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STUDENT AGE
Vol. 1 No: 10 | JKENG00887 | Jammu, Sunday, March 25-31, 2012 | Pages: 32 | `5

News Inbox
Russia court dismisses plea seeking ban on translated version of Gita
RUSSIA, MARCH 21: In Russia, a court dismissed a petition seeking a ban on a translated version of Bhagwad Gita for being extremist. Sadhu Priya Das of Moscow ISKCON said that the court in the Siberian city of Tomsk has dismissed the plea. State prosecutors in the Siberian city of Tomsk had filed an appeal against a lower court's contd on page 2

India votes against UN resolution on Sri Lanka

GENEVA, MARCH 22: Sri Lanka faced a major embarrassment as the UN's top human rights body adopted a resolution censuring it for alleged war crimes in the conflict with LTTE as India joined the West in backing the US-sponsored move. In the 47-member UN Human Rights Council, 24 countries, including India, voted for the resolution and contd on page 2

Read the Need

Lokpal stuck in RS, PM promises amended Lokpal Bill Preparedness to

NEW DELHI, MARCH 24: Chances of the Lokpal Bill getting through the Rajya Sabha (RS) in the ongoing budget session and becoming a law have dimmed further. Prime minister (PM) Manmohan Singh's initiative to forge a consensus on the bill drew a blank as parties stuck to their stands. During an all-party meeting convened by the PM in New Delhi, the Trinamool Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam opposed the Lokayukta provision, the Leftists wanted the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to be

Odisha: Maoists strike again; abduct BJD MLA

NEW DELHI, MARCH 24: With the Italian hostages still in Maoist custody, the trouble compounded when a Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MLA was abducted in Odisha. Jhina Hikaka was abducted when he was on his way to Laxmipur in Koraput district. The MLA's convoy was stopped by around 15 men, presumed to be Maoists. The Koraput SP has confirmed that the BJD MLA was picked up by the Naxals contd on page 2

face calamities imperative: Omar

Congress president Sonia Gandhi and PM Dr. Manmohan Singh at an all-party meeting of the Rajya Sabha members on the Lokpal Bill .

2G scam: Kanimozhi seeks quashing of charges against her

NEW DELHI, MARCH 24: DMK MP Kanimozhi moved the Delhi High Court seeking quashing of charges against her in the 2G spectrum scam, contending that she has been falsely implicated by the CBI in the case. "No allegation that a single penny of the alleged bribe money has gone to personal account of the petitioner or has in any manner benefited her on a personal level," she said in her petition. The contd on page 2

an independent agency and the lone member of the Lok Janashakti Party Ram Vilas Paswan wanted the Lokpal abolished altogether. The

Bharatiya Janata Party wanted private agencies that do not get government grants to be out of the Lokpal's contd on page 2

BARAMULLA, MARCH 24: Highlighting the necessity of preparedness to tackle eventualities and calamities, Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah Saturday said that floods have always been cause of threat to the life and property in the State. He said that the phenomenon of flood cycles witnessed in the State after regular intervals calls for all the more focused attention for required measures on this count. contd on page 2

'Sharp drop' in India poverty due to welfare programmes

Poverty Lines & BPL Population
* The all-India poverty ratio declined from 37.2% in 200405 to 29.8% in 2009-10 * Poverty ratio in Himachal, MP, Maharashtra, Orissa, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Uttarkhand declined by about 10% or more * In Assam, Delhi, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland, poverty increased in 2009-10

Total BPL Population(%)

State Nagaland Delhi Sikkim Goa Meghalaya Haryana Maharashtra Punjab Manipur Gujarat Mizoram Andhra Arunachal Karnataka Uttarakhand Himachal Assam Rajasthan J&K Jharkhand W.Bengal Kerala Chattisgarh Tamil Nadu U.P. Tripura Pudcherry Bihar M.P. Orrissa 2004-05 8.8 13.0 30.9 24.9 16.1 24.1 38.2 20.9 37.9 31.6 15.4 29.6 31.4 33.3 32.7 22.9 34.4 34.4 13.1 45.3 34.2 19.6 49.4 29.4 40.9 40.0 14.2 54.4 48.6 57.2 2009-10 20.9 14.2 13.1 8.7 17.1 20.1 24.5 15.9 47.1 23.0 21.1 21.1 25.9 23.6 18.0 9.5 37.9 24.8 9.4 39.1 26.7 12.0 48.7 17.1 37.7 17.4 1.2 53.5 36.7 37.0

India displaces China as world's largest arms importer

37.2%

42.0%

45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0

29.8%

33.8%

25.5% 04-05

04-05

04-05

09-10

09-10

News Index
Field trials of most potent artillary weapon from Jan 2013 See on page 13 New Thermoelectric Devices from Liquid-Like Materials See on page 18 Lalitaditya Muktapida: Alexander of Kashmir
See on page 28

Total

Rural

Urban

09-10

20.9%

NEW DELHI: Data released by the Planning Commission on Monday showed that poverty had significantly declined between 2004-05 and 2009-10. The catch is that this decline is based on a poverty line that is even lower than the earlier Rs 32-per-day mark that had triggered an outrage when the government submitted it to the Supreme Court. The new estimates are based on

a poverty line that averages Rs 672.8 per month (Rs 22.43 per day) in rural areas and Rs 859.6 per month (Rs 28.65 per day) in urban areas for 2009-10. In a state like Delhi, the urban poverty line translates to Rs 34.67 per person per day. In the Supreme Court, the government had submitted that the updated poverty line was likely to be Rs 26 per day in rural areas and Rs 32 per day contd on page 2

STOCKHOLM: The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) in its new report held that India replaced China as the world's biggest importer of arms, by accounting for 10% of global arms sales volumes. Over the past 5 years, India's imports of major weapons increased by 38% b/w 2007-11. India was narrowly followed by China and Pakistan whose weapons imports constituted 5% each of contd on page 2

STUDENT AGE SUNDAY, MARCH 25-31, 2012

CONTD
tion of the 13th Amendment and beyond. "We would also urge that Sri Lanka takes forward the measures for accountability and to promote human rights that it has committed to. It is these steps, more than anything we declare in this Council, which would bring about genuine reconciliation between all the communities of Sri Lanka, including the minority Tamil community," it said. India said the UN Council has also been briefed by the government of Sri Lanka in this session on the series of steps taken to implement the report and other measures. "We welcome these steps. We are confident that implementation of the report will foster genuine reconciliation," it said. Noting that it cannot remain untouched by developments in Sri Lanka, India said it will continue to remain engaged with the country to take forward the process of reconciliation to secure for all its citizens a future marked by equality, dignity, justice and selfrespect. Officials said the sharp decline in poverty between 2004-05 and 2009-10rural poverty going down by 8 percentage points from 41.8% to 33.8% and urban poverty by 4.8 percentage points from 25.7% to 20.9% - had been aided by high growth, hike in wages and implementation of key schemes like the MGNREGS. However, the poverty picture is extremely patchy with some states showing sharp reductions in the proportion of the BPL population while many others saw little or no change and five states in the north-east saw a larger percentage of their populations slipping below the mark. The poverty ratio in Himachal, MP, Maharashtra, Orissa, Sikkim, TN and Uttarakhand has declined by 10 percentage points or more. But in Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland, poverty ratios in 2009-10 are higher than in '04-05. The data showed Bihar, Chhattisgarh and UP have shown only marginal decline in poverty ratio, particularly in rural areas. Given the size of UP and Bihar and the fact the base is already low, this is a worrying sign. Orissa, which had the highest poverty headcount ratio (57%) in 2004-5, has brought the proportion of poor down to 37% as per the new benchmark. Bihar (53.5%), Chhattisgarh (48.7%) and Manipur (47.1%) now have the three worst poverty headcount ratios. Applying the Tendulkar methodology, on which these figures are based, to 1993-94 data shows that Himachal has been the fastest at reducing poverty, bringing the proportion of people under the poverty line to 9.5%, less than a third of its 19934 numbers. In rural areas, STs showed the highest level of poverty (47.4%), followed by SCs (42.3%), and OBCs (31.9%), against 33.8% for all classes. Among religious groups, Sikhs have the lowest poverty in rural areas (11.9%) while in urban areas, Christians have the lowest proportion (12.9%) of poor

2
arms export is increasing mainly as a result of Pakistan importing more arms from China. Pakistan has a long-term military relationship with China and during 2007-11 it received 64 per cent of the volume of Chinese exports. As per the estimates of the Report, India will probably spend more than $100 billion on weapons and systems in the next 15 years. India's key recent deals were the 126 fighter jets and noteworthy deliveries of other combat aircrafts, counting 120 Su-30MKs and 16 MIG-29Ks from Russia and 20 Jaguars from UK. China has not yet achieved a major breakthrough in any other significant market."

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Russia court .....
dismissal of their original plea seeking a ban on Bhagavad Gita. They claimed that the text was extremist literature full of hatred and insult to non-believers which promoted social discord. The higher court in Tomsk kept the verdict of the lower court intact. As the judge dismissed the plea, the followers in the packed courtroom burst into applause. Brajendra Nandan Das, Director ISKCON media communication in India, expressed happiness over the verdict. The case had drawn a flurry of criticism from Hindus across the world. her bail plea and ordered forthwith arrest. However, the special court on November 3 rejected her bail plea following which she approached the High Court which granted bail on November 28,2011 She was released from the Tihar jail the following day.

India votes against....

15 against it, while eight nations abstained. India, which normally does not vote on nation-specific resolutions, made a last-minute departure in the current instance after overwhelming pressure from parties in Tamil Nadu, especially the DMK which had even considered pulling out its ministers from the government at the Centre, to vote against Sri Lanka. Interestingly, India's neighbours like China, Pakistan and Bangladesh, voted against the motion. Maldives said the resolution was not necessary and Sri Lanka should be given time to implement the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC). The vote came after a spirited opposition from Sri Lankan Plantation Industries Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe, who said no one from outside could dictate to his country about human rights. The resolution asked the government to explain how it would address the alleged violations of international humanitarian laws and how it would implement the recommendations of the LLRC. It also encouraged the UN Human Rights Office to offer Sri Lanka advice and assistance and the government to accept it. Explaining its position on its vote for the resolution, India said it believes the primary responsibility for promotion and protection of human rights lies with the states. It said while it subscribes to the broader message of the resolution and the objectives it promotes, it also underlined that any assistance from the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights or visits of UN Special Procedures should be in consultation with the Sri Lankan government. "These are norms which all of us in the Council subscribe to. A democratic country like Sri Lanka has to be provided time and space to achieve the objectives of reconciliation and peace," the explanatory note said. In the Council, India said, "Everyone has the responsibility to ensure that "our conclusions do contribute to this objective rather than hinder it." India also urged the Sri Lankan government to take forward the process of broader dialogue and show concrete movement towards a meaningful devolution of powers, including the implementa-

Odisha: Maoists strike ....

while he was on his way home. The MLA's security officers and other officials were forced to continue their journey as the Maoists abducted the MLA. His driver and PSO were let off by the Maoists. This incident comes days after 2 Italians were abducted by Maoists in Odisha. The Italians Bosusco Paolo, 54, and Claudio Colangelo, 61 were abducted from the border of Ganjam and communally sensitive Kandhamal district March 14. The 13 demands the rebels have set for their release include a ban on the visit of tourists to the tribal areas; halt on anti Maoist operations, and release of several prisoners. Two Maoists named mediators social activist Dandapani Mohanty and tribal expert B.D.Sharma and three senior officials representing the government were holding dialogue since 22 March to secure their release. It is not yet known if the latest kidnapping will jeopardize the talk process. The rebels have committed the latest crime even if they had declared unilateral ceasefire before the start of negotiation. The rebels had earlier shot dead a police sub inspector in the district of Malkangiri, a Maoists strong hold, even as the talks were on.

Preparedness to face....
"We should be amply prepared and alert to the threats of heavy floods so that we are not caught unaware at the time of emergency", he added while addressing a function after inaugurating Rs. 21.38 crore Dredging Scheme at Jati, Duabgah and Ningli in Baramulla district today. The Chief Minister said that the importance of dredging of river Jehlum can be visualized by the fact that the first Dredger was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India at Baramulla some 60 years back. It was during the stewardship of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah that the first Dredger was inauguratedby the then Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Lal Nehru and dredging operation continued from 1959 to 1986. The scheme has now been revived by the Chief Minister again today in presence of Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control, Taj Mohi-udDin and Minister of State for R&B, Javid Ahmad Dar. Omar Abdullah said that the coalition government from the day one has concentrated attention on all-round development of the State and preparedness to face calamities and threats has been flagged one of the important concerns. He praised Taj Mohi-ud-Din for infusing new energy in PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Departments adding that the Minister has not only revived old and defunct schemes but launched new ones in this sector. Speaking on the occasion, Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control, Taj Mohi-ud-Din explained the salient features of the Dredging Scheme and its benefits to tackle flood threats. The Chief Minister also planted a Chinar sapling at Duabgah. Legislator Mohammad Ashraf Ganai, Commissioner Secretary PHE, B. D. Sharma, Chief Engineer,Irrigation and Flood Control, Kashmir, District Development Commissioner,Baramulla and other officers were present on the occasion.

Lokpal stuck in RS.....

purview and other provisions related to the CBI and the appointment of the Lokpal to be strengthened. The Samajwadi Party wanted the bill to be sent to a select committee. In the backdrop of the contentious late-night debate in RS last year, when over 147 amendments were moved by members to the bill passed by the Lok Sabha, the PM has conveyed to all parties that any further delay would create an impression that government is not interested in tackling corruption. The government also believes that passing the Lokpal Bill as approved by the Lok Sabha is the only way to enact the law expeditiously. "Any amendments by RS would mean that the bill goes back to the Lok Sabha - a process loaded with uncertainties," said a Union minister. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told the floor leaders of the Rajya Sabha that the Centre would come forward with an amended version of the Lokpal Bill, taking into account the suggestions made by the Opposition and the constituents and supporting parties of the ruling UPA.

2G scam: Kanimozhi ....

44-year-old leader, who was granted bail after spending over six months in Tihar Jail-, also sought setting aside of all proceedings that has ensued after framing of charges. Special CBI judge O P Saini, on October 22 last year, had framed charges against former Telecom Minister A Raja, Kanimozhi and 15 others for various offences including criminal breach of trust that entails a maximum punishment of life term. CBI, in its charge sheet, has alleged that Rs 200 crore was paid as bribe to Kalaignar TV in lieu of grant of UAS licence to Swan Telecom.' Kanimozhi was arrested on May 20, 2011 after the Special CBI Court rejected

India displaces China....

global sales. As per the Report, Pakistan took delivery of significant numbers of combat aircrafts during this period: 50 JF-17s from China and 30 F-16s from US. Due to significant progress in its arms production capabilities, China has become less dependent on arms imports and at the same time has increased the volume of its arms exports. Between 2002-2006 and 2007-11, China fell from being the largest to the fourth largest recipient of major conventional weapons, while the volume of its exports increased by 95 per cent, making it the sixth largest supplier, narrowly trailing the UK. China's

'Sharp drop' in India....

in the towns in June 2011. As things stand, a host of centrally sponsored social security schemes for the poor exclude those above these poverty lines from availing of the benefits under the schemes. By the lowered benchmarks, poverty across the country declined by 7.3 percentage points from 37.2% in 2004-05 to 29.8% in 2009-10. In absolute terms, there were 35.5 crore poor people in 2009-10 against 40.7 crore five years earlier.

STUDENT AGE SUNDAY, MARCH 25-31, 2012

NATIONAL

DATE LINE

NEW DELHI, MARCH 21: Govt clarifies stand on homosexuality; HC verdict acceptable NEW DELHI, MARCH 22: Centre to revisit poverty estimate methodology NEW DELHI, MARCH 23: Governmental oversight essential for energy prices: PM NEW DELHI MARCH 24: Cheques, Drafts to be valid for 3 months from 1 April 2012.

Prez Patil confers Padma Awards

NEW DELHI, MARCH 22: President Pratibha Devi Singh Patil conferred the country's highest civilian honour, Padma Awards to eminent persons in different field of activities. Music Maestro Bhupendra Kumar Hazarika was conferred Padma Vibhusan posthumously. Retired IPS officer T.V Rajeshwar and renowned orthopedic surgeon Kantilal Hastimal Sancheti are the other two Padma Vibhusan winners. The 15 Padma Bhusan awardees includes renowned oncologist Suresh Hariram Advani, film maker Mira Nair, Contemporary Artist Jatin Das, Retd. IFS Officer Ronen Sen and Vocalist in Carnatic and Hindustani music, Dr. T.V Gopalakrishnan. Padma Shree awardees also include eminent Bhajan and Ghazal exponent of India, Anup Jalota, Film maker Soman Nair Priyadarshan, Badminton coach S.M Arif, distinguished photographer, researcher Pepitha Seth and Homeopath Dr. Mukhesh Batra.

PEOPLE IN NEWS
AMBARISH CHANDRA SHARMA: Ambarish Chandra Sharma has been appointed as new Director General of Police in Uttar Pradesh on March 19. ANOOP JACOB: In Kerala, UDF candidate Anoop Jacob has won the Piravom bypoll. He defeated his nearest rival M J Jacob of the LDF by a margin of 12,070 votes. S O U M I T R A CHATTERJEE: Legendary Bengali actor S o u m i t r a Chatterjee has been nominated for this year's Dadasaheb Phalke Award for his lifetime achievement. CP GURNANI : Mahindra Satyam-Tech Mahindra, the 2.4billion dollar conglomerate appointed C.P. Gurnani, as the CEO of the company. Gurnani as the CEO of Mahindra Satyam was instrumental in recreating the image of fraud-hit-firm and giving it a new lease of life Satyam. MATANHY SALDANHA: Tourism Minister of Goa M a t a n h y Saldanha, died of heart attack on 21 March 2012. Saldanha 64, also held the portfolios of Science and Environment.

President Pratibha Devi Singh Patil and Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh along with Padma Shree awardees.

Partial rollback in rail fare India to modernise and digi- Gowda safe for now, hike announced by Mukul Roy tally link 9000 libraries: PM Yeddyurappa insists
NEW DELHI, MARCH 22: The government announced partial roll back in the passenger fares in the Railways for the benefit of the common man. New rail minister Mukul Roy announced roll back in third AC, AC Chair Cars, Sleeper classes and sub-urban trains. There are no changes in the passenger fares for the first and the second AC classes. Replying to the discussion on the Railway Budget 2012-13, the Minister said the roll back is aimed at giving relief to the people. Roy said that the entire railway system will be revamped. Altogether one lakh people will be recruited in the Railways. New railway tracks will be laid as announced in the Rail Budget besides giving an increased thrust to schemes intended for passenger amenities including safety, cleanliness and catering. He also announced the roll back of the proposal for restructuring the Railway Board. Later, the House passed the Railway Budget 2012-13. The Rajya Sabha also resumed discussion on the Rail Budget. NEW DELHI, MARCH 22: India will modernise and digitally link nearly 9,000 libraries across the country in a bid to provide readers access to books and information. Addressing a function in New Delhi , Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that an ambitious plan under the National Mission for Libraries aims to cover libraries in cities, towns and villages of the country the next three years. Noting that the Mission cannot succeed through government efforts alone, Dr Singh said resources available in the community, private sector and non-governmental organisations will have to be roped in to meet these objectives. He said the Mission will focus on improvement of the public library system of the country particularly concentrating on the states where library development is lagging behind. Dr Singh urged every state government and municipality and panchayat to pay special attention to the setting up and maintenance of public libraries, including community, locality and village libraries.

on reinstatement

Hand over Adarsh building to Defence Ministry: HC

MUMBAI, MARCH 22: The Bombay High Court has asked the existing members of the tainted Adarsh Housing Society to hand over the building to the Defence Ministry, as it was located at a sensitive point. Meanwhile, two of the arrested arrested IAS officers, Mumbai collector and municipal commissioner, have been suspended. The division Bench of Justices P B Majmudar and R D Dhanuka said that "the locale of the building is in a sensitive point. The security of the nation is of utmost importance and since you are not murderers or terrorists or criminals, why don't you hand over the building back to Defence Ministry?" The court took note of the suspension of two serving state cadre IAS officers and the arrest of seven persons in the case. It praised the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for the progress in the enquiry. The suspended officers are Pradeep Vyas, collector and Jairaj Phatak, commissioner. Two days before the court's hearing, the CBI had swooped on three topranking retired army officials, a senior retired IAS officer, one serving senior bureaucrat, an influential political power broker and a civilian defence personnel, taking them into custody. Of the four arrested, two retired major generals -A R Kumar and T K Kaul and now-suspended IAS officer Pradeep Vyas, were remanded to

CBI custody till March 31. Congress MLC Kanhaiyalal Gidwani's remand ends on March 26. Retired Brigadier M M Wanchoo has also been arrested. The court went through the minutes of the meeting between the top CBI officials, the Enforcement Directorate and the Income-Tax, wherein details of investigations being carried out by the three wings in tracking down benami flats in the 31-storeyed block containing 104 apartments can be tracked down and cases can be registered against such persons. Joint Director of the CBI (western region) Rishiraj Singh said after the hearing that the court was satisfied with the progress.

