflows: (1) Reliance, Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG)
1. Current Account flows are permanent while Capital (2) Mudra
Account Flows are reversible (3) Nimbus
2. Current Account flows arise out of transactions in (4) Sahara India
services while Capital account inflows arise out of
transactions in goods. 55. Which is the first magazine from Conde Nast, world's
3. The Government needs to keep a close eye on the leading publisher of lifestyle and fashion magazines, to be
Capital Account flows because they may get reversed. launched in India?
(1) Vogue
(2) Glamour
Which among the above statements is/ are correct?
(3) Condé Nast Traveller
(1) Only 1 & 3
(4) Vanity Fair
(2) Only 2 & 3
(3) Only 1
56. Indian Army Chief Vijaya Kumar Singh was recently
(4) All 1, 2 & 3
conferred honorary rank of General of which among the
following armies?
50. Consider the following statements:
(1) Nepal
1. An Indian Depository Receipt (IDR) declares
(2) Bhutan
ownership of shares of a Foreign Company
(3) Bangladesh
2. An Indian Depository Receipt is essentially traded in (4) Sri Lanka
Indian Rupees.
3. An IDR can be converted into Underlying shares with 57. Which company has signed a memorandum of cooperation
approval of RBI to set up petrol stations at Future Group malls and to
establish Food Bazaars at its petrol pumps?
Which among the above statements is / are correct? (1) IOC
(1) Only 1 & 2 (2) BPCL
(2) Only 2 & 3 (3) HPCL
(3) Only 1 & 3 (4) IBP
(4) All 1, 2 & 3
58. Which company has acquired the polyester and textile
51. Which among the following is the largest oil producer of the manufacturing assets of Malaysia-based Hualon
Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries? Corporation?
(1) Saudi Arabia (1) Tata Chemicals
(2) Venezuela (2) Aditya Birla Nuvo
(3) Canada (3) Arvind Mills
(4) Iran (4) Reliance Industries Ltd

PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011 57

59. Which of these owns the Star Bazaar hypermarket brand in 67. Which company has branded its automotive batteries as
India? “Powerzone”?
(1) Trent (1) Standard Furukawa
(2) Future Group (2) Amara Raja
(3) Shopper's Stop (3) Exide Industries
(4) Reliance Retail (4) Tata Autocomp Systems Ltd (TACO)

60. Which company owns the rural retail chain, Hariyali Kisaan 68. To which company does the brand “Baby Dreams” belong?
Bazaar? (1) Wipro Consumer Care
(1) DCM Shriram (2) J L Morison
(2) ITC Agro (3) Hindustan Unilever
(3) Mahindra & Mahindra (4) Johnson & Johnson
(4) Chambal Fertilisers
69. Which famous cosmetics company has launched its Visage
61. Which famous European company was founded by cousins range of products?
of Communist ideologue Karl Marx? (1) L'Oreal
(1) Siemens (2) Oriflame
(2) Philips (3) Maybelline
(3) Bayer (4) Nivea
(4) Volkswagen
70. Which of the following is not a brand owned by Shahnaz
62. Which company owns the “Ambi Pur” brand of air Hussain?
fresheners? (1) Veda Dynamics
(1) Reckitt Benckiser (2) Kaya Skin clinics
(2) Godrej Sara Lee (3) Shahnaz Herbal
(3) Marico Industries (4) Forever Beautiful
(4) Hindustan Unilever
71. Right to Safety, Right to information, Right to Choose,
63. “Air Wick” is the air freshener brand from which company? Right to be heard & Right to Seek Redressal are the
(1) Reckitt Benckiser essential components of which among the following?
(2) Godrej Sara Lee (1) Fundamental Rights in the Constitution of India
(3) Marico Industries (2) The Consumer Protection Act
(4) Hindustan Unilever (3) The Essential Commodities Act
(4) Prevention of Corruption Act
64. How many Gold medals were won by India in 2010 Asian
Games ? 72. During the last 60 years, how many General Elections have
(1) 14 (2) 16 been conducted by the Election Commission of India?
(3) 18 (4) 20 (1) 14 (2) 15
(3) 16 (4) 17
65. Which business family owns the world's oldest active
sailing ship, “The Foundroyant” that started its life in 73. Which company exports marine products under the
Mumbai in 1817? “Shogun”, “Hima”, “Gold Seal” and “Tara” brands?
(1) Wadia (1) Godrej Agro
(2) Tata (2) Nestle India
(3) Godrej (3) Temptation Foods
(4) Bajaj (4) Hindustan Unilever

66. Which company has tied up with lifestyle design company 74. Which company has launched sugar-free Choco Zoo,
Giorgio Armani for designing its portable devices? Bindaaz and Fundoo brands?
(1) Samsung (1) Nestle India
(2) Sony (2) Amul
(3) Nokia (3) Britannia
(4) LG (4) Parry's

58 PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011

75. E L Rothschild Ltd and Del Monte Pacific Ltd are joint 83. Who owns The Trident Hotel brand in India?
venture partners of which corporate group? (1) Eastern India Hotels
(1) Reliance Industries Ltd (2) Tata Group's Indian Hotels
(2) Bharti (3) ITC Hotels
(3) Godrej (4 Park Hotels
(4) AV Birla
84. Who is the Chief Information Officer of the Central
76. Which of the following is not a snack brand owned by Information Commission, which deals with issues related
PepsiCo Company Frito Lay? to the Right to Information Act (RTI)?
(1) Lays (1) S. Gopalswamy
(2) Bingo (2) Wajahat Habibullah
(3) Kurkure (3) A.N. Tiwari
(4) Uncle Chipps (4) Padma Balasubramanian

77. Which retailing company has introduced the snacks brand 85. Which company has launched “Penryn” chips?
“Tasty Treat”? (1) American Micro devices (AMD)
(1) Pantaloon (2) Intel
(2) Reliance Retail (3) Texas Instruments
(3) Subhiksha (4) Samsung
(4) Shopper's Stop
86. Which company has launched its “Barcelona” processor?
78. Which beer giant operates in India through its fully-owned (1) American Micro devices (AMD)
subsidiary, South Asia Breweries? (2) Intel
(1) Carlsberg (3) Texas Instruments
(2) Anheuser-Busch (4) Samsung
(3) Heineken
(4) Scottish & Newcastle 87. Which company has acquired the American PC maker,
Gateway?
79. Approximately what fraction of India's trade by volume is (1) Hewlett Packard
moved by sea? (2) Acer
(1) 70% (2) 80% (3) IBM
(3) 90% (4) 95% (4) BenQ