NEW DELHI, MARCH 22: Karnataka Chief Minister Sadanand Gowda may be safe for now even as his predecessor, Yeddyurappa dug in his heels and met Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari seeking his reinstatement after being cleared of some corruption charges in accordance with the "promise" made to him. Amid mounting pressure from B S Yeddyurapa for his reinstatement, Karnataka Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda met the BJP top brass, including Nitin Gadkari and L K Advani, and said he had been assured that there would be no leadership change. "I am specifically telling that the central leaders told me that at present there is no change of leadership or any other position in the party," Gowda said after meeting the BJP central leaders. Asked if the party leadership had asked him to step down, he said, "That question does not arise." Gowda, who was accompanied by BJP state chief K Eswarappa, had called on Advani, Rajnath Singh and Murli Manohar Joshi. He then had a meeting with party president Gadkari, leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley and General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka, Dharmendra Pradhan.

STUDENT AGE SUNDAY, MARCH 25-31, 2012

NATIONAL

Govt in process of amending criminal laws: Chidambaram

NEW DELHI, MARCH 21: Home Minister P Chidambaram said that the government is in the process of amending the criminal law to arrest the rising crimes against women including Honour Killings. Replying to supplementaries during the Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha, he said more number of cases are being reported from all over the country including Delhi on crimes against women. He said this is a blot on the society. Chidambaram said the Centre had issued advisories to the state governments to take adequate rage is a new phenomenon. He, however, ruled out a separate law to deal with the cases of road rage. Underlining the need for speedy trial in the cases, the Home Minister said the there is a need for having more number of judges, courts and police forces. The Home Minister said over 2,13,585 cases of crime against women were reported in the country in 2010 and 22,172 cases of rape were reported in 2010. The Committee has formulated the draft Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2011, after consultation with all stakeholders.

Cabinet approves amendments in Marriage Act to make divorce women friendly

NEW DELHI, MARCH 24: The Union Cabinet has approved amendments to the Hindu Marriage Act to make divorce with mutual consent more women friendly. In a significant change in matrimonial laws, the cabinet approved the amendment to include allowing the courts to reduce or waive off the waiting period of six months for divorce by mutual consent. The cabinet also approved the provision to ensure that women get a share in property acquired during the marriage. The government has accepted the recommendation of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law and Justice that women have a share in the property of the husband in the case of a divorce but the quantum of share will be decided by courts on a case by case basis. Apart from giving women the right to their husband's property, the Marriage Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2010, also aims at giving rights to adopted children at par with biological off-springs in case the parents go for a divorce. The Marriage Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2010, was introduced in the Rajya Sabha two years ago and was referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law and Justice and Personnel.

measures to protect women. He further added that the government will raise this issue during the meeting of the Chief Ministers in Delhi on 16th of April. To a specific question, the Home Minister said road

Four States Signed MoU under the ISSP

Four States namely Jharkhand, Mizoram, Sikkim and Lakshadweep signed MoU with the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation under the Indian Statistical Strengthening Project (ISSP) for the States and Union Territories. ISSP is aimed at strengthening State Statistical Systems by way of providing adequate technical and financial support to improve their statistical capacity and infrastructure. ISSP is a very important and a comprehensive project of Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation, with an approved outlay of about 650 Crore rupees, out of which 80% has been funded through World Bank Loan and 20 percent is being borne by the Government of India.

EC nod for new auditing norms for political parties

NEW DELHI, MARCH 19: The Election Commission has given its nod to new auditing and accounting norms for political parties in the country. This will bring in transparency and help curb black money in the poll process. The norms and guidelines, prepared by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), will soon be notified to the political parties by the EC and financial enforcement agencies like the Income Tax department and the RBI. According to the reports, ICAI has submitted the final guidance note on accounting and auditing of politcal parties and will enable them to conduct their finances in a corporate-like manner by getting their accounts audited and publishing their audited finance sheets annually. Every political party will also have to consider March 31 as the end of financial year and consolidated financial statements be prepared incorporating the accounts of taluka, district and state-level party branch accounts. The parties will also have to publish their financial statements within six months which will be prepared by a Chartered Accountant/CA firm affiliated to the ICAI.

Nuke terror threat to be focus of discussion in Seoul Security Summit

MARCH 24: The threat posed by nuclear terrorism will be the focus of discussion in the Nuclear Security Summit at Seoul in South Korea. In his departure statement PM said that the summit will review measures required to prevent terrorists and other non- state actors from gaining access to nuclear material and technologies. The Seoul Summit will review actions that countries have taken to strengthen Nuclear Security since the first summit held in Washington in 2010. During his fourday visit to Seoul Dr. Singh will meet South Korean President Lee Myungbak and several other world leaders. The summit is expected to be attended by 45 Heads of State or Govts.

ical parties to the Election Commission last month. The Commission has also approved the norms that ICAI has framed which will act as guidance for accounting and auditing of the financial records of political parties. The new norms will bring in a generational change in the auditing and financial management of politi-

High Court quashes proceedings against Microsoft India

NEW DELHI, MARCH 19: The Delhi High Court quashed charges of hosting objectionable content against Microsoft India and set aside a trial court order for initiating criminal proceedings against the company. Justice Suresh Kait accepted the company's plea that Microsoft was not providing a platform to people to interact with each other and post or publish their views, but one engaged in developments and sale of software and computing solutions. The company's counsel told the court that no defamatory material was posted on its websites. The move came as Microsoft India approached the high court, challenging the trial court's order initiating criminal proceedings against it for hosting "obscene and

NCTC bill sails through RS

NEW DELHI, MARCH 20: The NCTC bill's successful passage in the Rajya Sabha (RS) had shown that the UPA signalled the emergence of new alliances with the important regional parties SP and BSP, both from politically important state Uttar Pradesh. The government heaved a sigh of relief after defeating Oppositionbacked amendments on the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) in the Rajya Sabha, with the help of its partner Trinamool and of the SP and BSP, which were its opponents of the Congress in Uttar Pradesh. Admitting that the BSP and SP had been supporting the government on constructive issues, the Congress tried to downplay its partner Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress' abstention from voting on the controversial issue in the Upper House, where the ruling party is in a minority. The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) has a strength of 97 in the Upper House, which has an effective strength of 238 at present. The BSP with 17 members and SP with four members extend outside support to the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) led by the Congress. At the end of the division, Deputy Chairman K Rahman Khan announced that 82 members had voted in favour of the amendments on the proposed anti-terror intelligence hub and 105 against them. After their defeat in the voting, BJP, Left and Biju Janata Dal MPs walked out, protesting against the government not giving assurances on their demands concerning the NCTC.

derogatory content". The high court also gave the complainant Vinay Rai liberty to file a fresh complaint if any credible piece of evidence was found against the company. Rai had approached the trial court to remove objectionable content from 21 websites, including Microsoft, Facebook, Google, Yahoo and YouTube. Among these, 12 websites are of companies based abroad. Metropolitan Magistrate

Sudesh Kumar had summoned the companies to face trial for allegedly committing offences punishable under the Indian Penal Code sections 292 (sale of obscene books and material) and 293 (sale of obscene objects to young person). The trial court observed that the material submitted by the complainant contained obscene pictures and derogatory articles pertaining to Hindu deities, Prophet Mohammad and Jesus Christ.

STUDENT AGE SUNDAY, MARCH 25-31, 2012

INTERNATIONAL

DATE LINE

WASHINGTON, MARCH 19: Mitt Romeny wins Puerto Rico party's primary MEXICO CITY, MARCH 20: Strong, long 7.6 quake shakes Mexico City PORTUGAL, MARCH 23: General strike hits Portugal

UNSC condemns mutiny in Mali

MALI, MARCH 23: The UN Security Council strongly condemned the action of mutinous soldiers seizing power by force in Mali, and demanded the release of all detained officials including some government ministers arrested during the military coup. The condemnation was contained in a statement read by Mark Lyall Grant, British UN ambassador who holds the rotating Security Council presidency for March, after the 15- nation UN body met behind closed doors to hear a briefing of the current situation in Mali. "The members of the Security Council strongly condemn the forcible seizure of power from the democratically elected government of Mali by some elements of the Malian armed forces," the statement said. "They call on these elements to ensure the safety and security of President Amadou Toumani Redressment of Democracy and Restoration of the State (CNRDR) announced through Malian radio and television that they had toppled Malian President Amadou Toumani Toure. "They also call for the preservation of the electoral process as previously scheduled," the statement added. "The members of the Security Council urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint, refrain from violence, and remain calm." B. Lynn Pascoe, UN under-secretarygeneral for political affairs, said after he briefing the council on Mali, that the United Nations has significant concerns about the situation in Mali, where the president has been overthrown. "Clearly a coup d'etat has been carried out," Pascoe said. "Our concerns about this issue are very strong. They should return to a constitutional order as quickly as possible."

PEOPLE IN NEWS
GEORGE TUPOU V: Suva, March 19 King George Tupou V of Tonga died in a hospital in Hong Kong. T A H I R R A F I Q U E BUTT: Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt took over as the new chief of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) in Islamabad on March 19 JOACHIM GAUCK: Former East German prodemocracy activist Joachim Gauck was elected as Germany's new president. Gauck won 991 votes in the federal assembly that comprises members of parliament as well as regional delegates that elect German heads of state.

Malian soldiers gather on a street of Bamako. Scores of Malian soldiers mutinied, firing shots in the air.

Toure and to return to their barracks." The council members "demand the release of all detained Malian officials," said the statement, adding "The members of the Security Council call for the immediate restoration of constitutional law and the democratically elected

government." Mutinous soldiers have seized power in Mali after storming the presidential palace and arresting some of the government ministers, a spokesman for the mutinous soldiers said. The National Committee for

UNHRC to probe into Israeli settlements

GENEVA, MARCH 23: UN Human Rights Council has passed a resolution in Geneva calling for a probe into Israeli settlements in occupied territories. The 47-member council pointed out that the Israeli settlements may be infringing on the rights of the Palestinian people. The resolution also asked Israel to confiscate arms to prevent acts of violence by Israeli settlers. 36 members voted in favour while 10 abstained. Only the United States voted against it. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has slammed the move.A statement Palestinians welcomed the resolution as a new victory. A spokesman for President Mahmud Abbas, Nabil Abu Rudeina said the position sends a message to Israel that settlements are illegal and must totally stop. Israel's move to expand settlements in occupied territories has been criticised by the international community, which deems it illegal. More than 310,000 Israelis live in settlements in the occupied West Bank. Another 200,000 live in a dozen settlement neighbourhoods in east Jerusalem, which was captured by Israel in 1967.

Sri Lanka faces UN debate over war crimes probes

COLOMBO, MARCH 22: Sri Lanka's government is braced for a UN Human Rights Council debate on alleged war crimes during the final phase of war with Tamil rebels in 2009. A US resolution calls on Colombo to address alleged abuses of international humanitarian law during the war. Sri Lanka has rejected the motion and expressed outrage over the move. It comes amid a government campaign against what it calls "traitors", which has targeted journalists and human rights workers. State television is using long slots in its Sinhala-language bulletins to denounce Sri Lankan journalists, some now in exile but some still in the country, who it says are helping the defeated Tamil Tiger rebels or "betraying the motherland". Those based in Sri Lanka are not named but the TV repeatedly zooms in on thinly disguised photographs of them, promising to give their names soon and "expose more traitors". State media have been similarly deprecating human rights workers who are in Geneva for the Human Rights Council session A local organisation, the Free Media Movement, has condemned the broadcasts as "highly unethical".

Britain condemns Iran for blocking UK website

LONDON, MARCH 18: Britain's foreign secretary condemned Iran for blocking a website aimed at explaining the United Kingdom and its policies to Iranians. William Hague said that barring the British government's "UK for Iranians" site three days after it was launched proved "the Iranian authorities fear their own citizens' interaction and involvement with the outside world." "UK for Iranians" was launched, after Iran blocked the website of Britain's now shuttered embassy in Tehran in December. Britain said Iran blocked the site yesterday. It was unavailable to users in Iran. Diplomatic relations between Britain and Iran have deteriorated as tensions mount over Tehran's disputed nuclear program. Britain pulled its diplomats out of Iran and expelled Iranian diplomats from the UK after violent demonstrators attacked its embassy in Tehran in November.

from Netranyahu's office slammed the move as shortsighted and said the Council should be ashamed of itself. Israeli Foreign Ministry warned that the resolution could undermine peace efforts. But the

World Water Day being celebrated worldwide

CALGARY: International World Water Day is to be held annually on March 22 as decreed by the United Nations, to address water and food security. More than 1,000 million people lack basic water supply and 1.5 million children die each year from diseases caused by contaminated, non-drinkable water. By current 2012, world s population has peaked to 7 billion inhabitants and it is estimated that within three decades it may reach around 9 billion. Consequently, the water needs for food production or, in other words, the needs to ensure sustainable food supplies for much of the planet, will be one of the major problems to face in order to meet these growing demands for food. Most water human consume is what comes to through food, as each day, a person can drink about 2 liters of water, but to produce a kilo of rice, 2,450 liters of water are needed. This is one examples of the amount of water needed to produce food.

Evangelos Venizelos claims Greek's Pasok party leadership

GREECE, MARCH 19: Greece's Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos has claimed victory in the Pasok party's leadership election. The 55-year-old ran unopposed in the contest to take over the centre-left party from George Papandreou who resigned as Prime Minister in November. Venizelos is expected to stand down from government to prepare for a general election due by early May. Analysts say voters are likely to punish Pasok for its role in passing tough austerity measures. Pasok supported massive budget cuts that were demanded by the EU and IMF in return for a 130 billion euro bailout package. Venizelos said Pasok members must now move forward together. After the election, the party is likely to be forced into coalition with the country's other main party, the conservative New Democracy, although leftist parties opposing the bailout measures are gaining popularity fast.

STUDENT AGE SUNDAY, MARCH 25-31, 2012

STATE

21.63% population of J&K poor, depicts economic survey

JAMMU, MAR 22: About one fifth of the population in Jammu and Kashmir falls Below the Poverty Line (BPL) category. It means out of every five persons, one person is poor in the state. As per the Economic Survey tabled by the Government in the Legislative Assembly, nearly 24.21 lakh persons are poor in the state (21.63 per cent) of which 22 lakh persons are from rural areas and 2.21 lakh persons are living in urban areas of the state. Though the poverty has shown constant decrease which was 30.34 % (Rural) 9.18 % (Urban) and 25.17 % Combined (R+U) in year 199394 to 26.14 % (Rural), 7.96 % (Urban) and 21.63 % Combined (R+U) during 2007-08. "The poverty ratio during these years has decreased by 14.06 per cent (3.54 percentage points) from the base year 1993-94", said the survey. On the state level data tabled by the government says that at rural level, the Kashmir division at 26.58 per cent has more BPL population percentage as compared to Jammu division 25.61 per cent. While Jammu division at 8.19 per cent has more urban poverty percentage as compared to that of Kashmir division 7.81 percent. In Jammu division, the total estimated BPL population is 10.59 lakh with a dispersion of 9.69 lakh persons in rural areas and 90 thousands in urban areas. "Degree of poverty becomes more visible and pronounced more the people live from urban business centres and district headquarters", says the data. The analysis has further revealed that out of newly created eight districts, three districts Reasi, Ramban and Kishtwar registers more incidents of poverty than other areas. On the basis of absolute BPL population, the seven poorest districts in the state are Baramullah, Kupwara, Budgam, Jammu, Poonch, Rajouri and Pulwama were population ranging from 2.37 to 1.27 lakh are BPL. On the basis of Absolute BPL Household the seven poorest districts in the state are Kupwara, Jammu, Baramulla, Budgam, Poonch, Rajouri and Pulwama. The absolute BPL households of these districts range in between 41 thousands to 22 thousand. BPL is defined as minimum expenditure needed at per capita consumption level, which meets the average per capital daily calorie requirement of 2,400 K calorie in rural areas and 2,100 K Calories in urban areas along with a minimum of non-food expenditure.

JK yet to approach Centre on IWT

NEW DELHI, MAR 20: Despite the ruling National ConferenceCongress alliance leaders repeatedly questioning the feasibility of the Indus Water Treaty and even going to the extent of demanding a re-look into the pact, the state government has not initiated any such move with the Center so far. No formal request has been received by the Center from the state government for renegotiating the Treaty or assess and compensate the losses accrued to the state during the last six decades. This was stated by Union Water Resources Minister Pawan Bansal in Rajya Sabha on March 20. The Minister further said that Jammu and Kashmir gets only 0.65 MAF of water out of the total capacity of 135.6 MAF of the rivers emanating or flowing through the state. He disclosed this while replying to a question asked by G N Ratanpuri of the National Conference. There is no specific limit on the areas to be covered by lift irrigation schemes. This is despite the fact that Annexure C of the Indus Waters Treaty, 1960, provides for a maximum Irrigated Cropped Area of 4,00,000 acres in Jhelum Basin for development by India. This is over and above the ICA on the effective date which is April 4, 1960. In reply to another question, the Minister said that some areas of five districts of Kashmir namely Budgam, Islamabad (Anantnag), Kupwara, Pulwama and Bandipora are without dependable irrigation facilities presently. Further, the state government has informed that out of total area in Jhelum Basin, 65,952 acres have been brought under irrigation through lift irrigation schemes in the Valley till date.

Naresh demands early relief to wind storm sufferers

JAMMU: MLC, Mr. Naresh Kumar Gupta visited the wind storm affected areas of Doda District including Bhadarwah today. He asked district administration Doda to assess the loss caused due to storm winds and suggested to utilize the services of Sarpanchs and Panchs for getting collected the information about the loss caused to public property. Gupta demanded early provision of reliefto the wind storm sufferers. Earlier, severaldeputations of sarpanchs, social workers NGOs, political workers met Mr. Guptaand apprised about the damages caused due to the wind storm in Thatheri,Gandoo, Chily chirla and other parts of the Doda and Kishtwar districts.

Jammu-Poonch rail link to be taken up as national project: GOI

NEW DELHI: The long pending project to lay Jammu-RajouriPoonch railway line via historic township of Akhnoor will finally see light of the day with Centre deciding to include it in the list of national projects. The projects under this category are taken up on priority with special financial provisions. This was announced by the new Railway Minister Mukul Roy while replying to the Railway Budget in Lok Sabha on 22 March. The rail link that will pass through treacherous hilly areas was first approved during the UPA-1 when Lalu Prasad Yadav was the Minister and a survey was also got conducted by him. Jammu-Poonch MP, Madan Lal Sharma said that in the last year's Budget, it had been decided to include the project in the 12th five year plan as it is an important rail link that will connect strategic areas all along the Line of Control. He welcomed the announcement and said that it will also help in the economic development of large number of backward and hill areas in the region and open up new vistas of tourism in the historic Poonch and Rajouri districts. Earlier speaking on the Railway Budget, Sharma demanded Jammu should be made the Divisional Headquarter of the Railways instead of Ferozepur under which Jammu area comes. This he felt was necessary as with the growing railway network in J&K it will not be feasible to control the area from Ferozepur. Sharma has also demanded that a stopover should be created at Samba for all major trains connecting Jammu to rest of the country. This he felt was necessary in view of the historic and strategic significance of Samba.

99 Educationally Backward Block (EBBs) approved for J&K

JAMMU: The Minister for Technical Education R.S. Chib on behalf of the Education Minister on 19 March informed the House that the literacy rate increased from 55.50% (census 2001) to 68.74% (census 2011) showing overall increase of 13.67% and 15% increase in female literacy, which is higher than the national average. Replying to the debate on demands for grants for Education Department in the House, Chib said that there is a Network of 23,454 Govt. schools and 4719 Private recognized schools (14,453 Primary schools, 6976 Middle schools, 1418 High Schools, 607 Hr. Secondary Schools). adding that a total enrollment of 23.40 lakh students enrolled from Primary to Sr. Secondary level. He said that there are Two State Institutes of Education (SIE) one each at Kashmir and Jammu, adding that 22 District Institutes of Education and Trainings (DIETs) are functioning for ensuring Quality Improvement of Teaching, Learning capacity of Government teachers. He said establishment of 8 new District Institutes of Education and Training (DIET) for 8 newly created districts during 2007-08, are part of 22. He said 7 lakh children at Primary stage and three lakh at Upper Primary stage are covered under Mid Day Meal scheme during 2011-12. Deliberating on Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Mr. Chib said that 10185 numbers of Primary Schools have been opened till date under this scheme so far. He said 6343 Primary Schools have been upgraded to Middle Schools. Chib said that Special focus is on girls education in order to bridge gap between male and female literacy, he said, adding 99 Educationally Backward Block (EBBs) have been approved for J&K where female literacy in less than the national female literacy rate. He said 12 KGBVs=92 buildings have been completed. Thirteen members participated in the discussion and identified the areas of improvement. They suggested measures to upgrade and improve the quality of education and creating competitive spirits amongst the students so that they can secure their place in different fields at the national as well as global level. Later, the House passed the grants for the Education Department and its allied wings for the year 2012-13 with voice vote. The members who moved the Cut Motions withdrew after satisfying with the reply of the Minister.