80. The US-based $26-billion Bunge Ltd owns which cooking 88. Which Indian PC maker has launched a range of
oil brand in India? supercomputers under the brand “Supernova”, in
(1) Dalda association with the US-based Z RESEARCH Inc.?
(2) Dhara (1) HCL
(3) Saffola (2) Zenith
(4) Postman (3) Wipro
(4) Moser Baer
81. Which company owns “Paradiso” that markets luxury
holiday packages for affluent Indians? 89. Which IT company has introduced its social networking
(1) Cox & Kings site called “Mash”?
(2) Captain Cook (1) Microsoft
(3) Club Mahindra (2) Yahoo
(4) Sahara India (3) Google
(4) America Online
82. Ritz Carlton Hotel and Campton Palace acquired by Indian
Hotels in 2007 belong, respectively, to which American 90. Which of these has introduced its personalised e-mail
states? service in India?
(1) Boston, San Francisco (1) Microsoft
(2) New York, Seattle (2) Yahoo
(3) Las Vegas, Washington DC (3) Google
(4) Atlanta, Honolulu (4) America Online

PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011 59

91. Which Japanese company has introduced Robina, the 1.2 99. Which management guru first used the term “strategic
metre tall humanoid robot? architecture” to refer to an organisation's blue print for
(1) Toshiba developing new competencies and capabilities?
(2) Toyota (1) Peter Drucker
(3) Hitachi (2) Alvin Toffler
(4) Honda (3) Tom Peters
(4) Gary Hamel
92. Recently, a commemorative stamp was released by the
Department of Posts in honor of T N Rajarathinam Pillai. 100. In ancient India, the area around which among the
He was world famous exponent of which among the following modern areas was known as "Golden
following instruments? Chersonese" ?
(1) Mridangam (1) Kashmir, Hindukush, Afghanistan
(2) Nadaswaram (2) Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Burma
(3) Saraswati veena (3) Australia, New Zealand
(4) Violin (4) Iran, Iraq and Persian Gulf

93. What is the new name of TV 18 Group? 101. Where is the Caparo School of Excellence for
(1) Newsline18 Manufacturing and Material Technology located?
(2) Network18 (1) Ludhiana
(3) Media18 (2) Amritsar
(4) News18 (3) Chandigarh
(4) Jalandhar
94. How many states of India are covered under the National
Horticulture Mission?
102. Which PC peripheral was introduced by Douglas
(1) 18 (2) 20
Ingelbart?
(3) 22 (4) 25
(1) Keyboard
(2) Flat monitor
95. Which Australian Cricketer has signed up to be the brand
(3) Modem
ambassador of the lubricant “Valvoline”?
(4) Mouse
(1) Ricky Ponting
(2) Brett Lee
(3) Adam Gilchrist 103. Which well-known beverage brand, now owned by Coca
(4) Mathew Hayden Cola, was introduced by John M Fox of Florida Food
Corporation in 1945?
96. Which oil marketing company has launched “Aadhaar (1) Fanta
Express” in association with Godrej Aadhaar? (2) Minute Maid
(1) Bharat Petroleum (3) Georgia Coffee
(2) Indian Oil (4) Sprite
(3) Reliance Industries Ltd
(4) Hindustan Petroleum 104. Which university in the UK has conferred an honorary
degree on former President, Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam?
97. What does Gokaldas supply to leading global brands? (1) University of Sheffield
(1) Marine food (2) University of Warwick
(2) Apparel (3) Wolverhampton University
(3) Cosmetics (4) Lancaster University
(4) Toys
105. Which bank, in association with the RBI, has introduced
98. Which district in Gujarat is to be bifurcated to create an all- “Raju and the Money Tree”, a comic book about the basics
tribal district? of banking?
(1) Surat (1) ICICI Bank
(2) Vadodara (2) State Bank of India
(3) Ahmedabad (3) IDBI Bank
(4) Dahod (4) Bank of Baroda

60 PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011

106. What is the trade name of polytetrafluoroethylene? 114. “Chandragiri” is a variety of which cash crop?
(1) Nylon (1) Silk
(2) Teflon (2) Coffee
(3) Rayon (3) Pepper
(4) Rexene (4) Rubber

107. Which mission marked an attempt by the British 115. Where are the headquarters of "Organization for Security
government to secure Indian cooperation and support for and Co-operation in Europe"?
their efforts in World War II? (1) Paris
(1) Rowlett Act (2) Astana
(2) Cripps Mission (3) Vienna
(3) Wavell Plan (4) Auckland
(4) Cabinet Mission Plan
116. The World Military Cup organized by the International
108. Which company owns the Bravia brand of LCD TVs? Military Sports Council (CISM) involves which among the
(1) Sony (2) LG following sports?
(3) Samsung (4) Philips (1) Cricket
(2) Football
109. Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu showcases the architecture (3) Volleyball
of which dynasty? (4) Basket Ball
(1) Pallava
(2) Chola 117. Which of the following facts about the Yangtze River in
(3) Chalukya China is/are true?
(4) Rashtrakuta
I. It is the longest river in Asia
II. It is the second longest in the world, after the Nile in
110. Which institution publishes the World Investment Report
Africa
every year?
III. It flows from its source in Qinghai Province and
(1) World Trade Organization (WTO)
drains into East China Sea
(2) International Monetary Fund (IMF)
(3) United Nations Conference on Trade and
(1) I, II and III
Development (UNCTAD)
(2) I and II only
(4) World Bank
(3) II and III only
(4) I and III only
111. Which economist became the first Indian to be awarded
Brazil's highest civilian honour, “Commander of the Order
of the Southern Cross” for pioneering VAT in Brazil? 118. Which company is setting up a 4000 MW Ultra Mega Power
(1) Parthasarathi Shome Project at Sasun in Sidhi District of Madhya Pradesh?
(2) C Rangarajan (1) GMR Infrastructure
(3) Vijay Kelkar (2) Reliance Power
(4) Ashok Lahiri (3) Tata Power
(4) NTPC
112. Who is Zahi Hawass?
(1) Novelist 119. The Lumière brothers were pioneers in which industry?
(2) Zoologist (1) Automobile
(3) Archaeologist (2) Motion pictures
(4) Journalist (3) Printing and publishing
(4) Aviation
113. In Financial Language, Fixed to Floating and Floating to
Floating are used in context with which among the 120. Indian Petrochemicals Ltd is a subsidiary of which
following? company?
(1) Interest rates (1) Reliance Industries Ltd
(2) Swaps (2) Indian Oil Company
(3) Foreign Exchange Rates (3) Essar Oil
(4) None of them (4) Bharat Petroleum

PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011 61

121. Who among the following former Prime Ministers of India, 129. Which South India based business family had set up FACT
never remained a Chief minister of Indian state? (Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore Ltd) in 1940s and is
(1) Morar Ji Desai now a leader among fertiliser companies in India?
(2) Chandra Shekhar (1) Murugappas
(3) V P Singh (2) Seshasayees
(4) P V Narsimharao (3) Chettiars
(4) Iyengars
122. Which popular brand of vegetable oil is marketed by Amrit
Corp Ltd? 130. In which of the following years, did the first commercial
(1) Gagan civil aviation flight take place in India between Allahabad
(2) Postman and Naini?
(3) Dalda (1) 1910
(4) Dhara (2) 1911
(3) 1915
123. Which leading beer company has acquired Kolkata-based (4) 1921
Parag Breweries through its India investment vehicle,
South Asia Breweries? 131. Which is the wrong pairing of a famous brand name and an
(1) Carlsberg apparel range for women?
(2) Heineken (1) Allen Solly–Allen Solly Women's Wear
(3) SABMiller (2) Color Plus–Color Plus Woman
(4) Foster (3) John Players–John Players Women's Wear
(4) Park Avenue–Park Avenue Woman
124. Which is the brand introduced by the Sweden-based direct
selling cosmetics company in India? 132. Which MNC cement company holds controlling stakes in
(1) Oriflame ACC and Ambuja Cement–two of the three largest cement
(2) Amway companies in India?
(3) Avon (1) Holcim
(4) Mary Kay (2) Lafarge
(3) Holdersbank
125. The National Highways in India cover which among the (4) Cemex
following fractions of India's total Road Network?
(1) 1.7% (2) 2.7% 133. Which corporate group set up National Organic Chemical
(3) 3.7% (4) 5.7% Industries (NOCIL) and Polyolefins Industries Ltd (PIL)
with American and German collaboration, respectively, in
126. Which company has launched its Superia range of natural the 1960s?
soaps and shampoos? (1) Wadia
(1) ITC (2) Mafatlal
(2) Godrej Soaps (3) GD Birla
(3) Wipro Consumer Care (4) Ramnath Goenka
(4) Marico
134. Which European country holds sovereignty over
127. Where in Tamil Nadu is Lord Swraj Paul's 125-acre Caparo Greenland?
industrial complex located? (1) Canada
(1) Sriperumbudur (2) Norway
(2) Kanchipuram (3) Denmark
(3) Chidambaram (4) Sweden
(4) Pudukkottai
135. Which was the first Indian company to list at the New York
128. Which company owns the mineral water brand “Oxyrich”? Stock Exchange (NYSE) in 1999?
(1) Manikchand (1) Reliance
(2) Mount Everest Mineral Water (2) TISCO
(3) T-Series (3) Bajaj Auto
(4) Bisleri (4) Larsen and Toubro

62 PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011

136. Which well-known financial publication is owned by media 144. Which founder of a large South India based industrial
group Pearson? group started off as a distributor of imported cars in 1920s
(1) The Financial Times and acquired the sole selling agency of US automobile
(2) Wall Street Journal giant, General Motors, in 1930?
(3) BusinessWeek (1) TV Sundaram Iyengar
(4) The Economist (2) M A Chidambaram
(3) S. Anantharamakrishnan
137. What is the Millennium Express? (4) A M Murugappa Chettiar
(1) A subsidiary of Air India for Gulf routes
(2) India's first high speed maglev train 145. Which of the following is not a brand name of Matsushita
(3) A cargo service started by Shipping Corporation of Electronic Corporation?
India (1) Panasonic (2) Olympus
(4) India's first privately-owned train (3) National (4) Technics

138. IndiaSoftware Labs (ISL) is the R&D unit of which 146. When the Central Bank feels that the asset prices in the
company in India? country are near a bubble situation, it will most probably
(1) IBM take which of the following steps?
(2) Intel (1) Inject liquidity in the system by conducting Open
(3) Microsoft Market Operations
(4) Media Lab Asia (2) Extract liquidity from the system by buying out
rupees
139. The cigarette brands “Chancellor”, “Panama”, “Style” and (3) Inform the Government to tone down the market
“Flair” belong to which company? borrowings
(1) Golden Tobacco India (4) All of above measures will be taken
(2) Godfrey Philips India
(3) Vazir Sultan Tobacco 147. In the Budget session, which among the following is known
(4) Indian Tobacco Company as 'guillotine'?
(1) General discussion on the Budget
140. Where is the headquarters of the Pakistan army located? (2) The speaker puts all the outstanding demands to vote
(1) Quetta (3) The opposition expresses desire to bring a cut
(2) Islamabad motion
(3) Rawalpindi (4) The demand for grants are cut by Re. 1
(4) Lahore
148. Consider the following statements about a well known
141. What is the name of the first tri services Joint exercise of Economist:
Indian Armed Forces conducted in 2009? 1. He is the winner of Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics for
(1) TIRANGA I developing the New Trade Theory and New Economic
(2) SANGAM Geography.
(3) AKASHGANGA 2. He has been a vehement critic of US Economic policies,
(4) MADAD II repeatedly criticized the Bush tax cuts
3. He appeared in a 2010 comedy film "Get Him to the Greek"
142. Maximum Jute mills are located in which of the following
states? Identify this famous personality:
(1) West Bengal (1) Paul Krugman
(2) Assam (2) Joseph Stiglitz
(3) Andhra Pradesh (3) Peter A. Diamond
(4) Uttar Pradesh (4) Thomas Schelling