STUDENT AGE SUNDAY, MARCH 25-31, 2012

STATE

Ruhullah releases book, distributes chaff cutters

JAMMU: "It is not possible to provide Government jobs to everyone", said the Minister for Sheep and Animal Husbandry, Aga Syed Ruhullah and asked educated youth, especially youth living in rural areas, to come forward and set-up ownincome generating units in Animal and Sheep Husbandry sectors, adding Government is encouraging interested persons by way of providing low rate interest loan and subsidy facilities. The Minister was addressing at a book release function organized by the department of Animal Husbandry here today. The Minister also distributed chaff cutter machines among the farmers of Jammu district. Among others, Commissioner Secretary, Animal and Sheep Husbandry, Shaleen Kabra,Director Animal Husbandry, Dr. S. L. Tickoo, Director Sheep Husbandry, Dr. A.K. Koul, Joint Director, Farms, Dr. P.K. Malhotra besides senior officers ofAnimal Husbandry Department were present on the occasion. poultry, dairy and fodder development with provision of low interest loan and subsidy ranging from 33 to75 percent. He said though State is heading towards milk self-sufficiency, but need is to think about making its by-products, the Minister maintained. Making only assertions is not sufficient but need is to implement the Government policies on ground, said the Minister, adding the graph of unemployment could be bring considerably down provided youth will adopt the schemes of Animal and Sheep Husbandry sector as their mean of income. He said Government is committed to improve the socio economic status of the rural populace, adding backyard poultry, meant for BPL families, is picking up fast in rural areas. Shaleen Kabra, while speaking on the occasion, said that farmers have to meet their needs within available land resources. He said better feeding ensures good heath ofthe animals which pledges increase of milk production. He said Centre has targeted to issue 16 crore Kissan Credit cards to empower the farmers. Earlier,Dr. Tickoo, while giving the resume of the activities of the department, said that department has organized about 2000 awareness camps. He said Panchayatswill play a major role in making farmers aware about the self employment schemes being run in Animal Husbandry sector. Dr.Tickoo said that efforts are on to set up chilling plants besides providing milk cooler facilities to the progressive farmers to ensure milk storage facilities besides saving it from spoiling. He said mobile milk cooler facilities would be extended to the farmers to save their time and energy. Providing medicare facilities to the livestock at the door step of the farmers, he said the number of mobile veterinary units is being augmented particularly in rural and hilly areas. Later,Dr. P.K.Malhotra presented vote of thanks and highlighted the achievements of the department.

Aga Syed Ruhullah, Minister for Sheep and Animal Husbandry releasing a book at a function .

The Minister said that Government has forward it a proposal of Rs. 5 crore to the Centre for procurement of chaff cutters machines, hand as well as power driven, out of which Rs. 65 lakh have been released by the Centre this year. He said1317 chaff cutters are targeted to be distributed among the farmers during current fiscal. Aga Ruhullah said the book, released today, is aimed to make the people aware about the income generating schemes and its benefits

available in the Animal and Sheep Husbandry sector. Appealing youth to change their mindset, the Minister asked them to expand their vision and look out for livelihood beyond Government jobs. Emphasizing on launching massive awareness campaign across the State, the Minister said that "we should not expect encouraging results until and unless the beneficiaries are sensitized about the benefits of the scheme". He said Centre has approved number of schemes for

Dy CM visits GMC
Enquires about Khour accident victims
JAMMU, MARCH 24: Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Tara Chand today visited Government Medical College Hospital,Jammu to enquire about health of those injured in yesterday's road accident in Khour. One persondied and several others were injured in the mishap which occurred at MattooPuli. Mr. Tara Chandinteracted with kith and kin of the victims and directed the hospitaladministration to provide required medical attention to the injured.

Tajikistan Ambassador visits shrines of Shah - i-Hamdan, Bulbul Shah

SRINAGAR: The Ambassador of Tajikistan, Saidbeg Saidov on 18 March visited the Shrines of Hazrat Bulbul Shah (RA) and Hazrat Shahi-i- Hamdan (RA) and paid obeisance there. The Ambassador, who is the descendent of Hazrat Shah-i-Hamdan(RA) and belongs to Qulab Khatlan, is on a visit to Kashmir Valley. He visited the shrine of Hazrat Bulbul Shah(RA) and said that the great spiritual personality is considered one of the esteemed saints not only in Kashmir but in entire world. He said that it was under his spiritual influence that King of Kashmir Hazrat Sadr-u-din in 13th century adopted realistic way of life and proved his acumen under the moral guidance of Hazrat Bulbul Shah (RA) . He also paid obeisance at the shrine of Hazrat Sadr-u-Din (RA). The Ambassador immediately after paying obeisance at Mazar-i-sharief of Hazrat Bulbul Shah(RA) proceeded via Aali Kadal and Zaina Kadal route to Khankah-i-Moula where he was received by Mujjawirs and respectable personalities of the area. He was shown the historical sacred 600 year old holy manuscript of holy Quran written by Hazrat Mir Syed Ali Hamdani(RA). He offered prayers at Khankah. He was also presented a copy of Awrad Fatehya on the occasion.

9124 industrial proposals received, land allotted to only 841

JAMMU: The quantum of support accorded to the investors in the industrial sector in J&K after announcement of new Industrial Policy in 2004, can well be gauged from the fact that out of 9124 proposals of small scale units received in Jammu, only 841 units were allotted land. These revelations came to the fore in the Upper House after a question was raised by NC member Vijay Bakaya on 20 March. He pointed out that despite efforts of the State Government no much encouragement has been witnessed to this sector as the figures suggest. Minister in charge Surjit Singh Slathia while replying said that 9124 proposals of small scale units were received in Jammu while 13911 in Kashmir region. An investment of ` 7768 crores was proposed for Jammu while ` 479.67 crores in Kashmir. Out of these, 3334 units were approved in Jammu while and only 841 were allotted land. In Kashmir 7463 proposals were approved and land was allotted to nearly 1041 small scale units. He said 66 proposals of large and medium units were received and 48 were approved and all of them were allotted land. An investment of ` 2987 crores was proposed. Responding to another question, Slathia said 113 proposals of SSUs were pending for want of land in Jammu and 18 large and medium. In Kashmir only 39 proposals were pending for want of land.

Jammu, Srinagar linked with Same Day Speed Post

JAMMU: Giving a a major momentum to the mail services in Jammu and Kashmir, Department of Posts launched Same Day Speed Post service linking Jammu and Srinagar in a function held at Gandhi Nagar on 22 March. John Samuel, Chief Post Master General said that Speed Post consignments booked until 11 a.m. at Gandhi Nagar Head Post office will be given delivery on the same day at Srinagar town in the evening, thus enabling the customers to get faster and time-bound distribution of their letters and documents. The service will be available during the summer months. While such services are available at other countries, in India, this is definitely a unique service offered by Speed Post. With the introduction of this innovative service, Jammu and Kashmir gets the rare distinction of delivering speed post mails covering more than 250 km on the same day. Inaugurating the service at the Gandhi Nagar Head Post office premises, Kuldeep Khoda, Director General of Police appreciated the various initiatives taken by the Department of Posts in Jammu and Kashmir and said that the service would be a major boon for the people . He booked the first Same Day Speed Post letter from Jammu to Srinagar. A large number of customers from Jammu representing business, Government, banks and insurance companies attended the event. For customers in Jammu, Speed Post provides 'Home Collection' free of cost. Customers who require Home Collection service can call Toll free number 1800 180 7500. Under this service, Speed Post consignments will be collected from the premises of the customers upto 7 p.m. The Department of Posts has also introduced 'on-line tracking' system for Speed Post and each Speed Post letter can be tracked from booking till delivery.

STUDENT AGE SUNDAY, MARCH 25-31, 2012

INDIA AND THE WORLD

8
IMF lauds India's efforts in managing economy
MARCH 21: The International Monetary Fund, IMF has lauded India's efforts in managing economy well with good measures amid persisting global uncertainties. Appreciating India's economic reforms, IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said, the decision of government to cap subsidies at two per cent of GDP and a determination to improve the tax code are good measures. The IMF Chief described India's expected growth rate of 7 per cent next year as significant, while reminding that vulnerabilities and fragile zones continue to remain in the global economic landscape. She also cautioned that supply disruptions from Iran can push global crude prices by up to 30 per cent, at a time when the price is hovering at 125 Dollars a barrel. Ms. Lagarde, who is on a two-day visit to India, said, oil price shock will have its implication on the global economy including India. She said, the IMF is keen on implementing quota reforms that will provide more voting rights to emerging nations including India and China.

DATE LINE

Islamabad, Mar 20: Pak seeks end to drone strikes, civil nuke deal like Indo-US Odisha, March 21: Italian hostages: Maoist suggest names, Sanyal rejected Washington, March 23: US working with India to reduce dependence on Iran oil.

US working with India to reduce dependence on Iran oil

WASHINGTON, MARCH 23: The United States has said it's "working hard" with India to see if it can help reduce its dependence on Iranian crude and find alternative sources of supply, but no decision has been taken on imposing financial sanctions. "Our conversations continue with all the other countries that want to talk to us who continue to have issues with the amount of Iranian crude that they import," State Department spokesman Victoria Nuland said when asked about the status of India, China and 10 other nations excluded from an exemptions list. "India is one of those countries. And we are working hard with India to see if we can help with regard to reducing India's dependence and the dependence of any of the other countries on Iranian crude, and looking at alternative sources of supply as well," she said. Iranian crude oil accounts for

Indians third largest Asian group in US

WASHINGTON, MARCH 23: Indian-Americans, numbering 3.2 million, is the third largest Asian American community in US after Chinese Americans and Filipinos. According to the US Census Bureau for 2010, an Asian American community has emerged as the fastest growing ethnic communities in the last decade. The US population grew by 9.7%, from 281.4 million in 2000 to 308.7 million in 2010. However, the Asian population increased more than four times faster than the US population, growing by 43%from 10.2 million to 14.7 million. As a result, the Asian alone-or-in-combination population represented 57% of total population in Hawaii.

about 12 percent of India's current oil imports, the second largest supplier after Saudi Arabia. Asked if the US was contemplating any action against the holdout nations, Nuland said: "I don't have anything to announce, and our bilateral consultations continue with a whole raft of countries that have not yet been

exempted." The United States exempted Japan and ten European nations - Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, and the United Kingdom from US sanctions for having significantly reduced purchases of Iranian crude oil.

India backs UN resolutions on Iran nuclear issue

UNITED NATIONS, MARCH 22: India has come out in support of full implementation of UN Security Council resolutions on the Iranian nuclear issue but said all efforts should be made to ensure that legitimate trade and economic activities do not suffer. "India has consistently supported the right of all nations to peaceful uses of nuclear energy in accordance with relevant international treaties to which they are a party," India's Permanent Representative to the UN Hardeep Singh Puri told the Security Council. India, he said, also supported a proposal to hold an open briefing along with the Coordinator of the Panel of Experts in April 2012 on implementation procedures to get views of the wider UN membership. Asking Iran to "fully cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to restore the confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of its nuclear programme," Puri said India welcomed the recent exchanges between Iran and the IAEA.

India -ASEAN bi-lateral trade gets boost

KOLKATA: Giving more thrust to trade with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), India is expecting to clock $75-80 billion trade with the ten-nation bloc at the end of this fiscal, a senior government official said. "Our trade with ASEAN was $57-58 billion last fiscal. We expect that at the end of this financial year it would be at $75-80 billion," said Siddharth, joint secretary in the commerce ministry.

Pak notifies negative list for trade with India

ISLAMABAD, MARCH 21: The Pakistan government issued the Statutory Regulatory Order (SRO) for switching over to a negative list regime for trade with India. As per SRO, the import of 1209 Indian products will be included in the negative list and will not be importable from India. Of the importable items from India, 137 products can be brought in from India through the Wagah land border crossing. Several items that were included in negative List of 1209 items are sports goods and surgical goods, cigarettes , crude and palm oil, tobacco, , paracetamol, eye drops, perfumes, toothpastes, cellular mobiles phones, leather made jackets and coats, different types of papers, telephone cables, CNG and LPG buses, gas and electricity meters, mini vans and rickshaws. Finalizing the negative list will help increase bilateral trade between India and Pakistan.

China activity on Brahmaputra won't impact India

MARCH 21: The government has ascertained that construction activity on the Brahmaputra river at Zangmu on the Chinese side is a run-of-the-river hydro-electric project which will not adversely impact the downstream areas in India. External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna informed the Lok Sabha that the government is aware of concerns of Arunachal Pradesh in this matter. He said changes in river flows are caused by natural factors like hydrometeorology and climate changes. There has neither been any abnormal rise nor fall in the flow of the river on the Chinese side. Mr. Krishna recalled the assurance given by the Chinese government that the development of upstream areas of the Brahmaputra will never harm downstream interests.

Counter-terrorism meet for regional cooperation

NEW DELHI, MARCH 20: Police officials, prosecutors and judges of South Asian region, including Pakistan, and representatives from Interpol came on one platform to develop a "network" of common enterprise to combat terrorism in this part of the continent. The three-day workshop jointly hosted by the Central Government and United National CounterTerrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) will focus on borderless cooperation to counter global terrorism "and learn from each other's experience". Alistair Millar, Director, Centre on Global Counterterrorism Cooperation said, "the idea is that all the cops, prosecutors and judges exchange views and go back, tell their governments on what more can be done towards countering terrorism." He said "we should learn from our setbacks too". This is the 5th such workshop in New Delhi, the others being held in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Maldives and Bhutan. The idea is to have such workshops every six months in each of the SAARC countries. The officials from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, India, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Pakistan are participating in the workshop. Those who attended the inaugural function included Mike Smith, Executive Director, CTED, Freddy Svane, Ambassador, Embassy of Denmark, Asoke Mukerjee, Additional Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs and Sunjoy Joshi, Director, Observer Research Foundation (ORF). Mukerjee said CTED's ongoing initiative to bring together practitioners from the region through a series of workshops is helpful to strategise counter-terror measures. The workshop, he said, would devise practical ways for police officers, prosecutors and judges to facilitate international cooperation on counter-terrorism cases. Joshi said there is constant transformation and transmutation of forms of global terrorism.

STUDENT AGE SUNDAY, MARCH 25-31, 2012

EDITORIAL

J&K NC: A BRIEF HISTORICAL SURVEY

BY: JASWANT SINGH RANA National conference is very old political party of the State of Jammu and Kashmir founded by Sheikh Mohd.Abdullah in October 1932 under the name Muslim Conference. But it deserves to be mentioned here that it was during the period between 1925-30 that first formal signs of political awakening and awareness among the Muslims of Kashmir came to limelight during the rule of Maharaja Hari Singh. It was during this period that various factors combined to arouse the masses out of their slumber. By this time they felt the need for a formal political organization which could articulate, spearhead and aggregate the demands of the Muslims, channelize their grievances and eventually seek their redressal.So, the unemployed Muslim educated youth initiated political activities in the valley under the banner of 'Reading Room Club 'with Sheikh Mohd. Abdullah as their leader. In 1932 Sheikh Mohd Abdullah founded All India Muslim conference. From 1932 to 1939, the leaders of Muslim Conference pursued an agenda which was primarily concerned with the Muslims of the Kashmir in general and the state in particular. Soon Sheikh Mohd. Abdullah came in touch with Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru and other leaders of the Indian freedom struggle.He met Gandhi many times and got influenced by the secular and humanistic policies of Indian National Congress. On June 11, 1939 Muslim Conference was renamed as the All Jammu and Kashmir National Conference. There after people of other communities also joined the party. It was also affiliated to the All India State People's Conference and in 1947 Sheikh Abdullah was elected its president. On October 30,1947 Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir invited him to take over as the chief of Emergency Administrator of the state and on 2nd November 1947,he started functioning as the head of the emergency administration. National Conference had played a significant role in organizing the resistance movement against the feudal Dogra rule before 1947 and the radical land reforms that it had initiated after it came into power in 1947. Its emphasis on economic and political reconstruction of the state, in pursuance of the New Kashmir Manifesto, the ideological blueprint of the party - particularly the redistribution of the land to the landless, debt relief to the peasants, free education till the Post Graduate stage - endeared this party to the Kashmiri masses and they formed the base of this party. The support was strengthened by Sheikh Abdullah's charisma until his removal from power in 1953. This relation has witnessed a protracted tension, especially since 1953. In 1953, Sheikh Abdullah, the popular Kashmiri leader was removed from power and detained for a long time. Before his detention, Sheikh had been instrumental in negotiating a special constitutional status for the state. However, with his dismissal his status was gradually eroded. All this resulted in an accumulated political discontent which was manifested throughout the post1953 period. With the ouster of the Sheikh Abdullah from power and subsequent formation of Plebiscite Front, the support base of NC shifted to this organization in the post1953 period. However, NC continued to officially operate as the ruling party of the state under the leadership of Bakshi Ghulam Mohammed. But the ruling NC legitimacy remained contested throughout and it survived more on the basis of the support from the Congress party than on the basis of local support. So overwhelming was the influence of the Congress that the NC ultimately merged with it in mid-sixties. Sheikh Mohd. Abdullah was brought back to power in 1975. After 1975 when Sheikh Abdullah came back to power politics, the Plebiscite Front was dissolved and the NC was revived. From 1975 to

Timeline of Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Prime Ministers and Chief Ministers
S.NO 1 2 3 4 5 5 7 NAME Sheikh Abdullah (PM) Bakshi Gulam Mohammed (PM) Khwaja Shamsuddin (PM) Sheikh Abdullah (CM) Farooq Abdullah (CM) ""' (CM) Omar Abdullah (CM) TOOK OFFICE 5 March 1948 9 August 1953 12 October 1963 9 July 1977 7 November 1986 9 October 1996 5 January 2009 LEFT OFFICE 9 August 1953 12 October 1963 29 February 1964 8 September 1982 19 January 1990 18 October 2002 present

1996, the NC was again the most influential party of Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in the Valley. In the background of the Kashmir's politics between 1953 and 1975 when people were mobilized around the theme of contestation of the existing relationship of the state with India, the return of Sheikh Abdullah to power without much change in the status quo, there was a simmering discontent in the Valley. However, due to the towering personality of Sheikh Abdullah, much of this discontent did not take a concrete shape during his life time. But after his death, the party led by his son Farooq Abdullah started losing space. Even theCongress as the ruling party in the Centre had manoeuvred the ouster of his government in 1984. After entering the power politics in 1947,it had occupied the hegemonic space in Jammu and Kashmir, more specifically in the valley, till it was merged with the Indian National congress in mid 1960's.However,it resumed its place of dominance after it was resurrected in 1975. It remained Jammu and Kashmir's dominant party through the 1980s and maintained control over the state government for most of the period. In parliamentary elections, it won one of Kashmir's six parliamentary seats in 1967, none in 1971, two in 1977, and three in 1980, 1984, and 1989. However, popular support for the National Conference was badly eroded by allegations of electoral fraud in the 1987 state elections--which were won by the National Conference in alliance with the Congress (I). However,there was little popular sympathy for Farooq Abdullah and the National Conference even after the gov-

ICONS OF J&K NATIONAL CONFERENCE

Sheikh Abdullah

Bakshi Gulam Mohammed

Farooq Abdullah ernment was dissolved and President's Rule declared in 1990.Having enjoyed a position of pre-eminence for almost a quarter of century .it, however, faced one of the most serious crisis of credibility in 1987.Confronted with popular resentment as well as armed militancy, it went into hibernation in 1990 only to be returned to the centre stage of the mainstream politics of the state in 1996. In 1996, NC received overwhelming majority and formed government in 2002 Assembly elections, it failed to get majority. So, it played the role of leading opposition party. Having lost its place of dominance, with the emergence of another regional party the People's Democratic Party

Omar Abdullah (PDP),the party is trying to gear up for an intensely competitive politics of state. Electoral competition became not only quite intense, but the electoral discourse also became more grounded in the local realities. This new party invigorated the mainstream political space. Though the NC continued to dominate the political scene of the State, its support base gradually declined. With the emergence of PDP in late nineties, the context of the power politics changed drastically. It not only challenged the dominance of the NC but changed the very logic of power politics. It helped bring an end the hegemony of NC. During the 2002 Assembly elections, the PDP managed to capture as

STUDENT AGE SUNDAY, MARCH 25-31, 2012

many as 16 seats from Kashmir Valley. After more than two decades in power, the ruling National Conference (NC) was voted out by popular mandate in the 2002 Assembly elections in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Breaking the hegemony of the single dominant party also brought an alternative to the PDP-Congress coalition power. The possibility that a government could be changed through the participation of people in the electoral process, rather than through the manipulative politics of the Centre, strengthened the stake of the people in this process. secured 8 seatsout of 75. In 1977 elections, NC won 47 seats out of 76 seats.In 1983,NC managed to win 47 seats. In 1986 , it had entered into an alliance with congress party and contested the 1987 election wherein the NC-Congress alliance managed to win 66 of the 76 seats and NC won 40 seats. As the party became dependent on the centre for its political survival rather than on mass support at the ground level, it distanced itself from popular concerns. That the party, despite obtaining massive mandate was disconnected from popular responses became clear in 1989 when the Valley came

EDITORIAL
suffered some losses in Jammu region where it could win only 6 seats as compared to 9 seats in 2002. Congress also could not fare so well. As against 20 seats in 2002, this time it could win only 17 seats. As against 21.38% votes in 2002, only 18.17% votes were cast in its favour in 2008. It suffered loss both in Jammu (from 26.40% to 23.98%) as well as in Kashmir (from 14.41% to 10.48). In Kashmir Valley, the NC not only registered its victory in all the three seats of the region, but also improved its share of votes compared to earlier election. With 38.42% votes cast in its favour during the 2004 Parliamentary election, it

10
Jammu and Kashmir National Conference

Chairperson Founded Headquarters Ideology

Farooq Abdullah (1981-2002 & 2009-till present) June 11, 1939 Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India Kashmiri nationalism Moderate separatism Pro-India Re-unification of Kashmir Seats in Lok Sabha 4 Seats in Rajya Sabha 2 Seats in Legislative Assembly 28 Election symbol

SEATS WON BY NC IN LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

80
75 70 68 47 47 40 28 8 28 57
having its base in Jammu, fielded its candidates in both constituencies of the region. The third seat of Ladakh was also contested by the Congress. As a consequence of this alliance, the contest was regionally localised. There was a direct fight between the NC and PDP in the Valley and between the Congress and BJP in Jammu region. The strategy of the coalition partners to contest in alliance helped them to gain both in the Valley as well as in Jammu region. The NC-Congress combine was able to sweep the Parliamentary elections winning five of the six seats. The sixth seat was also won by the rebel candidate of NC. In two of the three constituencies of the Valley, the margin of votes attained by the winning NC candidate over their PDP rivals was quite high. It was only in Anantnag constituency that there was a close contest between the two parties. In the case of Jammu region also, the Congress was able to win the Jammu seat with a very solid majority and it was only in Udhampur constituency that there was a neck-to-neck fight between the Congress and the BJP candidates. The transformation of the role of the NC, from a hegemonic actor to the single largest party of the state, has to be located in the larger political context in which the state has been placed in last 15 years or so.The political context, defined by the contestation of legitimacy of the mainstream politics on the one hand and situation of armed militancy and separatism on the other hand has constricted the very nature of democratic politics. Though it has been pushed down from its position of preeminence, the NC remains relevant as one of the leading competitive party of the state. Its relevance, however, extends beyond the competitive regional politics. It claims as the initiator of the tradition of the political movement in Kashmir as well as its contribution to the evolution of the Kashmir identity politics, assume importance in the contemporary situation of the state that is defined by the parallel, though conflicting space of mainstream and the separatist politics.

60 40 20 0

1957

1962

1977

1972

1951

1983

1996

1987

Legislative Assembly seats won by NC: 1951 to 2008

In the very first state assembly elections, held in 1951, the National Conference (NC), under the leadership of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, won all 75 seats of the Constituent Assembly without any contest as the authorities rejected the nomination papers of the major opposition party-Praja Parishad-on frivolous grounds, and the independent contestants dropped out at the last moment. In the second elections, held in 1957, the NC secured 68 seats, of which 43 were unopposed,9 while in 1962, NC candidates ran for 41 seats in the valley and were returned unopposed to 34. In 1967, NC

1967

2002

in the grip of militancy and witnessed a massive upsurge .In the political crisis that ensued, not only NC was forced to withdraw from the political scene but had to face the maximum brunt of violence. Governor rule was imposed in 1990, and the local administration obtained permission from the Indian government to extend it further every six months until 1996. In 1996,NC secured 57 seats out of 87 seats. Devoid of legitimacy, NC leadership went into hibernation. And even after coming back on the political scene by contesting the 1996 Assembly election and forming the government, it could not regain its previous legitimacy. NC was able to retain 28 seats that it had in 2002, but it

obtained 49.79% votes during the 2009 Parliamentary elections. This poll percentage was quite high as compared to the 38.12% votes polled by the PDP (slightly lower than its voter turnout of 39.29% in 2004). While the improvement of its share of votes was reflected in each individual constituency, however, it was in Anantnag constituency that the NC actually doubled its share of votes as compared to 2004 (from 23.63% in 2004 to 46.53% in 2009). Being partners in power, the NC and the Congress had reached a pre-electoral arrangement for contesting the 2009 Parliamentary elections. Due to its stronghold in the Valley, the NC contested the three seats of the Valley, while the Congress

2008

STUDENT AGE SUNDAY, MARCH 25-31, 2012

DEFENCE

11

Indigenous weapon programmes should not be scuttled by substandard supplies: DRDO

NEW DELHI: Besides asking for more funds for research and development (R&D), the Defence R&D Organisation (DRDO) has pleaded not to let its successful indigenous weapon programmes be scuttled by substandard manufacture in defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs) and in production units of the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB). There is a serious concern within the DRDO after the Arjun tank, which outperformed the Russian T90 tank in army trials last year, disappointed the frontline combat units for whom it was bulk-produced by the Heavy Vehicles Factory, Avadi (HVF). The apparent reason: poor manufacture and ineffective quality control. DRDO chief V K Saraswat, during the organisation's 36th Laboratory Directors' Conference that concluded, on Wednesday, demanded that DRDO have a say in choosing the factory that manufactures its systems. Seeking intervention of the defence minister, Saraswat stated: "DRDO is mandated to develop prototypes and then hand over to production agencies for large-scale manufacture. But we have realised that a substantial amount of hand holding is required in the post-development phase. DRDO would like to play a lead role in (the) selection of production partners and the lead integrator for production of DRDO-developed products, so as to ensure seamless transfer of technology, productionisation and product support. DRDO seeks to preempt potential production glitches in the 248 Arjun Mark II tanks that HVF Avadi will build. Another concern is the Tejas light combat aircraft. While the DRDO-headed Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) has developed the Tejas, it will be massproduced by public sector giant, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, which is apparently insufficiently prepared for the job. Saraswat also drew attention to the need for "hand-holding" by DRDO in producing the Akash missile system, being built by two DPSUs - Bharat Electronics Ltd and Bharat MoD arbitrarily nominating a DPSU or OFB factory to build the product, usually when development is almost completed, the DRDO would select a capable partner company from the outset, from the private sector if necessary. But the MoD quickly made it clear that DRDO would not be given discretionary powers. Defence secretary Shashi Kant Sharma agreed it was crucial to involve a production partner from the beginning of a project, but arbitrary selection was not an option. "For selection of a production partner at the development stage itself, a fair and transparent methodology is much essential. Also, preferably, there should be multiple development or production partners instead of a single production partner," said Sharma..111111. Defence Minister A K Antony also implicitly opposed Saraswat's proposal, suggesting DRDO discretion might contravene the requirement for transparency. "You must develop this collaboration in a transparent manner. Otherwise, midway, you will land in trouble. We will not tolerate any malpractices otherwise, ultimately, we will have to cancel the collaboration. At every stage, you must see that we are proceeding as per correct procedure." "The problem is that nominating a DPSU like BEL, or an ordnance factory, for mass producing an equipment is considered transparent. But choosing a private sector company, even on logical grounds, risks being viewed as a malpractice," says the CEO of a private sector company pursuing opportunities in defence production. Almost Rs 1,50,000 crore worth of DRDO-developed military equipment have already been introduced into service with the military. The bulk of this has been produced by the public sector, although private sector manufacturers are now beginning to get a small share of the production.

Dynamics Ltd. Top DRDO sources told reporters that identifying a production partner at the start of a project, and involving that partner through the development process, is essential for successfully delivering a high-tech product to the military. Instead of the current practice of the

Britain seeks for partnership with India

NEW DELHI: UK companies involved in some of the most cutting edge technologies in the global Land and Maritime sectors are exhibiting at DEFEXPO 2012, some visiting for the first time others returning after a successful DEFEXPO 2010. The UK theme is "Partnership" as UK companies look to strengthen existing and build new industrial partnerships with companies in India. The UK delegation is led by Mr Gerald Howarth Minister for International Security Strategy. In February, Minister Howarth led the largest ever defence trade delegation of 25 companies to India. Its primary aim was to forge long term joint ventures with Indian industry and many of the UK businessmen have returned to DEFEXPO to do just that. Collaboration between Indian and UK Defence Science and Technology experts has been enhanced following the signing last September of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the heads of DRDO and the UK's Defence Science & Technology Laboratory. This arrangement will facilitate joint defence research projects in the near and medium term of mutual interest.

Army deployment to be increased in Arunachal

GUWAHATI: The Centre has decided to increase the presence of army personnel in Arunachal Pradesh, a move which could raise the hackles of neighbouring China which frequently stakes claim to the frontier state. The Centre's move was indicated in the budget speech of Arunachal Pradesh governor J.J. Singh in the Assembly at Naharlagun, 20km from capital Itanagar,. The former army chief's address conveyed India's commitment to the development and protection of a state which has remained a thorn in bilateral relations between the two nations. Besides China, the state also shares a border with Bhutan and Myanmar. "Our army has plans for considerable additional deployment in our state, and setting up of headquarters of new formations and units has already been initiated at several locations. Additional deployment

2 Army regiments equiped to operationalize BrahMos

NEW DELHI: Indigenously developed BrahMos cruise missile system having a strike range of 290 kms, has become fully operational with two regiments of the Indian Army, government told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. In a written reply, Defence Minister A K Antony said, The flight trial was carried out on March 4, 2012 by the Second Regiment of the BrahMos Army Unit for operationalisation of the regiment in desert warfare, after training of the personnel. "With this test firing, the BrahMos Missile System is fully operational with two regiments of the Army," he said. He was asked whether the BrahMos missile was test fired and its details thereof. Informing the House on the test firing conducted by Army, the Defence Minister said, "BrahMos Missile System with launchers, mobile command post with its control and communication systems had been fully deployed by the Army in operational mode and the missile was fired". Replying to a question on indigenous production of defence equipment, Antony said the defence public sector units are taking various initiatives to encourage indigenous participation in defence production and to widen the defence industrial base. "These include development of indigenous vendors, registration of new vendors, policy initiative for greater private sector participation and outsourcing in their production programme," he said.

of border-guarding forces along the international border to check crossborder movement of insurgents is also likely," the governor said. The announcement comes close on the heels of Union defence minister A.K. Antony's visit to the state on February 20 to participate in its 25th Statehood Day followed by the visit of Union minister of state for home Mullapally Ramachandran on March 1. Both discussed the internal and external security situation of the state.

STUDENT AGE SUNDAY, MARCH 25-31, 2012

DEFENCE

12

Ordnance factory to enhance Pinaka rockets production

NAGPUR: The Ordnance Factory Ambajhari (OFAJ) is all set to enhance its manufacturing capacity of Pinaka rockets from the present 1,000 rockets to 5,000 every year for the Indian Army, sources said. "Pinaka rocket is one of the major projects (of the OFAJ). The multiple rocket launcher has successfully been indigenised and production of Pinaka rocket is in association with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)," official sources said. "Pinaka rocket is operable at extreme conditions of temperature ranging from -10 degree centigrade to 55 degree centigrade. These rockets, with a payload of 100 kgs, have a striking range of 40 kms and can bring devastation around 500 kms of surrounding areas of the target. It has already been tested and inducted into the arsenal of the Indian Army. It is a mammoth project of the Ambajhari Ordnance Factory," they said. Very soon, construction work

33 fighter aircrafts lost since 2008: Govt

NEW DELHI : The Indian Air Force has lost 33 fighter aircraft, including three Sukhoi-30MKI, in mishaps since 2008 and 26 defence personnel were killed in these crashes, the Lok Sabha was informed on Monday. "During last three years-20082011, and current year up to March, 33 fighter aircraft including one Jaguar, two Mirage-2000, three Sukhoi-30 and 27 MiGseries and 10 helicopters have crashed," Defence Minister AK Antony said in a written reply to a question on crashes of IAF aircraft. Antony added, "26 defence personnel, including 13 pilots, have lost their lives. Six civilians have also lost their lives." On reasons for these crashes, the defence minister said, "Majority of accidents were on account of human error and technical defect." Every IAF accident is thoroughly investigated by a Court of Inquiry (CoI) to ascertain the cause of accident and remedial measures are taken accordingly to check their recurrence, he said. Denying that inexperience of pilots is one of the reasons for these crashes, he said, "However, improvement of skills of pilots is a continuous process. Several steps have been taken by government in this regard." The measures include increased use of simulators to practice emergency actions, focused and realistic training with emphasis on critical aspects of mission, introduction of Crew Resources Management and Operational Risk Management to enable safe mission launches. On phasing out of MiG-21 aircraft, Antony said, "Decision to phase out aircraft are taken based on various factors including their residual life and operational considerations and is reviewed by government from time to time. This is a continuous process."

would commence for the extension project of Pinaka. Each Pinaka battery consists of six launcher vehicles, each with 12 rockets, six loader-cum replenishment vehicles, two command post vehicles with a fire control computer and radar. According to sources, AN-32 Platform system is another important milestone in the history of OFAJ and the first batch of OFAJ's indigenously produced AN-32

Platform was handed over to the Indian Army in July last year. AN-32 Platform system is an Aerial Delivery System to para drop vehicles from height of 500 to 700 metres, with the help of parachutes. The platforms loaded with vehicle are carried on hydraulic trolley to airbase and the same is put inside an AN-32 aircraft with the help of a hydraulic trolley and manual push, sources said.

New Naval air base to be planed in Karnataka

NEW DELHI: Strengthening its capabilities along the western seaboard, the Indian Navy is planning to establish a new naval air base in Karwar in Karnataka for operating both fighter and surveillance aircraft. "We have plans of establishing a Naval Air Station at Karwar for basing and operation of fixed and rotary-wing military aircraft," Navy officials said on Tuesday. The naval air base is part of the Navy's Rs 10,000 crore plans under the phase II of the Project Sea Bird. Aircraft carrier 'Admiral Gorshkov', which India is getting from Russia, six Scorpene submarines and several other warships will be based there in the future. The Navy already has an air base in Goa and has deployed its MiG 29K and Sea Harrier fighter aircraft there. It has also placed orders for 29 more MiG 29K carrier- borne fighter planes from Russia along with the indigenous versions of the naval variant of the Light Combat Aircraft 'Tejas'. Under the Phase-II of the Project, Karwar will get an armament depot, dockyard complex and missile silos, apart from additional jetties, berthing and anchorage facilities. It is planning to expand the base to the extent where it can provide requisite berthing and operational fleet base facilities for the operation, administration and command and control of over 30 warships and submarines. The Karwar base would be the third such major base of the Indian Navy and is being strengthened at a time when Pakistan is developing ports with the help of the Chinese and would also providing strategic depth to its maritime force. It would also help the Navy in decongesting its base in Mumbai which has seen a significant increase in merchant shipping.

Indian Naval ships on goodwill visit to Jeddah

NEW DELHI: Three Indian Navy ships will be visiting the Jeddah Islamic Port on a goodwill visit from March 26-29. INS Tir, INS Shardul and ICGS Veera of the Southern Naval Command will be arriving in Jeddah. Capt. Ajay Sirohi, Capt. Sanjay Sachdeva and Cmdr. V. K. Varghese are commanding the ships respectively. Goodwill visits to foreign lands by navies the world over are undertaken to enhance relations and foster greater defense cooperation between the countries. The present deployment of the training squadron is aimed at strengthening friendship with India's maritime neighbors. The last goodwill visit to the Kingdom was by three Indian naval ships INS Tir, INS Krishna and ICGS Veera was to Jubal during March 24-28, 2011.

Air force received 3rd batch of upgraded An-32s from Ukraine

KIEV, UKRAINE: The Indian air force has taken delivery of a third batch of five upgraded Antonov An32 transport aircraft. The planes were modernized in Ukraine under the auspices of the Ukrainian state-owned defense arms export agency Ukrspetsexport. Under the terms of a 2009 contract between the Indian air force and Ukrspetsexport, the agency is overseeing the modernization of 40 Antonov An-32 aircraft in Ukraine and another 65 at the air force base in Kanpur, as reported. India was the Antonov An-32's initial export customer in the 1980s and its fleet of 105 Antonov An-32 aircraft are used not only by the air force but also by the military's

Parachute Training School, for both military and humanitarian supply airdrops. It is also considered an important link in the Indian military's transport chain to the disputed Siachen glacier area in northern

Jammu and Kashmir. The extended service has taken a toll on the aircraft, which is why last year the air force decided to modernize and refurbish part of its fleet.

STUDENT AGE SUNDAY, MARCH 25-31, 2012

DEFENCE

13
Young Scientist 2011 award to KP Jaya Prakash
BANGALORE: K P Jayaprakash, Scientist 'C' with the Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS), a DRDO lab in Bangalore, has been awarded the 'Young Scientist Award 2011' by Defence Minister A K Antony. The award - a citation and `1 lakh in cash - is given for his significant contributions in the field of Sensor Data Fusion for the indigenous Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) system. Jayaprakash, an alumni of BMS College of Engineering, is already a recipient of Technology Group and National Science Day awards.

Field trials of most potent artillary weapon from Jan 2013

KOLKATA: An upgraded version of the 155mm Bofors gun, the Indian Army's most potent artillery weapon, will be ready for field trials in January 2013, a top official of the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) said on Tuesday. "We are working on this upgraded version. This has been tried out in PXE (Proof and Experimental Establishment), Balasore," OFB chairperson Sashi Dhar Dimri said on the sidelines of its 210th anniversary here. OFB is upgrading the gun from its original 39-calibre to 45-calibre with mechanical and electronic suites. Extensive firing has been carried out at PXE Balasore as part of the upgrade process. "We are confident that in the beginning of 2013, our GCF (Gun Carriage Factory, Jabalpur) will be in a position to field the gun for trials," Dimri said. While one gun has been upgraded with the electronic suite incorporating ballistic computers, servo valves and communication systems to provide automation, the second gun has been upgraded by fitting a new 45 calibre barrel, enabling it to achieve a range of 40 km.

Chinese helicopters violate Indian air space

SHIMLA: Himachal Chief Minister PK Dhumal accused the UPA government for not taking a serious notice of Chinese interference along the Tibet border and cautioned that ignoring these "warning signals" could land the country into serious trouble. "China is sometime violating the air space, objecting to road constructions in Leh, building ultramodern air fields in Tibet and extending the railway line upto Tibet border" but the Indian government was conveniently ignoring these warnings, the BJP chief minister said. He was replying to a calling attention motion in the state assembly on "violation of Indian air space by two Chinese helicopters along Himachal border".

Proudful moment for the parents

CHENNAI: It turned out to be a Golden Saturday for Joginder Singh Badotra, a former colonel in the Indian Army and his wife, from Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh. Their son Himanshu Badotra, 24, was selected as the best all round cadet and was honoured with the President's Sword of Honour during the passing out parade of the 284 young officers who successfully completed their 49 week gruesome training in the Officers Training Academy, Chennai. What made the day unique for the Badotras was that their daughter Niharika, a bio-informatics graduate, too passed out with Himanshu on Saturday, making it a golden double for the family. Himanshu, a graduate in basic sciences, has been posted to 11 Sikh Ganganagar in Rajasthan where he will join hundreds of soldiers of the Indian Army in guarding the country's borders using hi-tech gadgets and robots. "It's a dream come true for me. I have never thought of any other profession than that of an Army officer," a beaming Himanshu said "He will be the Golden Boy of the OTA since this year we are celebrating our Golden Jubilee year," said a senior OTA faculty. Parents of all the 287 candidates, selected from all over the country, had made it to the OTA on Saturday to witness the elegant passing out parade where they were declared as commissioned officers of the Indian Army. This year saw 89 women candidates joining different wings

"We could not perceive the Chinese threat in 1962 as we were enamoured by 'Hindi- Chini, Bhai Bhai' and now again, China is strengthening its borders and we must take it seriously," he said. Attacking China for violation of Indian air space over Himachal border, Dhumal said that the government has allocated a piece of land to the Indian Air Force (IAF) for installation of a radar to monitor the air space. "The IAF approached the government and a land has been provided to it," he said.

Coast Guard Station Dahanu Commissioned

MAHARASHTRA: Coast Guard station Dahanu, the third Coast Guard station in Maharashtra, was commissioned by Vice Admiral MP Muralidharan, Director General Indian Coast Guard at Dahanu. Inspector General SPS Basra, the Commander Coast Guard Region (West) and senior officials from the Central and State Govt witnessed the commissioning ceremony.The station is part of ongoing efforts by the Coast Guard to strengthen coastal security along the Indian coastline. The station at Dahanu will help augment patrolling along the north Maharshtra coast and prevent illicit activity such as infiltration and smuggling. In his address during the Commissioning Ceremony, Vice Admiral Muralidharan dwelt upon the need for maintaining countinuous vigil along the nation's maritime borders. He called for continued synergy and coordination between various agencies involved in security operations. Coast Guard Station Dahanu will function under the administrative and operational control of the Commander Coast Guard Region (West) through the Commander Coast Guard District Headquarter 2 located at Mumbai. Commandant SD Sonak has been appointed as the Commanding Officer of the Station.

of the Army. Niharika has been posted to Ordnance Jodhpur from where she will ensure the prompt dispatch and delivery of crucial components needed by units in the forward areas. The Batras are not the only family who have sent their children to the armed forces. Prateek Sharma, 25, a zoology graduate of Ghaziabad, is a third generation officer from a family of soldiers. "My father Vijay Kumar Sharma retired as a major from the Indian Army. My elder brother Sourabh is a serving major," said a beaming Prateek after the pipping ceremony when his father himself decorated him with the two-stars which made him a lieutenant in the Army. A senior faculty member said all the 287 officers commissioned on Saturday would spread out to various units of the Army. "All of them have specialised in various aspects of the military professions like

communications, signals, intelligence, strategic planning and a host of other branches. These young ladies are the ones who will be monitoring the borders from their vantage points and deciphering information which will form the inputs for our operations," he said. General Batoo Tshering, chief of staff, Royal Army of Bhutan, who reviwed the parade, said he wasted to born again as a cadet so that he could get trained in OTA Chennai. Lt General Sunil Sadanand Jog, the handsome commandant of the OTA, said the coming years would see more and more cadets making it to OTA as the academy was planning to increase the intake to 750. There were 138 engineering gradutes, 18 post graduates and 11 law graduates among the Indian contingent of 287 cadets. Sixteen trainees from Afghanistan and one from Lesotho made the batch an international community.