143. Which were the first products manufactured by the then 149. Which among the following is the 2010 Word of the Year by
Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO)? American Dialect Society?
(1) Wagons and boilers (1) Tweet
(2) Locomotives (2) Spillion
(3) Automobile spare parts (3) App
(4) Tractors and trucks (4) Google

PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011 63

150. Consider the following statements: 152. Indian Navy and which among the following Navies have
1. Companies use the Sweat Equity for retaining best regularlyconductedjointexercisesnamed'INDRA'since2003?
employees (1) Russian
2. The sweat equity issued during a year should not exceed (2) UK
15% of the total paid-up capital of the company or a value of (3) US
Rs. 5 crore, whichever is higher. (4) Australia
3. To issue sweat equity above this level, the approval from the
Central Government is required 153. Whose name is associated with the Muslim communalism
which helped the British Government to follow the policy
Which among the above statements is / are correct? of 'Divide and Rule'?
(1) 1 & 2 (1) Sayyid Ahmed Khan
(2) 1, 2 & 3 (2) Rammutullah Muhammed Sayani
(3) 2 & 3 (3) Badrudin Tyabji
(4) 1 & 3 (4) None of the above

151. Which among the following is the correct order of 154. The Union Cabinet has recently approved declaration of
decreasing agricultural sector contribution in the GDP of which among the following dates to be celebrated every
the IBSA countries? year as the "National Voters' Day"?
(1) India, Brazil, South Africa (1) 24 January
(2) India , South Africa, Brazil (2) 25 January
(3) Brazil, India, South Africa (3) 27 January
(4) South Africa, Brazil , India (4) 28 January
=
Answers to General knowledge
1. Ans.(3) 26. Ans.(1) 51. Ans.(1) 77. Ans.(1) 103. Ans.(2) 129. Ans.(2)
2. Ans.(3) 27. Ans.(2) 52. Ans.(4) 78. Ans.(1) 104. Ans.(3) 130. Ans.(2)
3. Ans.(4) 28. Ans.(2) 53. Ans.(3) 79. Ans.(4) 105. Ans.(1) 131. Ans.(3)
4. Ans.(4) 29. Ans.(2) 54. Ans.(1) 80. Ans.(1) 106. Ans.(2) 132. Ans.(1)
5. Ans.(4) 30. Ans.(3) 55. Ans.(1) 81. Ans.(4) 107. Ans.(2) 133. Ans.(2)
6. Ans.(2) 31. Ans.(3) 56. Ans.(1) 82. Ans.(1) 108. Ans.(1) 134. Ans.(3)
7. Ans.(2) 32. Ans.(3) 57. Ans.(1) 83. Ans.(1) 109. Ans.(1) 135. Ans.(1)
8. Ans.(4) 33. Ans.(4) 58. Ans.(4) 84. Ans.(2) 110. Ans.(3) 136. Ans.(1)
9. Ans.(4) 34. Ans.(3) 59. Ans.(1) 85. Ans.(2) 111. Ans.(1) 137. Ans.(4)
60. Ans.(1) 86. Ans.(1) 112. Ans.(3) 138. Ans.(1)
10. Ans.(1) 35. Ans.(2)
61. Ans.(2) 87. Ans.(2) 113. Ans.(2) 139. Ans.(1)
11. Ans.(3) 36. Ans.(2)
62. Ans.(2) 88. Ans.(3) 114. Ans.(2) 140. Ans.(3)
12. Ans.(1) 37. Ans.(3)
63. Ans.(1) 89. Ans.(2) 115. Ans.(3) 141. Ans.(4)
13. Ans.(4) 38. Ans.(2)
64. Ans.(1) 90. Ans.(1) 116. Ans.(2) 142. Ans.(1)
14. Ans.(3) 39. Ans.(2) 143. Ans.(1)
65. Ans.(1) 91. Ans.(1) 117. Ans.(4)
15. Ans.(2) 40. Ans.(2) 144. Ans.(1)
66. Ans.(4) 92. Ans.(2) 118. Ans.(2)
16. Ans.(2) 41. Ans.(3) 67. Ans.(2) 93. Ans.(2) 119. Ans.(2) 145. Ans.(2)
17. Ans.(2) 42. Ans.(2) 68. Ans.(2) 94. Ans.(1) 120. Ans.(1) 146. Ans.(2)
18. Ans.(1) 43. Ans.(1) 69. Ans.(4) 95. Ans.(1) 121. Ans.(2) 147. Ans.(2)
19. Ans.(2) 44. Ans.(2) 70. Ans.(2) 96. Ans.(1) 122. Ans.(1) 148. Ans.(1)
20. Ans.(2) 45. Ans.(3) 71. Ans.(2) 97. Ans.(2) 123. Ans.(3) 149. Ans.(3)
21. Ans.(1) 46. Ans.(1) 72. Ans.(2) 98. Ans.(1) 124. Ans.(1) 150. Ans.(2)
22. Ans.(1) 47. Ans.(3) 73. Ans.(4) 99. Ans.(4) 125. Ans.(1) 151. Ans.(1)
23. Ans.(3) 48. Ans.(2) 74. Ans.(2) 100. Ans.(2) 126. Ans.(3) 152. Ans.(1)
24. Ans.(3) 49. Ans.(1) 75. Ans.(2) 101. Ans.(4) 127. Ans.(3) 153. Ans.(1)
25. Ans.(4) 50. Ans.(4) 76. Ans.(2) 102. Ans.(4) 128. Ans.(1) 154. Ans.(2)