STUDENT AGE SUNDAY, MARCH 25-31, 2012

ECONOMY

14

NEWS IN BOX

Govt slashes import tariff value of gold to $530/10 grams

NEW DELHI: The government on 23 March reduced the import tariff value of gold from USD 573 per 10 grams to USD 530 per 10 grams, while the value was kept unchanged at USD 1,036 per kg for silver imports. The tariff value, which is released fortnightly, is the base price on which the customs duty is determined to prevent under-invoicing and discourage import of gold to ease pressure on balance of payments. The Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) issued a notification yesterday in this regard, an official release said. After crude oil, gold is the most imported commodity in India in terms of value. Bullion traders and jewellers have opposed the recent hikes in tariff value as it would hit demand as the increased costs have to be passed on to consumers. Early this year, the government had changed the duty structure on gold and silver from specific to valuelinked, making precious metals more expensive. The import duty on gold was fixed at 2 per cent of the value, instead of the earlier rate of Rs 300 per 10 grams. On silver, the import duty was pegged at 6 per cent, as against Rs 1,500 per kg earlier. India, the world's biggest consumer of gold, imported 967 tonnes of gold in 2011.

FDI up by 92% in January to $ 2 billion

NEW DELHI: India received $ two billion foreign direct investment in January, showing an annual growth of 92 per cent and taking cumulative inflows to $ 26.19 billion for April-January period of the current fiscal. In January 2011, the country received foreign direct investment (FDI) worth $ 1.04 billion. Experts feel if reforms are pushed, there is much more potential for attracting increased foreign investment. "There is an urgent need for strong reforms like 100 per cent FDI in sectors like multi-brand retail and insurance. There is a need to boost investor confidence. $ 2 billion in month is not a big number," General Rajiv said on 20
The sectors which received large foreign FDI inflows during the 10-month period this fiscal are: Services $ 4.83 billion Pharmaceuticals $ 3.20 billion Telecommunication $ 1.99 billion Construction Power Metallurgical Industries $ 2.23 billion $ 1.56 billion $ 1.65 billion Sources of FDI inflows to India are: Mauritius $ 8.91 billion Singapore $ 4.30 billion Japan UK Germany Netherlands Cyprus $ 2.75 billion $ 2.75 billion $ 1.46 billion $ 1.16 billion $ 1.31 billion

Govt raises DA by 7 % points

NEW DELHI: Giving relief to its employees and pensioners from inflation, the central government on 23 March announced a seven percentage point increase in dearness allowance (DA) which will cost the exchequer an additional Rs 7,500 crore. The new DA rate of 65 per cent of basic pay against 58 per cent earlier will be applicable retrospectively from January 1, 2012, sources said. The decision, was taken by the Union Cabinet, they added. It will benefit about 50 lakh employees and 30 lakh pensioners. The government periodically hikes the DA, which is linked to consumer price index for industrial workers. The CPI is hovering around 7 per cent.

March. Thanks to the double taxation avoidance treaty and Government's policy to liberalise the FDI regime that has increased the FDI inflows to India.Besides Government has allowed overseas investment in bee-keeping and share pledging for raising external debt. The conditions for FDI in construction of old-

age homes and educational institutions have also been eased. These will not be subject to the minimum and built-up area, capitalisation and lock-in period norms as applicable for the construction activities. FDI inflows into India totalled $ 19.42 billion in 2010-11 financial year, down from $ 25.83 billion in 2009-10.

Panel to look into various aspects of poverty

NEW DELHI: Under attack for poverty numbers, the Planning Commission said on 23 March a technical group will look into various aspects of the problem, including the need to link social sector benefits with the poverty line. "Since we are setting up a technical group, we will look at the Tendulkar (poverty) line ...technical group...will tell us, how will we link food subsidy...how do we determine beneficiaries then we look whether poverty line is need to be revisited," Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia told reporters here. Deviating from its earlier stand of delinking benefits under flagship schemes like Food Security Bill from the poverty line, the Commission had indicated that benefits under some social sector programmes would be provided on the basis of its poverty estimates. "...some of the entitlements (under the government schemes) will need to flow from the poverty estimates unless we have made conscious exception like in the case of Food Security Bill", Minister of State for Planning Ashwani Kumar had said on Thursday. On what system would be followed to determine the number of poor for entitlement under social sector schemes, Ahluwalia said: "The present system is fairly well known. Food subsidy benefits are explicitly delinked (from poverty line)...even other benifits...Many of our schemes are not linked to poverty line..for example MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Gurantee Act)." As per the Commission's estimates, poverty ratio has been pegged at 29.8 per cent in 2009-10, down from 37.2 per cent in 200405. These are based on the daily per capita consumption of Rs 28.65 in urban cities and Rs 22.42 in rural areas.

Pak plans petrol imports from India

NEW DELHI: The Pakistani government is expected to bring out a notification next month allowing import of certain goods, including petrol and food items from India, Energy Secretary Ejaz Chaudhry said on 23 March. Pakistan agreed last November to open up more trade with India by replacing a list of items its bigger neighbour can sell across the border with a shorter list of items that cannot be traded -- a move regarded as key to improving commercial ties. Pakistan has agreed in principle to grant access to imports from India under the Most Favoured Nation status, but has yet to fully implement the change. Pakistan currently bans imports of Indian gasoline. It allowed diesel imports from India in 2009, but no Indian supplies were sent in the face of preferential prices offered by Pakistan's allies such as Kuwait. India's oil minister S. Jaipal Reddy said in January that the country was examining a proposal to export petroleum products and gasoline to neighbouring Pakistan.

Per capita availability of foodgrains declined in 2010

NEW DELHI: The availability of foodgrains per person per year had declined by 1.23 per cent to 160.1 kg in 2010, Parliament was informed on 19 March. The per capita availability of food grains (wheat, rice, cereals and pulses) per person annually stood at 162.1 kg in 2009. In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Food Minister K V Thomas said the per capita availability of foodgrains compares well with the normative per capita cereal requirement of the National Institute of Nutrition's at 157 kg per annum. "The government has made a total allocation of 615.26 lakh tonnes of foodgrains during 201112 through the Public Distribution (PDS) system," he added. Apart from PDS, government has also allocated 123.69 lakh tonne foodgrains for Antyodaya Anna Yojna (AAY), Below Poverty Line (BPL) and Above Poverty Line (APL) families, including 23.69 lakh tonne for 174 poorest districts in 27 states/union territories, Thomas said. To a separate query, the minister said that 212.55 lakh tonne wheat and 331.78 lakh tonne rice was available in the Central pool as of March 1, 2012. As of March 15, 2012, the procurement of wheat in the 2011-12 marketing year (April-March) was 283.35 lakh tonne, while that of rice stood at 276.04 lakh tonne in the 2011-12 marketing year (October-September), he noted. On the issue of prices, Thomas said that the prices of wheat and rice are stable in the country. "The prices of sugar, major pulses and edible oils are either stable or have shown marginal increase," he added. To another question on insufficient arrangements for official procurement forcing farmers to sell their produce below minimum support price (MSP), Thomas said that no such reports have been received. For the procurement of paddy in the kharif marketing season, 26,148 purchasing centres have been set up, which include 416 centres of the Food Corporation of India ( FCI) and 25,434 centres by the state governments, he added.

India requests US & Europe for oil needs

NEW DELHI: India will continue to import oil from Iran without violating any international law and has requested the United States and the European Union to take into account the country's oil needs, India's oil minister said on Friday. "We have a systematic plan for receiving oil from Iran," Jaipal Reddy told reporters at the Asia Gas Partnership Summit, but did not elaborate. The United States gave exemptions on Tuesday from its crippling financial sanctions to Japan and 10 EU nations it said had cut purchases of Iranian crude, but left Asian economic giants India and China exposed to the risk of such steps. "We continue to receive representations from the US and other countries. With respect to their sentiments, we have requested to appreciate our needs," Reddy said.

STUDENT AGE SUNDAY, MARCH 25-31, 2012

ECONOMY

15

Indo-ASEAN trade likely to touch $80 billion in 2011-12

KOLKATA: The trade between India and ASEAN countries is expected to post 30 per cent growth during the current fiscal and is likely to touch USD 75-80 billion. "The trade with ASEAN countries is growing steadily and this year we expect it to be between USD 75-80 billion," Commerce Ministry Joint Secretary Siddharth said today on the sidelines of a trade seminar jointly organised by FICCI, FIEO and the Department of Commerce on 23 March. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a geopolitical and economic organisation of ten countries located in Southeast Asia. Siddharth said Indo-ASEAN trade was valued at USD 60 billion in the nine months of AprilDecember 2011. In 2010-11, the trade with ASEAN was USD 57 billion. Another important aspect of trade with ASEAN countries was that the trade deficit was reducing, he said. "In 2010-11 the gap reduced to USD 3 billion. Imports were USD 30 billion while export was USD 27 billion," he said. Siddharth said negotiations on services and investment with ASEAN countries were underway and the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) was signed with important ASEAN countries like Singapore. "CECA has already been signed with Singapore and Malaysia. With Thailand, it is expected in 2012 calender year. With Indonesia, dialogue is to begin soon," Siddharth said.

India's infant mortality rate worse than neighbours, says govt

NEW DELHI: India's infant mortality rate of 47 per thousand live births is worse than its neighbouring countries like Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said on 20 March. "In India, the infant mortality rate (IMR) is 47 per thousand live births which translates into 12.5 lakh infant deaths per year," he said replying to supplementaries during Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha. IMR in West Bengal is 32 per thousand live births which amounts to 47,000 infant deaths per year. "Unfortunately, IMR and Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) in India is very bad. As bad that it cannot be compared with our neighbouring countries of Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangaldesh. Pakistan is the only country, India can be compared with," he said. Stating that health is a state subject, Azad said working and functioning of hospitals is a duty of each state government. "We do only specific intervention." The central government has provided grant for setting up 30bed New Born Care Unit at B C Roy Hospital in West Bengal, he added.

Only 154 SEZs are operational: Sharma

NEW DELHI: Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma told the Rajya Sabha held on 21 March that only one-fourth of 587 special economic zones (SEZs) approved by the govt to boost exports have become operational, He said during Question Hour that the govt had approved 587 SEZs, of which 380 have been notified. The number of operational SEZs is 154 or 25.43% of the approved special zones. As on December 31, 2011, an investment of Rs 249,631 crore has been made in SEZs, generating direct employment for over 8 lakh persons. Exports from SEZ increased 43.11% to Rs 315,868 crore in FY11. SEZs account for 25% of India's export earnings .India's exports are likely to touch $300 billion this year as against $252 billion last year, he said. "The fiscal concessions and duty benefits allowed to SEZs are inbuilt into the SEZ Act, 2005. These exemptions are in the nature of incentives for export and investment ,he added.

India-Malawi trade at $113 mn in April-Nov

NEW DELHI: Trade between India and African nation Malawi has improved to USD 113 million during AprilNovember this fiscal, Commerce Ministry said on 21 March. "... after decline in bilateral trade in 2010-11 fiscal year, the trade has shown a strong growth in the current fiscal year," the ministry said in a statement. Malawi trade minister John Bande today called on Commerce and Industry Anand Sharma here. "Sharma and his Malawi counterpart John Bande stressed the need to work on increasing the trade volume and expanding the basket of products to our mutual advantage," the statement said. Malawi is a land-locked country in southeast Africa. Referring to the recent commitment of revising the trade target with Africa to USD 90 billion by 2015, Sharma said that there is a need to strengthen the trade relationship between the two sides through building of trade-related capacity. He also conveyed India's commitment to support Malawi in its economic development in areas like agriculture, railways, rehabilitation, hydro-power stations and solar energy.

Global financial crisis impacted India significantly: RBI

NEW DELHI: Reserve Bank said on 20 March that global financial crisis impacted India significantly despite sound banking system and negligible exposure of banks to sub-prime assets. "The global financial crisis impacted India significantly, notwithstanding the sound banking system, negligible exposure of banks to sub-prime assets and relatively well-functioning financial markets," RBI Deputy Governor Anand Sinha said at the Finance Summit organised by IIM, Kashipur on February 11. Sinha said the impact was mainly on account of the country's growing trade and financial integration with the global economy."The immediate impact of the crisis was felt through large capital outflows and consequent fall in the domestic stock markets on account of sell-off by foreign institutional investors (FIIs) and steep depreciation of the rupee against US dollar," he added. On sovereign debt crisis on India, Sihna further said that with the euro area appearing to head for a recession and the global growth slowing again after a short recovery, growth in India too has moderated more than was expected earlier."Increase in global uncertainty, weak industrial growth, slow down in investment activity and deceleration in the resource flow to commercial sector led to dip in output growth," he said. Inflation risks emanating from suppressed domestic energy prices, incomplete pass-through of rupee depreciation and slippage in fiscal deficit, further fuelled by food and commodity inflation have led to policy tightening. "All these factors have resulted in the growth projection for India for 2011-12 being revised downwards from 7.6 per cent to 6.9 per cent," he added.

Cotton exports to neighbouring nations to resume

NEW DELHI: India allowed cotton exports to neighbouring countries, including Pakistan and Bangladesh, via land route after scrutinising the orders issued before the government imposed a ban on March 5 which has since been partially revoked. On March 5, the government had imposed a ban on cotton exports but the decision was rolled back on political pressure from the Congress Party and its key ally NCP, led by Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar. However, the Commerce Ministry had decided that no fresh registration certificates (RCs) would be issued for exports and it would scrutinise all the RCs issued before the ban. "The process of revalidation/ scrutiny of all the registered contracts for export of cotton through the land custom stations with India's neighbour has been completed in the first lot of scrutiny," an official statement said.

Govt okays Rs 9,260 crore road projects in six states

NEW DELHI: The government approved eight road projects in six states, entailing Rs 9,620 crore investment, under its flagship road building programme National Highways Development Project (NHDP). The Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure (CCI) cleared the projects for widening of existing highways in Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Rajasthan on design, build, operate, finance and transfer basis ( DBOFT) on BOT toll mode under NHDP phases II, III, IV and V. "The CCI approved the investment proposal for the implementation of the project for the development of six laning of Chandikhole - Paradeep section of NH 5 A in Orissa under NHDP Phase V," an official statement said on 23 March. The Orissa project is to be executed at a cost of Rs 1,014.36 crore, it added. The 76.6 km stretch will be widened with an objective to improve infrastructure in Orissa and will result in reducing travel time between Chandikhole and Paradeep. About the Andhra Pradesh project, the statement said it is for "development of six laning of Gundugolanu Rajahmundry section of NH 5" to be executed at a cost of Rs 1,766.25 crore. Two projects pertaining to Uttar Pradesh comprise four laning of Ghaghar Bridge (Indo Nepal Border) - Varanasi section on NH 233 will be built at a cost of Rs 1,895.95 crore. The four laning of Sultanpur - Varansi section of NH 56 will be entail an investment of Rs 1,564.73 crore. Further, the Rs 1,153.30 crore project in Karnataka for four laning of 80.02 km Hoskote - Dobbaspet section on NH 207 has also been approved. Thr four laning of Solapur Bijapur section on NH 13 in Maharashtra and Karnataka, the statement said, will cost Rs 1,091.89 crore out which Rs 89.41 crore will be towards land acquisition, rehabilitation and resettlement.

STUDENT AGE SUNDAY, MARCH 25-31, 2012

FASHION

16

Priyanka crowned Big B to host IPL 5 India's Glam Diva opening ceremony
ollywood actress Priyanka Chopra has pipped stars like Vidya Balan, Kareena Kapoor, Katrina Kaif and Deepika Padukone for India's Glam Diva title.The title was given as part of Big CBS Love's show "India's Glam Diva".Priyanka was crowned by her fan Siddhi Singh, a Mumbai-based girl. The actress was named the winner on the basis of public voting. The actress has been successful with her movie choices and hasn't given the critics much to complain about. Right from her character in "Andaaz", for which she won the Filmfare Award for best female debut in 2002 to "Fashion" for which she received the National award for best actress, she has enthralled the audience in her a decade long career. Jury member and choreographer Shiamak Davar said: "She wants to be number one; she wants to conquer the world; she wants to make it not only in India but globally which is great." Priyanka is now also utilising her melodious voice to launch a music album in the US

mitabh Bachchan will host the opening ceremony of the fifth season of Indian Premier League (IPL) in Chennai on April 3. The 69-year-old, who has taken a break to recover from two abdominal surgeries last month, is preparing for the event. Bollywood will make its presence felt in a big way at the next edition of the Indian Premiere League (IPL). Continuing with the tradition of the last few years, a grand opening ceremony has been planned at the YMCA College of Physical Education on April 3 in Chennai. Perhaps for the first time in his career megastar Amitabh Bachchan will host a live sporting ceremony. Priyanka Chopra and Salman Khan are the other big names who will perform on the night. Priyanka,

who has been very busy shooting for films like 'Krrissh 2' and 'Barfi' has been practising hard to perfect her act since the last few days. Dancing sensation Prabhu Deva and musical duo Colonial Cousins will also add to the glamour of the event with their performances.

Sonakshi Sinha as Mrs Chulbul Pandey in Dabangg 2

onakshi Sinha has started shooting for Dabangg 2 and the excited actress reveals her look in the film. As Mrs Chulbul Pandey, Sonakshi again goes for a gorgeous desi look in the film. The gorgeous actress will be seen in lovely saris in the film because Rajjo is no more a village belle, but has graduated to be the wife of a senior police officer, Chulbul Pandey, played by Salman Khan, and thus her look is more elegant. Sonakshi Sinha believes that the Indian audience like her a lot in her desi look of Dabangg. And interestingly her look in other forthcoming films also shows her in desi avatars. The actress was supposed to get a makeover for Race 2, but made an exit from the project to accommodate dates for Dabangg 2.

Shahrukh Khan to play Jawahar lal Nehru?

hahrukh Khan may be up for a role to play Jawaharlal Nehru in a film to be made by an Australian filmmaker, Bruce Beresford. He's a 71-year-old filmmaker who has made films like the Oscar winning Driving Miss Daisy, the critically acclaimed Silent Fall and Black Robe. Now, the scoop is that Beresford is reportedly making a film on Indira Gandhi. He's in Mumbai to talk about the film and in the process met up with a number of actors who apparently want to be a part of the film. Beresford gave a presentation to the guests in which the faces of actors from both Bollywood and Hollywood were morphed into the characters for his films. What took a lot of people by surprise was when Shahrukh Khan's face appeared on the screen and morphed into the face of Jawaharlal Nehru. After all, a film on Indira Gandhi would be incomplete without considerable footage of her father Jawaharlal Nehru.

STUDENT AGE SUNDAY, MARCH 25-31, 2012

FASHION

17

hort women often feel embarrassed with their height. Adding up high heels or trying different dresses to look tall are great attempts by short women to look tall but there are few dresses which can make you look more short. Therefore, here are best fashion tips for short height women. SHORTS: You can divert the attention from your height by wearing shorts. Show off your lean legs in shorts especially hot pants. Wear tip toed stilettos or flat ballerinas to carry the look with style. Avoid skirts below knee level. This makes the woman look more short. One all time hit fashion tip for petite women is to wear slim fit short skirts above knee length. Team up with tube top or a t-shirt to get the chic look for a casual day out! Wear pencil heels to make the legs look tall and lean. You can also go for knee length pencil skirts. TOPS: Fitting tops flaunt your body shape and doesn't make you look petite. Short women can create the illusion of tall and lean figure by wearing fitting V neck tops, vertical lined tops or shirts, slim fit tshirts. Prefer wearing a dress with same colour as different colours

Fashion Tips for Short Women!

highlight the body more. Tops should end on the waist. You can even round up with a trendy jeans belt. Avoid baggy or lose fitting tops such as poncho as it can make you look heavy and short. PANTS: Short women have to be very selective in pants. Slim fit pants with high heels can look great. Avoid lose fitting, too low waist jeans. Hippie look can make you appear more short as they are lose on the body and hides your shape too! Boot cut and flared jeans are best fashion tips for short women. Also avoid baggy pants. JACKETS: Be very careful with jackets. Long jackets can make you look short. Go for waist length jackets rather than knee one. Petite women can try this fashion tip to look tall. Accessorise jackets to get the chic look. Accessories also drags attention towards the outfit and not height. HEELS: This is one of the most important fashion tips for short women. Wear pencil heels to look tall and make the legs look tall and lean. High pencil heels adds zing to the look and femininity. High heels not only makes you look tall but makes the buttocks and breasts look curved and heavy!