64 PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011


Pandit Bhimsen Joshi
P andit Bhimsen Joshi, who holds a legendary status in
Indian Classical music, was born in Gadag (Karnataka)
on 4 February 1922. His unique style and mastery over
ragas has made him unparallel to any other vocalist in the
country.
A conservative schoolmaster's son, Bhimsen Joshi had a
passion for music even from his early childhood. The little boy,
deeply moved by a recording of Abdul Karim Khan, the founder
father of the ' Kirana gharana', was later destined to become an
accomplished jewel of the gharana. He left home in 1932 and was
on the move for the next two years in search of a guru. He
travelled to Bijapur, Pune, Gwalior where he tutored under
Ustad Hafiz Ali Khan, the well-known sarodiya and father of
Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, then to Calcutta, Punjab and back home,
only to goad his father into sending him to Sawai Gandharva for
training.
In 1936, Joshi started his rigorous training under Sawai
Gandharva (Pandit Rambhan Kundgolkar), the eminent Khyal
singer student of Abdul Karim Khan at Kundgol, near Gadag.
The maestro taught him the basics of Khayal singing. The
tutoring, spanning several years, honed his inborn talent and
helped him attain his mastery over ragas.
Joshi's rendition of 'Mile Sur Tumhara' along with other
doyens of music–Balmurli Krishna and Lata Mangheskhar–
virtually became an unofficial national anthem in a humble way
in 1988, and captured the hearts of millions of Indians. Louis
Banks and the late P Vaidyanathan, a classically trained
musician, got the right fusion of music for the song that was
beamed on Doordarshan to countless homes.
Rise to fame: Joshi’s meeting with vocalist Begum Akhtar
fetched him a job as a staff artiste at Lucknow radio station
where he became friends with shehnai player Ustad Bismillah
Khan. In 1943, he moved to Mumbai, but his real break came in
1946 at a concert to mark the 60th birthday of Sawai Gandharva.
His guru and the audience appreciated the performance.
Bhimsen started as a recording artiste in 1944 with HMV
when the company released two Hindi and two devotional songs
in Kannada. He recorded prolifically for the company and in
1984 became the first Hindustani vocalist to win a platinum disc.
Profile
Big Breaks & Achievements:
Bhimsen Joshi first performed live
at the age 19. His debut album,
containing a few devotional songs in
Kannada and Hindi, was released
when he was 20. Joshi has added his
own distinctive style excelling in
gamakar, meend and tanakriya and
adapting characteristics from other
gharanas to create a unique vocal
idiom.
He has started an annual
classical musical festival called the Sawai Gandharva Music
Festival in the memory of his guru. This festival is held in Pune
every December.
Three documentaries: There are three documentaries on
him. The first was in 1965 by M Louis, a Dutch film producer
who was deeply intrigued by Panditji after hearing him. He came
to India and made a film that was shown all over in the West. The
second documentary, called Raga Miyan Malhar', was made by
Canadian businessman James Beveridge. It portrays the
maestro singing just raga Miyan Malhar.
The third is a conventional 45-minute documentary shot in
1993 by noted poet Gulzar, which bagged the national award.
Panditji has sung on occasions of national importance. He,
along with Lata Mangeshkar, performed at Parliament house on
the 50th anniversary of India's independence.
Awards and accolades:
There have been many awards. The nation's highest civilian
award Bharat Ratna was conferred on him in 2008, Padma Shri in
1972, Padma Bhushan in 1985 and Padma Vibhushan in 1999.
The Maharashtra government honoured him with the
Maharashtra Bhushan in 2002. In between, he also received the
Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 1975 and was made a fellow in
1998. The Madhya Pradesh government awarded him the
Tansen Sanman award in 1992. The Karnataka Rathna was
presented to him in September 2005. His voice opened the short
film on national integration ‘Mile Sur Mera Tumhara’ and the
second film on Des raga also became equally popular.
a
PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011 65
 Business trivia
r Volkswagen's Bugatti, costing
upwards of Rs 16 crore, is
India's most expensive car.
r From January 1, 2011, India
extended “visa on arrival”
facility to nationals of
Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines and Laos.
r The Union government has okayed two new naval bases on
the eastern coast of India, at Paradip (Orissa) and
Tuticorin (Tamil Nadu).
r The International Cricket Council (ICC) and Castrol,
the world's leading lubricant company, have announced an
agreement that makes Castrol the official performance
partner of ICC, with a unique presence at all ICC cricket
events for the next five years.
r The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)
has raised the application limit for retail investors to Rs 2
lakh, from Rs one lakh.
r The International Renewable Energy Conference was held
in New Delhi in October 2010.
r India became a sectoral dialogue partner with ASEAN in
1992. It became a full dialogue partner in 1995. India and
ASEAN have been holding annual summits since 2002.
The 8th India-ASEAN Summit was held in Hanoi,
Vietnam on October 29, 2010.
r Bharat Diamond Bourse in Mumbai is said to be the
world's largest bourse, with all the essential
facilities–cutting, polishing, trading, banking and
customs–under single roof.
r World Standards Day and World Sight Day are
observed on October 14.
r “Conversations with Myself ” has been written by
former South African President Nelson Mandela.
66 PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011
r Krishna Poonia won India's first
Commonwealth Games athletics
gold, in 2010 Games, after Milkha
Singh in 1958.
r T h e R a i l C o a c h f a c t o r y,
Kapurthala, has rolled out India's
first AC double-decker rake from its
premises. The first AC double-decker train has been
introduced between Howrah (West Bengal) and
Dhanbad (Jharkhand).
r Finance Minister of India, Pranab Mukherjee has won
2010 Finance Minister of the Year for Asia award,
conferred by Emerging Markets, part of Euromoney
Institutional Investor Plc.
r World Mental Health Day is observed on October 10.
r Three Indian women–all from the corporate sector–find a
spot on the Forbes list of 100 most powerful women in the
world, topped by US First Lady Michelle Obama. Chennai-
born PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi came in at No 6, while
Axis Bank CEO Shikha Sharma and ICICI Bank
Managing Director & CEO Chanda Kochhar were
ranked 89th and 92nd, respectively. Surprisingly missing
from 2010 list is Congress President Sonia Gandhi. She
came in at No 13 in 2009.
r Beijing Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra led the
619-strong Indian contingent in the opening ceremony of
the Commonwealth Games, 2010.
r A high-speed train in China has set a new world speed
record during a trial run. The train hit a maximum of 416.6
km per hour on its journey between Shanghai and
Hangzhou. The train is designed to run at a speed of 350
km per hour.
r Amir Khan's “Peepli Live”, a satire on media's
trivialisation of farmers' suicide, has been selected as
India's official entry at the 2011 Oscars, in the Best Film
category.
r The Union Cabinet has approved
the National Identification
Authority of India Bill, 2010,
which envisages making UIDAI a
statutory body.
r Fi n a n c e M i n i s t e r Pr a n a b
Mukherjee launched the Swavalamban Scheme of Life
Insurance Corporation (LIC) on September 25, 2010.
The scheme seeks to provide pension scheme to the un-
organised sector. Under the scheme, the Central
government will contribute Rs 1,000 per year to each
National Pension Scheme (NPS) account opened in year
2010-11 and for the next three years, till 2013-14.
r The UN Summit on the Millennium Development
Goals, or MDGs, was held in September 2010 at UN
Headquarters in New York, USA.
r Chowmhalla Palace in Hyderabad, spectacular 18th
century monument, has been selected for the Heritage
“Award of Merit” by the UNESCO, for cultural heritage
conservation for 2010.
r The Business Standard Best Business Schools Survey
2010 shows that India's top business schools are: Indian
Institutes of Management in Ahmedabad and Kolkata,
Indian Institute of Foreign Trade in New Delhi, Institute of
Management Technology at Ghaziabad, Management
Development Institute at Gurgaon, National Institute of
Industrial Engineering in Mumbai and XLRI Jamshedpur.
r The Employee Provident Fund trustees have decided to
raise the interest for 2010-11 to 9.5 percent.
r The World Tiger Summit was held in September 2010 in
St. Petersburg, Russia.
r The six living species of Tigers are: Amur, Bengal,
Indochinese, Malayan, South China and Sumatran. The
Bali, Caspian and Javan tigers have become extinct.
r Navodaya Vidyalayas celebrated 25 years of existence in
2010. A befitting match to costly private schools, the
Navodayas have shown in last 25 years how gifted children
with humble means can rise to life.
r India has replaced the US as the second most important
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) destination for trans-
national corporations, according to a survey conducted by
UNCTAD. Global FDI flows are expected to jump from
$1.2 trillion in 2010 to $1.5 trillion in 2011 and $1.6-2.0
trillion in 2012.
r India's first agri-biotechnology institute,
the National Agri Food Biotechnology
Institute (NABI) is being set up in
Mohali, near Chandigarh.
r Rajkot People's Cooperative Bank
does not offer any job to people who smoke cigarette or
eat gutkha. Even the customers with the habits have to pay
higher interest on loans.
r Reliance Industries has been ranked second in the list of
world's 10 biggest 'sustainable value creators'–
companies that have been successful in creating the most
shareholder value over the last decade–prepared by Boston
Consulting Group. Brazil-based mining and materials
giant Vale has been ranked the top value creator.
r “A Journey” is a memoir written by former British Prime
Minister Tony Blair.
r The N.C. Saxena Committee was set up by the Ministry
of Environment and Forests. It details the manner in which
laws were flagrantly flouted to facilitate the Vedanta
Alumina Ltd project in Orissa. The project is
aggressively opposed by the local tribal groups.
r India remained the largest recipient of World Bank loans
in 2009-10. The World Bank, through its lending arms
IBRD and IDA, committed $9.3 billion in financial
assistance to India in 2009-10, more than the aid
committed by the US and European Union. Next in line
were South Africa ($3.8 billion), Brazil ($3.7 billion) and
Turkey ($3.0 billion).
r Airtel has bagged the title sponsorship rights for the India
cricket team's home games for two-and-half years, at a cost
of Rs 3.33 crore per match.
r The 2010 Academic Ranking of World Universities has
ranked Harvard University as the top University of the
world for the eighth year in the annual ranking. Harvard is
followed by University of Cambridge, Yale University,
University College London (UCL), Imperial College
London, University of Oxford, University of Chicago,
Princeton University, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT) and California Institute of Technology.
r As per the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World
University rankings, Cambridge University, UK, is the
top university of the world, followed by Harvard University,
USA, Yale University, US, University College London
(UCL), UK, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
USA, in that order.
a
PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011 67
Logo Story