ADD LIFE TO LEATHER SHOES

1. LOUIS VUITTON

5 MOST POWERFUL LUXURY BRANDS

Things to remember while wearing men's Watch

he best men watches are not those that are from the best brands or are the most expensive. Actually a watch has to suit your personality and physical stature to look good on you. Guidelines to figure out the best watch: Oversized watches and huge dials are not for everybody. You need to justify the bulk of your watch with your size. It does not mean that big dials are for fatty men but you least athletic enough to carry it. Men's sports watches can usually be carried by anyone because they go with a particular kind of look that says 'cool and casual' or 'sporty'. So you obviously cannot wear a sports watch with a suit or even a formal shirt but otherwise these watches look good on most men. All types of watches don't suit all complexions. Gold plated watches look particularly bad

Overall Brand Value: up 2% to $19.78 billion 2. HERMES Overall Brand Value: up 8% to $8.46 billion 3. GUCCI Overall Brand Value: up 2% to $7.59 billion 4. CHANEL Overall Brand Value: down 11% to $5.55 billion 5. HENNESSY Overall Brand Value: down 1% to $5.37 billion

on dark complexion because of the stark contrast The best men watches are chosen by the size, shape and colour of their dial. However, these three co ordinates of the dial need to match your personality too. Big dials are for bold and strong personalities. If you made one main division, then watches are of two types;

the ones with bands be it leather or plastic and ones with chains or metal bands. Most people can carry both equally well as long as you manage to get it right with your outfit. The type of dial must match your wrist size more than your entire body. If you have plump wrists then you must prefer square dials to round ones.

hoes are an essential part of our attire and one cannot afford to ignore them. A polished shoe can bring added shine to your dress code. This also explains why several organizations, especially armed forces, pay a lot of attention to the shoes. Most shoes get disfigured or loosen up from the sides because one fails to wear them properly. The use of a shoe horn or spoon to wear a shoe can prevent it from getting loose. Tip 1: Polish regularly! Polishing is the most basic and effective tip to keep your shoes glowing. It is advisable to polish your shoes at least 3 times a week. This will significantly prolong the life of the shoes also will leave a lovely impression at your office. Tip 2: Avoid keeping socks in your shoes! One has the habit of plugging the socks inside the shoe after a tiresome day. However, this will leave a pungent smell inside the belly of the shoe. Tip 3: Use laces to eject the shoe! Leather shoes are not flexible. One has the habit of kicking the shoes out of the feet after an enervating day at the office. This can affect the fitting of the shoe. Tip 4: Keep the shoes in airy environment! The age of the shoes can be extended if one keeps them in a milieu which is free from dust and moisture. Therefore, it is necessary to shelter the shoes in a closed shoe rack. Tip 5: Protect your shoes from rain! If one wishes to make the shoes waterproof then a coating of linseed oil is advisable. Tip 6: Use a shoe horn or spoon to wear shoes!

STUDENT AGE SUNDAY, MARCH 25-31, 2012

SCIENCE & TECH

18
A Tiny Surgeon Inside Your Blood Vessels

Jellyfish Inspires Latest Ocean-Powered Robot

merican researchers have created a robotic jellyfish, named Robojelly, which not only exhibits characteristics ideal to use in underwater search and rescue operations, but could, theoretically at least, never run out of energy thanks to it being fuelled by hydrogen. Constructed from a set of smart materials, which have the ability to change shape or size as a result of a stimulus, and carbon nanotubes, Robojelly is able to mimic the natural movements of a jellyfish when placed in a water tank and is powered by chemical reactions taking place on its surface. The jellyfish is an ideal invertebrate to base the vehicle on due to its simple swimming action: it has two prominent mechanisms known as "rowing" and "jetting."

This was replicated in the vehicle using commercially-available shape memory alloys (SMA) -smart materials that "remember" their original shape -- wrapped in carbon nanotubes and coated with a platinum black powder. The robot is powered by heatproducing chemical reactions between the oxygen and hydrogen in water and the platinum on its surface. The heat given off by these reactions is transferred to the artifi-

cial muscles of the robot, causing them to transform into different shapes. This green, renewable element means Robojelly can regenerate fuel from its natural surroundings and therefore doesn't require an external power source or the constant replacement of batteries. At the moment, the hydrogenpowered Robojelly has been functioning whilst being clamped down in a water tank. The researchers admit that the robot still needs development to achieve full functionality and efficiency Researchers are looking for new ways to deliver the fuel into each segment so that each one can be controlled individually. This should allow the robot to be controlled and moved in different directions.

Swiss 'janitor' satellite to sweep up space junk

Swiss scientists plan to launch a shoebox-sized satellite with jellyfish-like tentacles to sweep up space junk as early as 2016. The $11 million satellite, called CleanSpace One, would chase down space junk and drag it out of orbit, burning up during atmospheric reentry in the process. Swiss space scifleet of "janitor" satellites. "We want to offer and sell a whole family of ready-made systems, designed as sustainably as possible, that are able to de-orbit several different kinds of satellites," said Volker Gass, director of the Swiss Space Center at the Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne.

entists hope this will be the first of a

A new tiny device developed by Stanford electrical engineers which is powered without wires or batteries and is small enough to travel through human blood streams was presented at the International SolidState Circuits Conference by lead researcher Ada Poon, Such devices could revolutionize medical technology with applications including everything from diagnostics to minimally invasive surgeries. The working device, just a few millimeters in size and wirelessly powered, capable of controlled motion through a fluid, including blood could be the first of a new class of working medical implants, which could deliver drugs, perform analyses, and perhaps even zap blood clots or remove plaque from sclerotic arteries all from inside the human body. Since its power is derived wirelessly using electromagnetic radio waves, the device escapes all the reliability issues other implants meant for similar applications encountered. No batteries or wires means that the device can travel through the blood stream without risk of power failure and a dramatic scale down in size (batteries amount to most of the volume of such devices). Poon considered the human tis-

sue as a dielectric, a type of insulator wherein the signal is conveyed as waves of shifting polarization of

atoms within cells, which renders radio waves propagation possible. Moreover, the human tissue has been found to be "low-loss" dielectric, which means signal loss is minimal. "When we extended things to higher frequencies using a simple model of tissue, we realized that the optimal frequency for wireless powering is actually around one gigahertz," said Poon, "about 100 times higher than previously thought." This revelation was instrumental to the researchers' development, since it allowed them to build the device 100 times smaller and yet deliver the power needed by the medical device. This is why the antenna is just 2mm in size - small enough to travel through blood streams.

New Thermoelectric Devices from Liquid-Like Materials

hermoelectric materials have been used to power spacecraft ranging from Apollo to the Curiosity rover now headed for Mars. Recently, however, scientists and engineers have been turning to these materials to use wasted heat -- released from automobiles or industrial machinery, for instance -- as an efficient energy source. They have also proposed using these materials to create more efficient heating systems in electric cars or even as new ways to exploit solar power. In identifying this new type of thermoelectric material, the researchers studied a material made from copper and selenium. Although it is physically a solid, it exhibits liquid-like behaviors due to the way its copper atoms flow through the selenium's crystal lattice. It's like a wet sponge. A sponge with very fine pores in it, looks and acts like a solid. But inside, the water molecules are diffusing just as fast as they would if they were a regular liquid. That's how this material works. It has a solid framework of selenium atoms, but the copper atoms are diffusing around as fast as they would in a liquid. The research was led by scientists from the Chinese Academy of Science's Shanghai Institute of Ceramics in collaboration with researchers from Brookhaven National Laboratory and the University of Michigan, as well as from Caltech. A thermoelectric material generates electricity when there is a temperature difference between one end of the material

and the other. A good thermoelectric material must be good at conducting electricity but bad at conducting heat. If it were good at conducting heat, the heat from the hot end would move to the cool end so fast that the whole material would rapidly reach the same temperature. When that happens, the electrons stop flowing. One way to improve thermoelectric efficiency, then, is to decrease a material's ability to conduct heat. To that end, researchers have been developing thermoelectric materials with a mix of crystalline and amorphous

properties. A crystalline atomic structure allows electrons to flow easily, while an amorphous material, such as glass, has a more irregular atomic structure that hinders heat-carrying vibrations from traveling. The team found that because heat-carrying vibrations in a liquid can travel only via longitudinal waves, a material with liquid-like properties is less thermally conductive. Therefore, a liquid-like material that's also good at conducting electrically should be more thermoelectrically efficient than traditional amorphous materials. In the case of the copper-selenium material that the researchers studied, the crystal structure of the selenium helps conduct electricity, while the free-flowing copper atoms behave like a liquid, damping down thermal conductivity. The efficiency of a thermoelectric material is quantified using a number called a "thermoelectric figure of merit." The copperselenium material has a thermoelectric figure of merit of 1.5 at 1000 degrees Kelvin, one of the highest values in any bulk material, according to the researchers. NASA engineers first used this copper-selenium material roughly 40 years ago for spacecraft design, Snyder says. But its liquid-like properties -- which were not understood at the time -- made it difficult to work with. This new research, he says, has identified and explained why this copper-selenium material has such efficient thermoelectric properties, potentially opening up a whole new class of liquid-like thermoelectric materials for investigation.

STUDENT AGE SUNDAY, MARCH 25-31, 2012

YOUTH POLITICS

19

BJP holds protest rally in Kishtwar

KISHTWAR: The BJP district unit of Kishtwar on 22 March organised a protest rally against the state government on the issues of corruption, unemployment and price rise. The rally started from the Netaji Park and culminated in front of the DC Office after passing through main areas of Kishtwar town. BJP state secretary Sunil Sharma and district unit president Hukam Chand Shan led protesters. Addressing the rally, Sharma alleged that district officials of the Rural Development Department (RDD) were working at the behest of the local MLA. All the works under the MNREGA and IAY, which are planned keeping in view the needs and demands of area residents, were being hampered due to the undue interference of the MLA. Hukam Chand accused the officers of the Health Department, Kishtwar, of throwing all norms to winds in the recruitment process of doctors under the NRHM. While deserving candidates were being ignored, blue-eyed candidates and those belonging to influential families were being adjusted in the recruitment, he alleged. BJP leaders also alleged that the government was ignoring the minority-dominated areas, including Kontwara, Cherji, Pullar, Chingnana Galhar, Chito Padder, Ungai, Gandhari, Kabal while sanctioning new roads. A large number of deserving and qualified candidates were ignored by the department and the district administration while recruiting the supporting staff for the MNREGA, they alleged.

Sunil Sharma, BJP State Secretary addressing a rally at Kishtwar.

NYC volunteers stage protest demonstration

SAMBA: The volunteers of National Youth Corps (NYC) staged a strong protest demonstration in the winter capital city and also at various district headquarters in support of their demands on 22 March. A large number of volunteers from different blocks of district Samba assembled near DC office near Chichi Mata temple and moved towards district office complex. These volunteers who have been engaged at the meager wages of ` 2500 per month were shouting slogans in support of their demands. They also raised slogans against the Government and demanded that their wages be hiked. While speaking on the occasion a few representatives of the NYC, pointed out that nearly 8000 volunteers have been engaged by the J&K Government under the scheme NYC of the Ministry of Youth Affairs Government of India. Most of these volunteers have been deployed to render their services in Rural Development Department, Youth Services and Sports, Tourism, Finance, Social Welfare, Education Departments, Shrine Board, Local Bodies, DC offices and NRHM. It was pointed out that most of these volunteers have rendered services for the last over two years and now the Government has declared that their services will be terminated on March 31, 2012. Many youth have not even completed two years of their tenure. A large number of them are highly qualified and apprehending their future at cross-roads. They demanded that many of them have played a crucial role in the recently held Panchayat elections. On the basis of their merit, they should be accommodated in various departments. The NYC volunteers said that many of them are going to be over aged and many are bread earners for their respective families. They urged the State Government to decide about their fate and also take up the issue with the Central Government forcefully. They demanded that Governor should intervene into the matter. After staging protest demonstration, they moved towards National Highway near Chichi Mata Mandir and sat on day long dharna, carrying banners and placards. They urged the Chief Minister to take an early decision about their fate.

NPP to honour 32 notables

SAMBA: The Working Committee of JKNPP has decided to honour 32 notables of Samba for their contributions in various fields, art, literature, defence, politics and other fields during the past decades. Those unanimously chosen to be honoured on the occasion include Late Mulkh Raj Saraf, the first person to start the Ranbir newspaper, Ram Piara Saraf, a veteran revolutionary, Sagra Singh, the first MLA of Samba, Late Raghunath Singh, Tehsildar, Bajrang Bahadur Singh, Barki, Late Sudarshana Sambyal, Yash Paul Kundal, MLA and others. The list of the notables include:Rajesh Padgotra, Khajoor Singh, Sarpanch, Capt. (Rtd.) Parsidh Singh, Yash Paul Kundal, MLA, Bajrang Bhadur Singh (Barki), Kushaldeep Singh, Arjun Khajuria, Swaran Singh, Dr. Girdhari Lal, Sandoor Singh, Mohan Singh Salathia, Artist, C.S Katal, Artist, Sita Ram Sapolia, Dr. Jagdeep Singh, Ph.D, Capt. Inder Singh, Sukhdev Singh, Advocate, Shiv Charan Singh, ZEO (Rtd.), Col. Ravinder Singh (Veer Chakra), Leela Wanti, wife of Lt. Col. Naryan Singh, Veer Chakra, OBE, Capt. Sansar Chand (Mahaveer Chakra), Oma Devi, wife of Lt. Raghubir Singh (Veer Chakra), Prahalad Singh, Jyoti Sambyal, Rajni Balla, Rekhi Singh, Numberdar, Subhash Singh, Adv., Lt. Dharub Singh, Veer Chakra, Anita Thakur, Raghunath Singh, Tehsildar (Posthumously), Mohan Lal Sapolia (Posthmously), Durga Dass Gupta (Posthumously) and Sudarshan Sambyal (Posthumously).

UP restores polls to students' unions

LUCKNOW: Elections to students' unions in Uttar Pradesh universities and degree colleges will be held after a gap of seven years. An order issued by the higher education secretary Avanish Awasthi late on Wednesday overturned the ban imposed by the previous Mayawati government on the ground that the polls led to violence and hooliganism on campuses. "The decision to hold student's union elections in all degree colleges and universities of the state will be implemented in letter and spirit as per the directions of the chief minister," said Awasthi. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, at his first meeting with officials had signalled his willingness to restore student politics in Uttar Pradesh. The elections would be held from the new session beginning July and would be conducted on lines of the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations. Among the recommendations are that aspirants should be aged between 17 and 28, depending on whether they are undergraduates, postgraduates or research scholars. The committee had also recommended that contestants should not have a criminal record, should have 75 per cent attendance and should spend less than Rs 5,000 on campaigning. This had led to widespread outrage amongst student leaders who had resorted to violence, following which some 250 students were expelled from Lucknow university alone. The Mayawati government thereafter scrapped student's union polls in the state.

KP leaders seek intervention of legislators on PM's package

JAMMU: The leaders of various KP organizations on 18 March made a fervent appeal to the legislators irrespective of their political affiliations to take up the issue of displaced youth agitating for implementation of PM's employment package in both the Houses of the legislature and seek justice for them by urging the Government to implement the Cabinet decision of August last year in this regard. Addressing a demonstration in front of Press Club in support of the displaced youth demanding absorption of waiting list candidates for the 800 de-reserved posts and 700 non joining posts immediately, the KP leaders expressed concern that despite the assurances from Government from time to time the issue is hanging in balance. They also demanded implementation of remaining components of the PM's package in ongoing Assembly session. President Youth All India Kashmiri Samaj (YAIKS) R K Bhat also made an appeal to Chief Minister seeking immediate implementation of Cabinet decision of last year and urged him to take the bureaucrats to task who have created hurdles in implementation of the decision till date forcing the displaced youth to come to streets and resort to chain hunger strike. "We have always cooperated with the Government to restore peace and normalcy in the State, but if we will be again betrayed that will be setback to the CBM for the Pandits'', he added. YAIKS, which spearheaded the struggle of displaced youth, warned the Government that in case it failed to issue the final appointment order in favour of unemployed KP youth the organization will go to any extent for which the responsibility will be on Government. It warned that YAIKS will take the ongoing struggle to its logical conclusion and will not rest till all the 6000 posts announced by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh are implemented in letter and spirit. It demanded besides filling up of 800 de-reserved posts and 700 non joining posts the remaining 3000 posts under State sponsorship to be advertised soon. Those who addressed the demonstration included B L Saraf, H N Jattu, Prof O N Kaul, Surinder Ambardar, Comrade Mohan Lal, Kuldeep Pandita, Dr Ramesh Bhat, S N Dhar, Sheela Handoo, Rakhi Koul and S P Bhat.

STUDENT AGE SUNDAY, MARCH 25-31, 2012

YOUTH ACTIVITIES

20

2 young Natrang artists get national scholarship

JAMMU: The Ministry of Culture, Government of India has awarded national scholarship on 23 March to two young artists of Natrang, Gopi Sharma and Kritika Bhau to undergo training in theatre acting under Natrang Director Balwant Thakur. This prestigious national award carries ` 12,600 per annum which they will continue to receive till they attain the age of 20. This has happened for the first time that children from the State have excelled to this level and been awarded scholarships in the field of acting in theatre. Gopi Sharma son of Jyoti and Ashwani Sharma, a student of 6th class in the Army School, Nagrota, is a product of Natrang's Children Theatre Camps and has been doing lead role in most of the children plays of Natrang. His popular plays included Mere Hisse Ki Dhoop Kahan Hai, Beauty is a beast, Gifty and Khichidi. Kritika Bhau daughter of Rama and Amar Kuldeep Singh Bhau is a student of 9th class of Maharaja Hari Singh ACS, Nagbani and has been associated with Natrang for the last five years and performing regularly in Natrang's children plays. Her lead performance in the plays Andher Nagri Chopat Raja, Khichdi, and

Global Understanding Course completes at Varsity

JAMMU: 13th batch of Global Understanding Course at University of Jammu in collaboration with East Caroline University, USA, completed on 22 March, in which 13 students participated. On the concluding day of the course today, Prof MP Singh Ishar, Vice Chancellor, Jammu University, distributed certificates amongst the successful candidates. Prof MP Singh Ishar, Vice Chancellor, while distributing the certificates to the students appreciated the creative efforts being undertaken by University in broadening the horizon of the students. While speaking, Dr Parikshat Singh Manhas, Coordinator and lead teacher of the course, said that the course on Global Understanding was started in August 2005 with the special efforts of University of Jammu University administration, keeping in view the importance of networking and collaborations. "University of Jammu has been constantly working towards the promotion and growth of short term courses for the benefit of the students community", he added. Dr Manhas further stated that the course provides a format for students to learn about other cultures without actually traveling places. Currently there are 45 foreign universities from 28 countries participating in the global understanding course. These partner institutions are diverse and worldwide and communicate through live video and chat technology. The 13th batch students interacted with the students of the three foreign universities including East Caroline University, Greenville, NC, USA, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China and University of Gambia, Banjul, Gambia.

Main Aisa Kayon, Main Vaisa Kayon, placed her among the top ranking young performers and she easily qualified the national scholarship. Gopi Sharma and Kritika Bhau have been trained by Sumeet Sharma who heads the children and youth wing of Natrang and conducts all children theatre camps of Natrang. Natrang director Balwant Thakur complimented both Gopi Sharma and Kritika Bhau for bringing laurels for the State. He also appreciated their parents for encouraging them to excel in the field of theatre acting and expressed hope that both of them will not only make a name for themselves but also for the State.

12 Rashtriya Rifles distributes study material

JAMMU: 12 Rashtriya Rifles (Grenadiers) under Operation Sadbhavna on 18 March distributed study material among the students of Government Middle School, Zaradi. Numerous stationery items like water proof school bags, registers, notebooks, geometry boxes, metallic clipboards, steelscales, attendance registers etc were distributed to 150 students. Headmaster of the school along with staff and prominent citizens attended the function and welcomed the gesture of the Army. The new study materials and teaching aids were received with great enthusiasm by both teachers and students. Meanwhile, Rashtriya Rifles Battalion under the aegis of Headquarters, Sector Rashtriya Rifles, Doda conducted a welding course. A total of 13 local unemployed youth were enabled to undertake self employment and also an opportunity to undergo practical work during the course. The local populace lauded the efforts of Army in providing an opportunity to the youth in attaining skills necessary for generating self employment.

World Bank offers $500 million loan for education in India

WASHINGTON: The World Bank has offered $500 million interest-free credit to India for improving the standards of secondary education, an official statement said Friday. " The World Bank Thursday approved the credit that will help the Indian government's efforts to make good quality education "available, accessible and affordable to all young persons at the secondary level (grades 9 and 10)." The project will support all activities as envisioned in the $12.9 billion Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) programme, a flagship government of India programme for gradual universalisation of secondary education, the World Bank said in a statement."This World Bank project will support the objectives and activities of RMSA. It will facilitate a whole set of mechanisms built around identifying what is needed to improve the quality of secondary education," said Venu Rajamony, joint secretary, economic affairs in India's finance ministry.

Army organises Sadbhavana Chaupal

KARGIL: Army organised a Sadbhavana Chaupal on Sunday in Suru Valley wherein 65 Sapranches and Panches drawn from 35 villages participated. Haji Amir Kamran, Executive Councilor was the chief guest. Syeed Kazim Sabeery and Syedaga Abbas, Councilor, Suru Valley and CEO Kargil, Haji Ghulam Mohammad Lone besides Army officers were also present on the occasion. Brigade Commander, 118 Engineer Regiment, Anil Duvedi welcomed the guests. Various items like UV Polysheet, Solar Lantern, Kitchen items, Computers, table, chairs, besides other items were distributed amongst people of Suru Valley.