Adidas
Being the largest sportswear manufacture in Europe as well
as the second largest all over the world, Adidas Company not
only specializes in sportswear but also in bags, shoes, shirts,
clothing and other sports related areas. Adidas logo,
representing the durability and elegance, is a three parallel
striped design that symbolizes the mountain, which is to point
towards the goals and challenges that lie ahead. Adi Dassler,
together with his brother Rudolf Dassler, created the Adidas
logo, aiming to provide the athletes with the finest possible gear.
Started off as a three striped motif in
1967, Adidas logo was imprinted on shoes
only. Following its success, in 1971 it
changed to a Trefoil logo. Later on, it
merged with Salomon, which formulated
the Adidas logo to a combination signifying
both the designs; blue color for Adidas and
red denoting Salomon. Sequentially, the
Adidas logo in 2005 changed itself to a “World mark”, remaining
simple, confident and clear.
ShapeofAdidaslogo:
Adidas logo comprises three
parallel lines symbolizing the
outstanding athletic performance,
reaching out to the goals of
excellence amidst the challenges to
come. It portrays the strong picture
of the Adidas corporate well being.
ColoroftheAdidaslogo:
Black color of the Adidas logo comes as an inspirational
motif to the youth importantly involved in sports and athletic
activities, reviving their spirits and bringing upon a striking
youth culture.
FontoftheAdidaslogo:
Like the design itself, the font of the Adidas logo remains
simple, nevertheless catchy and prominent, with its plain style.
As it is said “The simpler, the better,” Adidas continues to follow
the ritual by maintaining the simple yet innovative design.

DesignelementsofAdidaslogo: Despite the changes it has gone through, Adidas logo still
Adidas logo holds an influential position imposing an remains to be the design known for motivating all groups of
impression of sophistication and durability through its simple young. So far, it has achieved nearly all the goals that the founder
yet impressive design. had dreamt of, but still carries on towards its road of triumph.
=
r Sports brand Adidas was originally founded in1949 by Adi Dassler who began designing sports-orientated shoes, which
were aimed to be stylish yet practical and functional.

r We all recognise Adidas as the label with three stripes and Dassler decided to brand his products with this design because
it was simple and unusual at the time. This proved to be very effective and allows all Adidas products to be immediately
recognisable.

r The president of Adidas today is Eric Stamminger who feels that the success of the Adidas brand is largely due to
Dassler’s genuine passion for sport that enabled him to create a product that other athletes or aspiring athletes would
benefit from. He was also the first person to think of such an innovative idea and product.

r Adidas has recently celebrated its 61th birthday and decades on, the brand maintains its simplistic styling and original
core values which its customers recognise and therefore often stick with Adidas for a number of years.

r It has become a highly recognisable lifestylebrand and the product lines have extended to clothing and accessories.

68 PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011


Jairam Ramesh
J airam Ramesh is the Indian Minister of State
(Independent Charge) for Environment and
Forests and a Member of the Indian Parliament
from Andhra Pradesh in the Rajya Sabha.
He was born on 9 April 1954 at Chikmagalur in
Karnataka. He married K. R. Jayashree in 1981 and
has two sons, Anirudh and Pradyumna. From 2004 to
2009, he was the Minister of State for Commerce and
Industry as well as the Minister of State for Power in the
Congress Party-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA)
government.
He studied public management at Carnegie Mellon
University during 1975-77. He thereafter spent a year at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) studying
technology policy, economics, engineering and management as
part of the newly-established inter-disciplinary technology
policy programme. His undergraduate degree is in mechanical
engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT),
Mumbai in 1975. In 2001, IIT Mumbai presented him with the
Distinguished Alumnus Award.
He is also a member of the National Advisory Council that is
chaired by Smt. Sonia Gandhi. He helped put together the
National Common Minimum Programme of the United
Progressive Alliance (UPA) that came to power in May 2004.
Earlier, he was part of the Congress election strategy team for
the 2004 Lok Sabha elections.
He was former secretary in the AICC, formerly deputy
chairman Karnataka Planning Board (2000-2002), formerly
member of the Rajasthan Development Council (1999-2003),
formerly Economic Advisor to the government of Chattisgarh
(2001-03).
Jairam has earlier been Advisor to the Finance Minister
during 1996-98, Advisor to the Deputy Chairman, Planning
Commission 1992-94 and Advisor to the Prime Minister 1991.
He has served in the Planning Commission, Ministry of
Industry and other economic departments of the Central
government. He has been entrusted with numerous special
assignments like, for example in J&K during 1993-95, for
reorganizing India's international trade agencies in 1990 and for
implementing the technology missions during 1987-89, for
Profile
reorganizing the CSIR in 1986 and for analyzing
energy policy during 1983-85. The present central
government invited him to join the official delegation
to the WTO meeting in Seattle in 1999.
Ramesh has performed multiple roles that
include a brief assignment at the World Bank in 1978,
two stints as an adviser in the Planning Commission,
an officer on special duty during the National Front
administration of the V.P. Singh government and as an official in
the finance ministry headed by Manmohan Singh in the 1990s.
As an environment minister, the suave 56-year-old
technocrat-turned-politician has pitchforked a low-key ministry
into front-page headlines. Be it mega projects like Vedanta and
Posco, the Navi Mumbai airport, GM foods or tortuous climate
change negotiations, Ramesh, India's chief climate change
negotiator, has an uncanny ability to be in the limelight.
He has authored a number of key government reports in
areas as diverse as energy, technology, capital goods, industrial
policy and telecom. He was a key player in the team that
formulated and implemented India's economic reforms in 1991
and 1997. He serves on the boards of a number of public
institutions in India and abroad. He has been a founding
member of the Indian School of Business promoted by
McKinsey in Hyderabad and is a member of the International
Council of the New York-based Asia Society.
He has been a columnist under the pen-name Kautilya in
The Times of India and is the author of the book 'Making Sense
of Chindia'. He has also anchored a number of popular television
programmes on business and the economy including Business
Breakfast and Crossfire.
Ramesh made headlines when he discarded the idea of the
inter-linking of rivers in October 2009. His visit to Bhopal in
September last year put the spotlight on the toxic waste lying
there since the 1984 Union Carbide plant gas leak. Later in April
2010, he announced the setting up of the first National Green
Tribunal in Bhopal.
Whatever critics may say, Ramesh, say insiders, is just the
kind of environment minister India needed when climate
change has climbed to the top of the global agenda.
a
PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011 69
 Cricket World Cup Trivia
r Breaking Sanath Jayasuriya's record,
Mahela Jayawardene hit the fastest
century for Sri Lanka in the World
Cup, off 80 balls, against Canada at
Hambantota.

r Young middle-order batsman Virat

Kohli became the first Indian to score
a century in a World Cup debut match
as he hit an unbeaten 100 against
Bangladesh.

r Virender Sehwag's 175-run knock in

the World Cup opener is the highest by
an Indian batsman against Bangladesh
in ODIs, surpassing Sourav Ganguly's
135 not out off 124 balls at Dhaka on May 30, 2000.
r Kenya's score of 69 against New Zealand in the 2011
World Cup Group A match at MA Chidambaram Stadium
was their lowest total ever in the tournament. Canada
holds the World Cup record of 36 against Sri Lanka in 2003.
r The only time they have faced each other in a World Cup
match before 2011, Bangladesh caused one of the biggest
upsets in 2007 by defeating India and being instrumental in
their early elimination.
r India last defeated Australia in a World Cup match 24
years ago on October 22, 1987. India trumped eventual
champions Australia by 56 runs.
r West Indies legend Vivian Richards is the only player
who had played both FIFA World Cup and ICC World
Cup. Richards represented Antigua in football and West
Indies in cricket.
r Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar batted through the full 60
overs in the opening match of 1975 World Cup against
England at Lord's to score just 36 runs.

r Brett Lee has taken 22 wickets in 10 World Cup matches at r One of the greatest knocks in World Cup history, Kapil
an average of 17.91. He has claimed a wicket every 22.68 Dev's 175 against Zimbabwe during 1983 World Cup, was
balls, or once every fourth over, a strike-rate unmatched by neither recorded nor broadcasted because the BBC
any bowler. cameramen were on strike at the time.

r West Indies batting great Vivian Richards scored 1013
runs in 23 World Cup innings, at an average of 63.31, with a
strike rate of 85. The 138 he scored against England in the
1979 World Cup is considered by Wisden as the best World
Cup innings.
r Kepler Wessels played for Australia in the 1983 World
Cup before playing for South Africa in the 1992 World Cup.
r India's Madan Lal bowled the first ball of the World Cup
history to England's Denis Amiss at Lord's on June 7, 1975.

r Herschelle Gibbs smashed the Dutch leg-spinner Dan r Australia is the only team thus far in the history of World
van Bunge for six sixes in an over in the 2007 World Cup Cup to remain undefeated throughout the World Cup (in
to become the first to achieve the feat in an ODI. both 2003 and 2007 World Cups).