Inter State Exposure Tour flagged off

UDHAMPUR: A 10 days Interstate Exposure Tour for masters of district Udhampur was organized by Education Department under Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan(RMSA) here on Sunday. The tour was jointly flagged off by Additional District Development Commissioner, Ram Rattan Sharma, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Rajinder Singh and Joint Director Planning, Rakesh Jamwal from Dak Banglow. While speaking on the occasion, Ram Rattan Sharma wished for the peaceful and happy journey to the group members and hoped that all the participants would fulfill all the objectives of the exposure visit in letter and spirit. Sharma said that all the members of the group would note the experiences and recommend for their implementations in Government institutions at the same pattern in the district for the enhancement of quality education. He reiterated that visit to the historical and cultural places would also develop historical and cultural values beside helping in strengthening the bonds of brotherhood and communal harmony. Chief Education Officer, Om Parkash Sharma while giving the brief about the tour said that the group would see some good practices of teaching, methodology, lab and laboratory practices. He said that as many as 25 masters would visit various prestigious institutions which include English Literature Training Institute and Rehabilitation Center for with Special Needs at Chandigarh, Regional Institution of Ajmer, various Navodaya Vidyalayas of New Delhi, Kautilaya Government Saravalya Balvidyalayas Chiraj Enclave at New Delhi, National Council of Education, Research and Training (NCERT) and National University of Education and Planning and Administration, New Delhi.

Oxford to take Indian school toppers

Oxford University has decided to allow the toppers of ISC and CBSE exams entry to its undergraduate courses from 2013, an university official said. The vice chancellor professor of Oxford, Andrew Hamilton, on Friday expressed his happiness over the decision. "We want to draw the best students from India to Oxford. It has been decided that we will accept Class 12 examination results for all undergraduate courses at Oxford," Hamilton told reporters. Earlier, Indian students needed to appear for their A-levels, SATs or the International Baccalaureate as the criteria for getting admitted in the undergraduate courses at Oxford.

STUDENT AGE SUNDAY, MARCH 25-31, 2012

EMPLOYMENT NEWS
CENTRAL DRUG RESEARCH INSTITUTE, CHATTAR MANZIL PALACE, LUCKNOW
Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow is a premier R&D Institute under the aegis of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi. Invites applications on the prescribed forms are invited from the eligible Indian Nationals for the following scientific posts:(Pay Band: Rs.15,600-39,100) 1. SCIENTIST: 09 posts Age: Maximum 32 years Essential Qualification: B.TEch, M.Tech, M.Sc,MBA,Ph.D and relevant experience. 2. SENIOR SCIENTIST: 11 posts (Pay Band: Rs.15,600-39,100) Age: Maximum 37 years Essential Qualification: Ph.D and relevant experience. HOW TO APPLY: Application forms can be downloaded from http://www.cdriindia.org/Applicationform.pdf duly filled and signed application along with attested photocopies sent to "Director, Central Drug Research Institute, Chattar Manzil Palace, Post Box No. 173, Lucknow - 226 001 (U.P.) Last Date: 24/04/2012. For Detail Visit: http://www.cdriindia.org/uploaded/Advertisement% 20for%20the%20posts%20of%20Scientists%202011-12%5B1%5D.pdf

21
RITES LIMITED
RITES is providing the Consultancy Services for implementation of Metro Rail Project in Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata invites application for the recruitment of 16 various Vacancies. Eligible candidates may apply through online on or before 02-04-2012. Qualification: Engineering Degree in Civil, Architectural, Elect./ Mech. Pay Scale: Rs.29100-54500/How to Apply:-Candidates have to apply through on-line from the web site www.rites.com on or before 02-04-2012, and take the print out copies of completed application form and send it by speed post to the following address- Rites Bhawan, Plot No.1, Sector 29, Gurgon 122001 on or before 09-04-2012. Last date of submission of online application: 02-04-2012 Last date of Printed application form: 09-04-2012 For Detail Visit: http://www.rites.com

CENTRAL GLASS & CERAMIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE (CGCRI)

The CGCRI is 4th oldest Research and Development (R&D) Laboratory under the CSIR, DSIR, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India. CSIR-CGCRI is dedicated to achieve scientific leadership in the area of advanced ceramics and specialty glasses (including fibre/fibrebased devices). The institute invites applications from bonafide Indian citizens for the following positions: 1. Technical Assistant: 08 Posts (Pay Band: Rs.9300-34800/-) Age: Maximum 28 years as on 01/05/2012 Qualification:3 years full time diploma in Glass/Ceramics/Pottery/ Electrical/Instrumentation/Metallurgy / Mechanical Engineering/ Pharmacy of full time duration. 2. Technical Officer: 04 Posts (Pay Band: Rs.9300-34800/-) Age: Maximum 30 years as on 01/05/2012 Qualification: BE/B.Tech in ceramics/glass/materials science/materials Engineering/ nanoscience/ Mechanical/ Chemical Engineering with atleast 55% marks. 3. Sr. Technical Officer: 04 posts (Pay Band: Rs.15600-39100/-) Age: Maximum 35 years as on 01/05/2012 Qualification: B.E./B.Tech. in Computer Science/Electronics/ IT/ Metallurgical/Ceramic Engg/ Electrical/Electronics/ Instrumentation/ Optoelectronics or MCA with 2 year experience. How to Apply: Application form may be downloaded from www.cgcri.res.in . The complete application in all respects as mentioned in the application together with an application fee of Rs.100/- in the form of crossed Demand Draft drawn in favour of " CGCRI, Kolkata" payable at Kolkata preferably at SBI JU Branch Code No. 0093 should reach the Administrative Officer, Central Glass & Ceramic Research Institute, 196, Raja S. C. Mullick Road, Kolkata - 700032 on or before 01.05.2012. There is no application fee for SC candidates. Last Date: 01/05/2012 For Detail Visit: http://www.cgcri.res.in/datas/users/1-19_03_2012_ final_ad_to.pdf

NATIONAL RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT CORP

NRDC, an enterprise of Department of Scientific & Industrial Research (DSIR), Ministry of Science & Technology, Govt. of India desires to have Consultants/Management Trainees (maximum 35 years of age) for a period of one/two years on contractual basis on consolidated remuneration of Rs. 25,000/- p.m. in following fields. 1. Agro and food processing Sector, Agriculture Sciences/AgriBiotech,Bio-Tech,Chemical Technology, Mech. Engineering, Design Engineering - 8 posts Qualification: B.Tech/ M.Tech/ Ph.D in relevant subject. 2. IPR - 3 posts Qualification: MSc. in Engineering/ Technology/ Pharmacology 3. Finance & Accounts - 1 posts Qualification:BBA/MBA with 1 year experience 4. Personnel & Administration: 1 post Qualification:Graduate with diploma in PR Management or MBA in HR How to apply: Send your application alongwith cv by post to The Administrative Officer, NRDC, 20-22, Zamroodpur Community Centre, Kailash Colony Extension, NEW DELHI-110048. or E-Mail: jobs@nrdc.in Last Date: 30/3/2012 For Detail Visit: www.nrdcindia.com

BRIDGE & ROOF CO (INDIA) LTD

Bridge & Roof Co. (India) Ltd. has issued notification against recruitment of 115 various vacancies in Management and Engineering candidates. Age Limit and Educational Qualification: Candidates are asked to go through the notification for the details of age limit and required educational qualification. How to Apply: Candidates need to apply online through www.bridgeroof.co.in for the PG Trainee and Diploma Engineer Trainee. For other posts, send duly completed application should be mailed to the following address, DGM (HRD Bridge and Roof Co. (India) Limited, 5th Floor, Kankaria Centre, 2/1 Russel Street, Kolkata-700071 Selection Process: Eligible candidates will be selected in the basis of applicants performance in Test and Interview. Last Date: 31/03/2012 For Detail Visit: http://www.bridgeroof.co.in/app/ webroot/files/Details_PERS_RE CRUIT_2012_02_3.PDF

PROJECTS & DEVELOPMENT INDIA LIMITED

Projects & Development India Limited (PDIL), is a leading Design Engineering and Consultancy organization invites applications from eligible candidates for various posts (Regular) for its offices at Noida, Baroda, Sindri and Chennai. 1. DY. CHIEF ENGINEER Pay Scale: Rs.24900-50500/Qualification: Engineering Degree in Civil, Mechanical, with 8 year experience in relavent field. 2. SR. ENGINEER Pay Scale: Rs.20600-46500/Qualification: Engineering Degree in Chemical, Civil, Environment, Mechanical, Production / Industrial or PG in Chemistry, Geo-Physics, Geology, Environmental Science with 5 year experience 3. SR. OFFICER Pay Scale: Rs.20600-46500/Qualification: Degree in Engineering or PG Degree / PG Diploma of 2 years in management Management/HR/ PM&IR /Labour & Social Welfare OR MBA with major as PM&IR/HR with 2 year experience 4. ENGINEER Pay Scale: Rs.16400-40500/Qualification:Engineering Degree in:Mechanical /Metallurgical/ Production /Industrial/ Computer Science /InformationTechnology/ MCA / PGDCA with 2 year work experience in relavent field 5. OFFICER Pay Scale: Rs.16400- 40500/Qualification: Degree in Engineering or PG Degree / PG Diploma of 2 years in management Management/HR/ PM&IR /Labour & Social Welfare OR MBA with major as PM&IR/HR with 2 year experience 6. SR. DRAFTSMAN Pay Scale: Rs.11900-30450/Qualification: Diploma/ ITI in Civil with 6 year experience. HOW TO APPLY:Application should be submitted with attached doucment to Dy. General Manager (HR), Projects & Development India Limited. PDIL Bhawan, A-14, Sector-1, Noida-201301, (UP). Last Date: 10.04.2012 For Detail Visit: http://www.pdilin.com/jobs.html

BROADCAST ENGINEERING CONSULTANTS INDIA LIMITED

Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Limited requires following staff on contractual engagement basis for deployment in ELECTRONIC MEDIA MONITORING CENTRE OF MINISTRY OF I&B, NEW DELHI. 1. Regional Language Monitors for Kashmiri, Punjabi, English - 1 for each Qualification: i) Graduate with proficiency in concerned language. ii) Knowledge of working on MS Word and Excel with 30 wpm typing speed. Pay Band: Rs.10,000-15,000/2. Technical Manager Qualifications & Experience: B.E (Electrical/E&C Engg.) with min. 25 yrs. experience in relevant field. Pay Band: Rs. Rs. 36,000-44,800/-. 3. Sr. Shift Manager Qualifications & Experience: Bachelor in Electrical/E&C Engg. With min. 5 yrs experience in relevant field. Pay Band: Rs. 18,000-24,640/-. Application form may be obtained from BECIL Head Office or downloaded from our website www.becil.com. The completed form along with CV, copies of educational / experience certificates and registration fee of Rs 200/- (Rupees Two Hundred Only) by cash or by demand draft drawn in favor of Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Limited payable at New Delhi may be submitted in our Head office on or before 10th April, 2012. Last Date: 10/04/2012 For Detail Visit: www.becil.net/Jobs/becilregform.pdf.

STUDENT AGE SUNDAY, MARCH 25-31, 2012

EMPLOYMENT NEWS
J&K PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION
Applications on prescribed form are invited from permanent residents of J&K State only for the posts of B-Grade Specialists in Health Medical Education Department Department and Number of posts: 1. B-Grade Specialists in ENT- 5, Ophthalmology-4, Radiology- 4, Medicine-1, Pediatrics-13, Anesthesia-16, Gynea and Obst.- 7, Psychiatry-5, Dermatology/Verneriology-1, Surgery-4, Pathology-3, Dental-8 Pay Scale: Rs.15,600-39,100/Qualification: MBBS or graduate in relavent field 2. Dental Surgeon-18 Qualification: Bachelors Degree in Dentistry Age: Between 18 - 37 year as on _1st January 2012 (Relax given) Application Forms: Application Forms can be obtained from the office of the J&K PSC officee, Resham Ghar Colony, Bakshi Nagar, Jammu/ Polo Ground, Srinagar on cash payment of Rs. 50/- (excluding processing charges of Rs.10/) from J&K bank branch. Application Fee: The Application Forms should be submitted at PSC office, Resham Ghar Colony, Bakshi Nagar, Jammu/Polo Ground, Srinagar with Bank Draft or against cash payment of an amount of Rs. 400/- (processing charges of Rs.10/-) for gen and Rs.200/- (processing charges of Rs. 10/-) for reserved. For Detail Contact: 2566710 (Jmu) and 2455089 (Sgr). Website : www.jkpsc.org Last Date: 18.04.2012

22
I NDIAN C OUNCIL FOR CULTRAL RELATIONS
Application are invited for eligible candidates to draw a panel of Hindi Teachers for deputation/appointment at ICCR's cultural centers/chairs abroad. Essential Qualification: M.A/M.Ed., Degree in Hindi with atleast 55% marks and 5 year experience of Hindi Teaching Pay Scale: Rs.15600-39100/Application in English on a plain paper indicating following details may be sent to: The Deputy Director General (AH), Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Azad Bhavan, Indraprastha Estate, New Delhi110002, superscribing the envelope 'Application for the post of Hindi Teacher Abroad'. Last Date: 30 March, 2012 For Detail Visit: www.iccrindia.net/

CENTRAL UNIVERSITY OF HARYANA

Central University of Haryana has issued notification against recruitment of 69 Professor, Asst. Professor, Associate Professor and Library Stafffor direct appointment or on deputation/lien apply on or before 30-04-2012. Names and number of Posts: 1. Assistant Professor 39 vacancies Pay Band: Rs.15600-39100/2. Associate Professor 20 vacancies Pay Band: Rs.37400-67000/3. Professor 08 vacancies Pay Band: Rs.37400-67000/4. Library Staff 02 vacancies Pay Band: Rs.15600-39100/For Detail about Qualification and Pay Scale as per UGC norms & see the orginal notification. Application Fee Details: Application fee in form of DD Rs. 350/- for general category Rs. 250/- for OBC, Rs. 150/- for SC/ST/PH drawn in favor of the Central University of Haryana payable at Narnaul (Distt. Mahendergarh), Haryana. Selection Process: Written Test/Presentation/Interview or a combination. How to Apply: Application form download from the website www.cuharyana.org, and send it to the, Central University of Haryana Temporary Camp Office: Govt. B.Ed. College Building, Narnaul (Distt. Mahendergarh) Haryana -123 001, on or before 30-04-2012 For Detail Visit:http://www.cuharyana.org/TermsT_L.pdf Last Date: 30-04-2012.

SRTM UNIVERSITY
Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University (SRTMU) has issued notification against recruitment of 28 Statutory and Teaching Position vacancies. Eligible candidates may apply through prescribed application format on or before 16-04-2012. Names and number of Posts: 1. Finance & Accounts Officer 01 vacancy 2. Librarian 01 vacancy 3. Professor 04 vacancies 4. Associate Professor 16 vacancies 5. Assistant Professor 06 vacancies For Detail about Qualification and Pay Scale as per UGC norms & see the orginal notification. Application Fee Details: Application fee in form of DD of Rs. 600/- (for Unreserved posts) and Rs. 300/- (for reserved posts) of nationalized bank drawn in favor of Registrar, Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University, Nanded payable at Nanded. Selection Process: Personal Interview by the Selection Committee. How to Apply: Candidates should send the application along with all attested relevant enclosures in 5 sets and payment receipt, to reach the Registrar, Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University, Vishnupuri, Nanded-431 606 (Maharashtra) on or before 16-04-2012. For Detail Visit: http://srtmun.ac.in Last Date for Receipt of Application: 16-04-2012 Tentative Dates of Interview: From 25-05-2012 to 30-05-2012

UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES, BANGALORE

Applications are invited in the prescribed form from the eligible candidates for filling up of the following teaching posts in the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore. Name, number and department of Posts 1.Professor (Food & Nutritional Science, Food Processing Technology, Food Microbiology): 3 posts Pay Scale: Rs. 37400-67000/Qualifications: Ph.D. Degree in the concerned subjects and five year experience as a Associate Professor in the concerned subjects. 2.Associate Professor (Genetics & Plant, Breeding, Food Engineering, Molecular Biology, Agronomist): 4 posts Pay Scale Rs.37400-67000/Qualifications: Ph.D. in the concerned subjects and Five years of experience in Teaching as a Assistant Professor. 3.Assistant Professor (Food Processing Technology, Statistics, Physical Education (Lady), Computer Science, English, Animal Science, Fisheries, Horticulture, Agril. Extension, Soil Science & Agril. Chemistry, Home Science, Agril. Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Agronomy:- 28 posts Pay Scale Rs.15600-39100/Qualifications: Master's degree in concerned subject with atleast 55% marks and NET qualified in the concerned subject. How to Apply: Application form from university website. Filled-in applications together with allied enclosures should be submitted in an envelope, superscribing on it, "APPLICATION FOR THE POST OF _______________" to THE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER, UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES, GKVK, BANGALORE - 560 065 on or before 9-4-2012. The filled in applications must accompany the prescribed fee of Rs.700/- (Rs.350/- for SC/ST) for Professor & Associate Professor Cadre posts and Rs.500/- (Rs.250/ - for SC/ST) for Assistant Professor Cadre Posts in the form of Demand Draft in favour of the Comptroller, UAS, Bangalore. For Detail Visit: www.uasbangalore.edu.in Last Date: 9-4-2012

FOOD CORP OF INDIA

Food Corp of India, intends to recruit 12 meritorious sports personnel as Assistant Grade III (General/Depot). Pay Scale: Rs.9300-22940/Name of Displine & no. of post 1. Hockey- 4 (Male) 2. Cricket- 2 (Male) 3. Football- 2 (Male) 4. Table Tennis- 2 (Male/Female) 5. Badminton - 2 (Male/Female) Qualification: Graduate in any discipline. Eligibility: Particpants of Inter University games or higher level Selection Process: Shortlisted candidates will be call for trails , interview and verifications. Application form with xerox copies of documents should reach to The Secretary (Zonal Sports Promotion Committee), Food Corporation of India, 3rd Floor, Rajendra Nagar, Dattapada Road, Brorivali (East) Mumbai-400066 For Contact: 01143527462 For Detail Visit: http://www.fciweb.nic.in Last Date: 16/04/2012

ADITI MAHAVIDYALA, DELHI

Applications are invited for the post of System & Network Adminstrator on contractual basis for Six months on remuneration of Rs. 35000/- pm. Qualification: MCA/BE/B.Tech/MSc or equivalent and one year experience of System and Network Administration. Desirable: MCSA/ CCNA/ or any other equivalent certificates. Duties: Installation & maintaince of servers, desktops, security, device in windows active directory environemnt. Other duties include developing scripts, system related projects management. Supervision of junior computer staff and technical support. Applications should reach to Principal, Aditi Mahavidyalaya, Bawana, Delhi-110039 Last Date: 15 April, 2012

STUDENT AGE SUNDAY, MARCH 25-31, 2012

EMPLOYMENT NEWS
SHAHEED SUKHDEV COLLEGE OF BUSINESS STUDIES
Shaheed Sukhdev College Of Business Studies invtes applications for the following post in the prescribed format available on the website of the college www.sscbsdu.ac.in 1. Assistant Professor/Lecturer A) Department of Business Studies- 11 posts B) Department of Financial Studies - 8 posts Essential Qualification: Masters degree with min 55% marks in the relavent field and shoud qualified NET/CSIR or equivalent by UGC. 2. System and Network Administrator Essential Qualification: MCA/B.E/B.Tech/M.Sc (Informatics) and 1 year experience of System and Network Administrator. Desirable Qualification: Microsoft MCSA, CISCO, CCNA, CISSP and / or any other equivalent certifications Pay Scale: Between Rs.35,000 40,000 per month Applications on the prescribed format must reach the Principal, Shaheed Sukhdev College of Busienss Studies, Vivek Vihar, Phase-II, Delhi-110 095 on or before 24/4/2012. For Detail Visit: http://www.sscbsdu.ac.in/component/content/article/108.html Last Date: 24/4/2012.

23
KIRKEE CANTONMENT BOARD
Applications are invited for the Kirkee Cantonment Board, Pune for the post of Junior Clerk Name & number of Post: Junior Clerk - 12 posts Pay Band: Rs.5200 20200/Age:Min 25 yrs as on 10/4/2012 Minimum Qualification: Graduation, Computer knowledge with certification and additional qualifications like typing, shorthand etc would be given weightage. Applications forms can be downloaded from http://www.cbkirkee.org.in Bank Draft / Postal Order in favour of Chief Executive Officer, Cantonment Board, Kirkee for Rs.100/payable at Pune drawn on Nationalized Banks. The interview letter with the date & place will be intimated through post. Application sent to KIRKEE CANTONMENT BOARD,17, Field Marshal Carriappa Marg, Pune 411 003. Last Date: 10th April, 2012 For Detail Visit: http://www.cbkirkee.org.in

J&K PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION

Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) has issued notification against recruitment of 38 Civil Judge (Junior Division)/Munsiffs in the Subordinate Judiciary. Name of Post: Civil Judge (Junior Division)/Munsiffs No of Posts: 38 Age: Between 18 years to 35 years as on 01-01-2011 Qualification: Bachelor Degree of Law. Examination Fee Details: Examination fee of Rs.700/- (Rs.350/- for reserved categories) to be paid in cash through the counters of J&K Bank opened in PSC offices, Jammu/Srinagar. Selection Procedure: Competitive Examination How to Apply: Candidates need to obtain application forms from office of JKPSC, Resham Ghar Colony, Bakshi nagar, Jammu/Polo Ground Srinagar on cash payment of Rs. 50/- and Rs. 10/- towards processing fee. Fill the application form clearly and send it along with all relevant enclosures to the following address, Secretary J&K PSC Reshamghar Colony, Bakshi Nagar, Jammu /Polo Ground Srinagar on or before 20-04-2012. Last Date: 20-04-2012 For Detail: www.jkpsc.org Note: Candidates, who have already applied against notification No: PSC/EXAM/2011/139 Dated: 10.12.2011 need not apply again.