70 PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011

r Australian seamer Glenn McGrath (71) is the highest
wicket-taker in World Cups so far.

r The 1992 World Cup co-hosted by Australia and New

Zealand was the first World Cup where matches were
played under lights.

r The 1992 World Cup co-hosted by Australia and New

Zealand was the first World Cup in which white cricket
balls and coloured team uniforms were introduced.

r Australia is the only country to win three consecutive

r Sunil Gavaskar's only ODI century came off 85 balls and
World Cup titles. Aussies have won the tournament in
it came in the same match in which Chetan Sharma took
1999, 2003 and 2007.
the World Cup's first hat-trick.
r All players had worn the traditional white uniform and
r Chetan Sharma took the World Cup's first hat-trick. He
red balls were used during the initial four editions of the
achieved the feat against New Zealand at Nagpur on
cricket World Cup.
October 31, 1987.
r Mohammad Kaif has held most catches in a World Cup
r Since their 10-run loss to Pakistan on May 23, 1999,
match. He took 4 catches against Sri Lanka at
Australia have not lost even a single match at the World
Johannesburg on March 10, 2003.
Cup.
r England have played the World Cup final three times - in
r Making his debut during the 1975 edition, Javed
1979, 1987 and 1992 - but have never won it.
Miandad has played in most World Cups - six.
r Wasim Akram completed his 500 ODI wickets during the
r Ricky Ponting and Glenn McGrath have played 39
2003 World Cup.
matches each in the World Cup, the most for players.

r I n t h e 2 0 0 3 Wo r l d C u p ,
Pakistan's Shoaib Akhtar,
bowled cricket's first recorded
100 mph delivery. At the
receiving end was England's
Nick Knight.
Sreesanth
r Sri Lanka became the first side
batting second to win the World
Cup when they beat Australia in
the 1996 World Cup final.

15-member Indian squad for

the 2011 World Cup.

The team comprises seven

batsmen, one all-rounder, four
pacers and three specialist
spinners.

a
PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011 71
Book Review
“It’s not about the bike –
My journey back to life”
by Lance Armstrong
A s the title of the book suggests -“It’s not about the bike”-
and it is not. Although Lance Armstrong is a world
famous athlete, you don’t need to be a cycling enthusiast
to read this book. The book does contain some technical terms
but Lance Armstrong has explained them quite finely for a
layman to understand. The sub-title rightly conveys the
message of the book. If it was up to me I would have described it
in just one word – “Life”. The one who respects life and also the
ones who have struggled courageously through their hardest
battles and come out triumphant should definitely give it a go.
Lance Armstrong with his
writer Sally Jenkins has written
the book in simple and
uncomplicated language without
use of grandiloquence that help
keep the focus of the reader
intact.
The book discusses
Armstrong’s life and how he
struggled through deadly cancer
and came out victorious. At the
age of 25, having a great and
established career in the sport,
Armstrong gets to know that he is
suffering from testicular cancer
in its final stage and that it had
spread all over his body. His life is summarized in ten chapters
and chronichles all his life- how it was before cancer, with cancer
as a valiant patient and finally after cancer as an inspiration.
The journey of life, which Armstrong has unfolded for the
readers at large, is remarkable as well as very inspiring. And this
is the one reason Armstrong has come forward with his cancer
experience, so that people don’t lose hope however bad the
circumstances may be, rather learn something from them. The
story revolves around many people, the most important ones
being his dauntless single mother, his friends like Bill Stapleton,
his team mates, doctors and nurses at the hospital, his wife Kik
and son Luke, with Armstrong taking the centre stage.
72 PT’s PrepTalk – February 2011
It is indeed interesting to see how Armstrong connects his
cycling experiences with his cancer experience in his book. As
his life story progresses, one starts developing respect for the
cycling legend and his independent strong-willed mother, as two
great human beings. For me, it’s Armstrong’s mother Linda
who is the greatest pillar of strength for him. The hardships that
the two go through together is inspiring and the bond that they
share is indeed emotionally moving.
The positive way in which Armstrong looks at his cancer
treatment and the way in which it helps him evolve as a more
compassionate and considerate person is one thing that
captivates the reader. After recovering from cancer, Armstrong
started his own cancer organization- Livestrong – to help cancer
patients physically, mentally and emotionally.
The manner in which he connects every dot and links every
following chapter with the succeeding one is delightful thereby
maintaining a perfect flow throughout and not making the
reader feel disillusioned.
The turmoil that he goes through after surviving cancer is
even more distressing but how equally valiantly he comes out of
it is detailed out in a separate chapter ’Survivorship‘. Chapters
covering ’The Tour‘ (Tour de France) and ’Kik‘ (his better half)
are equally commendable, as by the end, there’s an automatic
respect that transpires for the two protagonists of the stories-
Lance Armstrong and Kik (who is kik?)respectively.
It’s not a book for some, it’s a book for everyone because we
all need to ‘live’ life and not just live with it. This account of
Lance Armstrong teaches everyone the importance of
appreciating each moment of the precious and beautiful lives we
all have been blessed with.
It truly ascertains the saying of Napoleon Hill -“Whatever
the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.
Thoughts are things! And powerful things at that, when mixed
with definiteness of purpose, and burning desire, can be
translated into riches.”
a