BORDER SECURITY FORCE

Applications are invited from the male / female candidates belonging to state of Jammu & Kashmir for the post of Constable (GD) in BSF on temporary basis likely to be permanent through open rally system. Name of Post: Constable (GD) (male/female) Qualification: Matric Pay Band: Rs. 5200-20200/Age: Between 18-23 years as on 01/08/2012 (Relax OBC-3,ST/SC- 5yrs) No of Vacancies: FOR MALE UR SC ST OBC Total Normal & Militancy/Naxal affected areas 151 23 44 112 330 Border Districts 196 29 42 101 368 TOTAL For Female: 8 posts Name of District Kathua, Jammu Samba Udhampur, Reasi Doda, Ramban, Kistwar Rajauri, Poonch PST/PET Centres BSF Campus Akhnoor BSF Campus Samba STC BSF Camp Udhampur IG BSF Jammu SBI Jammu Code No. 0657 or PNB Jammu
IPO/BD in favour of /payable at bank

AIRPORT AUTHORITY OF INDIA

Airports Authority of India (AAI) has advertised for filling up vacancies of Junior Executive, Deputy General Manager, Deputy Company Secretary, Manager Junior Engineer. There are total 558 vacancies for which recruitment will be done. In this regard, AAI invites applications through online way from the suitable candidates between 1st March 2012 and 1st April 2012. 1. Deputy Company Secretary No of Posts: 1 Pay Scale: Rs. 36600- 62000/Qualification: Bachelor Degree with membership of ICSI Age: Maximum 40 years 2. Deputy General Manager in Commercial, Human Resources, Information Technology, Fire Services, Airport Operations. No of Posts: 21 posts Pay Scale: Rs. 36600- 62000/Qualification: Graduate in relevant discipline with MBA / MCA.IT department, BE / B.Tech. in relevant subject or MCA. Age: Maximum 40 years 3. Manager in Corporate Affairs, Fire Services, Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, Technical, Official Language, Commercial, Cargo, Law, Economic Planning, Architecture, Public Relations, Airport Operations. No of Posts: 146 Pay Scale: Rs. 24900-50500/Qualification: Degree in concerned subject with ICWA / CA / MBA. For IT department, BE / B.Tech. in relevant subject or MCA. 02 years of working experience. Age: Maximum 32 years 4. Junior Executive in Corporate Affairs, Engineering Civil, Engineering Electrical, Fire Services, Finance, Technical, Cargo, Human Resources, Information Technology, Airport Operations, Commercial, Law, Official Language. No of Posts: 390 Pay Scale: Rs. 16400-40500/Qualifiation: Should be membership of ICSI for Corporate affairs, Professional Degree in Law for Law, Master Degree in Hindi / English or Hindi as a subject must be in Bachelor Degree with MBA. Age: Maximum 27 Application Fees: Rs. 400/- for Gen and OBC category candidates. SC / ST / PWD / Female candidates are exempted to pay the application fees. How to apply: Candidate can apply online through http://www.aai.aero Last date of online application: 01-04-2012 Last date for paying application fees: 28-03-2012 For Detail Visit: http://www.aai.aero/employment_news/multiple_vac_2012.pdf

GAIL (INDIA) LTD

(A GOVT OF INDIA UNDERTAKING) A NAVRATNA COMPANY

347 52 86

213

698

SHQ BSF Camp Rajouri

How to apply Candidate should apply in their district PST center on March 26 & 28, 2012. Along with application form, certificates and Postal order or Demand Draft for Rs. 50/- in favour of IG FTR HQ BSF Jammu. No postal order or Demand Draft is required in respect of SC/ST candidates and Ex- servicemen. Reporting Date at PST center: March 26 & 28, 2012 For Detail Visit: www.bsf.nic.in

BORDER SECURITY FORCE

Border Security Force (BSF) has drive special recruitment of Assistant Sub Inspector vacancies for SC/ST candidates. No. of Vacancies: 15 (SC-1, ST-14) Pay Scale: Rs.5200-20200/Qualification: Matriculation with 3 years Diploma or SSC Selection Process: Written Test, Physical Measurement, Shorthand Test, Documentation and Medical Examination. For Complete detail and application form visit: www.bsf.nic.in Contact: 011-24364850 Last Date: 15 April, 2012 Note: Amendment only published on BSF website. Candidates are requested to regular visit website for updates.

GAIL (India) Limited, a Navratna PSU and Indias flagship Natural Gas Company is integrating all aspects of the Natural Gas value chain (including Exloration & Production, Processing, Transimission. GAIL (India) Limited invites applications from Indian Citizens to fill up the posts and category wise projected vacancies. Name & number of Post: Foreman(Instru)- 3, Foreman (Civil)- 6, Junior Superintendent (Contracts & Procurement)-5, Junior Accountant-5, Junior Superintendent(HR)-6, Operator (Chemical)-3, Techinican (Instrumentation)-3, Tech. Assistant(Lab)-1 For detail advertisement, eligibility requirements, instructions and for filling the online application form, please visit Careers section of GAIL website: www.gailonline.com between 1000 hrs on 25/03/2012 to 2400 hrs on 13/04/2012 or Contact: GAIL India Limited(GAIL) PO Pata, District Auraiya, UP-206241 For Detail Visit: www.gailonline.com Last Date: 13/04/2012

STUDENT AGE SUNDAY, MARCH 25-31, 2012

EMPLOYMENT NEWS
BORDER ROAD ORGANISATION
Applications are invited for the posts of Medical Officer Male/Female, in project sampark purely on adhoc basis. Name and no of posts: Medical Officer (Grade-II ) - 4 posts Pay Scale: 15600-39100/Qualification: MBBS Age: Maximum 45 years Selection Process: Interview by a board Officers at Headquaters, Chief Engineer, Project Sampark C/O 56 APO Kunjwani Near Peer Baba, Jammu How to Apply: Application form sent to Headquaters, Chief Engineer, Project Sampark C/O 56 APO Kunjwani, Jammu before 15 April, 2012 Last Date: 15 April, 2012 For Detail Contact: 0191-2480030/2480445

24
GITAM U NIVERSITY
Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management (GITAM) University has issued notification against recruitment of Faculty Position Vacancies under various branches. Eligible candidates may apply through Online or Offline mode before 10-04-2012. Names of Posts: 1. Professor 2. Associate Professor 3. Assistant Professor These requirements in displine of Engineeting, ,Science, Pharmacy, Architecture,International Business, Business Management. The University pays Revised UGC Scales with higher Academic Grade Pay and also higher pay for deserving candidates. Ph.D. in relevent field is essential for all the posts. R Short listed candidates will only be called for interview to be held at Hyderabad. Selected candidates have to work at either Visakhapatnam or Hyderabad. You may also send the application to the Registrar by post on or before 10-04-2012. For further details, visit: www.gitam.edu GITAM University, Gandhinagar Campus,Rushikonda, Visakhapatnam-530045. Last Date: 10-04-2012. For Detail: http://gitam.edu/ ARYABHATTA RESEARCH INSTITUE OF OBSERVATIONAL SCIENCE (ARIES) Aryabhatta Research Institue of Observational Science (ARIES) invites applications from eligible candidates for direct recuritment for the following posts: 1. Scientific Assistant- 1 posts Pay Scale: 5200-20200/Qualification: i) Bsc. with Physics min 60% marks. ii) Atleast three year experience in Public outreach program in astronomy & astrophysics 2. Attendant- 1 post Qualification: i) Intermediate ii) Atleast four year experience in scientific research organization in astronomy & astrophysics, atomospheric science. ii) Knowledge of computer. Application form sent to Aryabhatta Research Institue of Observational Science (ARIES) Manora Peak, Nainital, Uttaranchal-263129 Note: General conditons and format of the application can be downloaded from website http:www.aries.res.in o f the institute. Application should reach in office on or before 16/04/2012

BHARAT SANCHAR NIGAM LIMITED

Applications are invited from ST , OBC and Persons with Disabilities (PWD) to fill up 10 backlog vacancies in Telecom Technical Assistant cadre through an Competitive Examination to be held on 03.06.2012. Vacancies exist No Of Address where the applications are to in District Vacancies be submitted Srinagar 2 Addl. General Manager (P&A) O/o GMT BSNL ,Exchange Road, Srinagar Udhampur Leh Rajouri 2 3 3 TDM BSNL, Telephone Exchange Building,Dhar Road, Udhampur TDM BSNL ,Telephone Exchange Leh194101 TDE BSNL , D.C. colony, Rajouri

Qualification: Three Years Engineering Diploma in Telecom, Electro, Electrical, Radio, Computer,Instruments Technology, Information Technology OR MSc in Electronics Age: Between 18-27 years (Relax is given as per govt rule) Application form: Form can be download from www.jandk.bsnl.co.in. An examination fee of Rs 500/- is payable in the form of demand draft/pay order drawn in favour of Accounts Officer of the concerned SSA. No Fee payable by ST/PH. Last Date of Application: 13.04.2012 Examination Date: 03.06.2012 Center of Examination: JAMMU For Detail Visit: www.jandk.bsnl.co.in

J&K PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION

Applications are invited from the permanent resident of J&K for the post of Lectures in Techinal Education Department. Name and number of posts: Lecturer in Civil Engineering- 4, Mechanical Engineering - 3, Electronic Engineering-2, Computer Engineering-4, Automobile Engineering-2, Instrument & Control-1, Architecture-1, Information Technology-1, Leather Technology-1 Pay Scale: Rs.9300-34800/Age: Between 18 to 37 years as on 1/1/2012 (Relax is given as per rule) Qualification: Engineering degree in relevant field with min 55% marks Application form obtain from J&K PSC office's J&K Bank branch on cash payment of Rs.60. Application form should be submitted in the J&K PSC Resham Ghar, Bakshi Nagar, Jammu office with a bank draft from J&K PSC J&K bank branch of Rs.500/- for general and Rs.250/- for reserved categories. Last Date: 20-04-2012 For Detail Visit: www.jkpsc.org

J&K PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION

Applications on prescribed form are invited from permanent residents of J&K State only for the posts of Lecturers in Government Medical College, Srinagar/Jammu and Government Dental College, Srinagar. 1. GOVT. MEDICAL COLLEGE, SRINAGAR- 9 posts Lecturer in Forensic Medicine, CD&TB,Radio-Therapy, Pharmacology, Physiology, Ophthalmology, Blood Bank 2. GOVT. MEDICAL COLLEGE, JAMMU - 6 posts Lecturer in Forensic Medicine, Bio-Chemistry, Pathology, Radio diagnosis, Psychiatry 3. GOVT. DENTAL COLLEGE, SRINAGAR - 1 post Lecturer in Operative Dentistry Qualfication: MD in relavent field and experience of teaching Age: Between 18 - 37 year as on _1st January 2012 (Relax given) Pay Scale: Rs. 9300-34800/Application Forms: Application Forms can be obtained from the office of the J&K PSC office on cash payment of Rs. 50/- (processing charges of Rs.10/) from J&K bank branch. Applications should be submitted at PSC office,with cash payment of Rs. 400/- + Rs.10/- for gen and Rs.200/- + Rs. 10/- for reserved. For Detail Contact: 2566710 (Jmu) and 2455089 (Sgr). Website : www.jkpsc.org Last Date: 18.04.2012

KENDRYA VIDYALAYA, NAGROTA

Walk in Interview in Kendriya Vidyalaya Nagrota Applciations are invited for the followng teaching staff in KV Nagrota.
Date of Post Interview 28/03/2012 PGT in Hindi, English, History,Geography, Economics, Commerce, CS,Political Science & Sociology Educational Qualification 1. PGTs: Master Degree in concerned subject with atlest 50% marks, 2.PGT (Computer Science): MCA, MSc(IT) or B.Tech

28/03/2012 TGTs: English, Hindi, 1. TGTs: Bachelor Degree with atleast Social Science, Sanskrit, 50% marks with B.Ed & 50% in conSpoken English cerned subject 2. TGT (Social Science): 2 social science subject at graduation. 3. Spoken English: Graduate and good Communication skills in English 28/03/2012 PRTs Senior Secondary with min 50% with JBT/Graduation with B.Ed.

AIR FORCE CENTRAL ACCOUNTS OFFICE

Air Officer Commanding invites applications for following posts: 1. LDC- 7 posts Pay Scale: 5200-20200/Qualification: 10+2 and typing speed of 35 wpm in english & 30 wpm in hindi on computer. (Typing test conducted only on computer) Pay Scale: 5200-20200/2. Lascar- 1 post Qualification: 10 or equivalent Age: Between 18-25 years (Relax is given as per Govt. rule) Application should be addressed to The Air Officer Commanding, Air Force Central Accounts Office, Subroto Park, New Delhi-110010 Last Date: 31/03/2012

29/03/2012 Miscellenous, Coaches Coaches/Art & Craft/ Music (Sports, Music & Dance, Specialization in the concerned field. Art & Craft etc) SportsFootball, Kho-Kho, Kabaddi, Volleyball, Hand-ball, Taekondo 29/03/2012 1. PGTs: Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology 2. TGTs: Science, Maths, Computer Instructor 1. PGTs: Master Degree with min 50% 2. TGTs: Bachelor Degree with min 50% with B.Ed. 3. Computer Instructor: PGDCA/BCA

Eligible candidates may appear before the interview board directly after their Bio-datas after the verfication of original certificates on the same day. Candidates are requested to report to the Vidalaya with the Original and Xerox copied of their certificates. For Detail Contact: 2673837 Website: www.kvnagrota.com

STUDENT AGE SUNDAY, MARCH 25-31, 2012

SPORTS

25

Saina Nehwal wins the Swiss Open Badminton

Asia Cup2012: Pakistan beat Bangladesh by 2 runs

MIRPUR, MARCH 22: Pakistan have defeated Hosts Bangladesh in a nail biting final match to win the Asia Cup for the second time in the tournament's history. Winning the toss at the Sher-E-Bangla stadium at Mirpur in Dhaka on 22 March 2012. Bangladesh Skipper Mushfiqur Rahim chose to bowl first against Pakistan. The Bangladesh bowlers succeeded in restricting Pakistan to 236 runs in fifty overs for the loss of nine wickets. Chasing a target of 237 runs, Bangladesh were on track for a historic win till the last over when they needed nine runs for victory with three wickets in hand, but Pakistan's Aiza Cheema delivered the over of his life time to deny the hosts a historic win by two runs. Pakistan's Shahid Afridi was declared Player of the match while Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hassan was awarded as the Player of the series. It was Bangladesh's biggest day in their cricketing history and the entire nation led by President Zillur Rehman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina cheered and prayed for the team's victory in their first Asia Cup Final against Pakistan. The Bangladesh bowlers delivered early

BASEL, MARCH 18: India's ace shuttler Saina Nehwal has won the Women's Singles final of the Swiss Open Badminton tournament on 18th March, 2012 in Basel, Switzerland, defeating Shixian Wang of China. The Indian Badminton queen registered a straight set victory 21-

19, 21-16 over the second seeded Chinese. This is Saina's second consecutive win in Swiss Open Badminton tournament. Earlier, Saina defeted Japan's Minatsu Mitani in the semifinals . Shixian Wang reached the final after defeating the eighth seed Inthanon Ratchanok of Thailand.

Boxing: Shiva sails into finals, Vikas settles for bronze

USTI NAD LABEM, MAR 24: Shiva Thapa (56kg) was the lone Indian boxer to make the final after Olympic-bound Vikas Krishan (69kg) settled for a bronze medal following his loss in the semifinal of the 43rd men's and women's Grand Prix in Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic. Shiva, who has been picked in the team for next month's Asian Olympic Qualifiers in Kazakhstan, defeated Czech Republic's Patrik Velky 9-5. Shiva will now face Vittorio Jahyn Parrinnelo of Italy in the summit clash. Vikas, on the other hand, lost to Cuba's Despaigne Arisnoide 9-14

blows to leave Pakistan struggling at 55 for three but a good fifth wicket partnership between Umar Akmal and, Hammad Azam followed by a quickfire 32 runs by Shahid Afridi and a gutsy unbeaten knock of 46 runs by Sarfaraz Ahmed helped them reach 236 for the loss of nine wickets. Tamim Iqbal's sixty of sixty eight balls and Shakib Al Hassan's 68 off 72 balls kept Bangladesh on track to the target of 237 runs. The hosts finally needed nine runs for victory in the last over with three wickets in hand. The equation was reduced to four to win from two balls after Pakistan conceded three runs with an over-

throw. But Aizaz Cheema derailed Bangladesh's 'plans picking up the wicket of Abdur Razzaq in the penultimate ball of the innings. Bangladesh needed four runs for victory from the last ball Shahadat Hossain could only manage a single to give Pakistan their second Asia Cup Title with a two run victory. The Bangladesh players and fans broke into tears as their team's dream run ended in the Asia Cup, but many feel that it also marks a new beginning for the Tigers who defeated World Champions India and Runner up Sri Lanka before going down fighting till the last ball against Pakistan.

Government launches special website for London Olympics 2012

NEW DELHI, MARCH 21: Government launched a special website called, OPEX London 2012- Operation Excellence for London Olympics 2012', for upcoming London Olympics game. The website will have full information regarding Indian players participating in the game in various disciplines. Launching the website in New Delhi, Sports Minister, Ajay Maken said that the website will provide detail of coaches, international exposure and national and international coaching camps which are being conducted. He said it will also help to create more transparency in the functioning of authorities involved in the preparedness of the Olympics.

Goswami five-for gives India consolation win

V I S H A K H A PAT N A M , MARCH 23: Riding on a fine bowling performance by Jhulan Goswami, Indian women finally tasted victory against Australia in the Twenty20 cricket series by winning the fifth and final match by eight wickets. The hosts reached the victory target by losing only two wickets in the day-night match played at Andhra Cricket AssociationVisakhapatnam District Cricket Association Stadium. The visitors won the T20 women series 4-1. Electing to bat after winning the toss, Australia scored 89 in 18.5 overs with the help of L J Poulton (30) and A J Blacklwell (20). Goswami was the most successful bowler, claiming five wickets by conceding only 11 runs.

QUICK FACTS
# Asia Cup tournament which started in 1984,is held on every two year. The tournament sees participation of all four test playing nation in the continent. India who was the winner of maiden Asia Cup Trophy in 1984 has claimed the trophy for five times. Sri Lanka and Pakistan have lifted the trophy for 4 and 2 times respectively. # Pakistan have won the Asia Cup competition for the second time. They had first won the said competition in 2000 in Bangladesh, beating Sri Lanka by 39 runs at Dhaka. # Bangladesh have reached the final of a one-day competition for only the second time - their first being against Sri Lanka in the tri-nation Trophy at Mirpur on January 16, 2009, losing by two wickets # Sri Lanka have lost all the games for the first time in an Asia Cup competition. # Bengal are the current champions of the Vijay Hazre trophy in 2012 , beating Mumbai in the finals which was held at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium, Delhi on 12 March 2012,in the captaincy of Sourav Ganguly. # The 2012 BNP Paribas Open was a professional tennis tournament played at Indian Wells, California in March 2012. It is also known as the 2012 Indian Wells Masters.. Both the men's and the women's events took place at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, California, United States from March 5 through March 18, 2012. # Prakash Padukone is the first Indian to win All England Badminton Championship in 1980.

In reply, India scored 92 runs for the loss of two wickets in 14.3 overs to register a consolation win. Amita Sharma was the top scorer with 55 runs. Lisa Sthalekar accounted for both Indian wickets by giving away 14 runs.

STUDENT AGE SUNDAY, MARCH 25-31, 2012

SPORTS

26

26th NE Games: Mizoram tops medals tally; Manipur placed 2nd

gold, 26 silver and 25 bronze medals and 47 points while Assam finished third with eight gold, 22 silver and 32 bronze medals and 38 points. Tripura occupied fourth position with 15 gold, 14 silver and 11 bronze medals but with 27 points. In major finals played on 23 March,2012 Mizoram won the Men's football gold by beating Tripura 10-2. Women's football gold was won by Manipur, who defeated Tripura 4-0. In 100 metres men's and women's sprint, the gold medals were won by Tripura, while 5000 metres men's and women's gold medals went to Nagaland.

Button wins Australian Grand Prix

AIZAWL, MARCH 23: Mizoram topped the medals tally in the 26th Northeast Games 2012 which concluded on 23 March,2012 in Aizwal. It won 59 gold, 24 silver and 23 bronze medals and 77 points. Manipur finished second with 29

BNP Paribas Open: Federer bags Men's, Azarenka Women's Singles title

MELBOURNE, MARCH 18: McLarn's Jenson Button won the Australian Grand Prix for the third time ahead of world champion Sebastian Vettel in an incidentpacked season opener. Button's fellow Briton and team mate Lewis Hamilton, who started on pole, finished third behind the German to round out the podium while Vettel's team mate Mark Webber was fourth, his best ever finish in his 11th attempt to win his home race.

Fernando Alonso drove a spirited race to finish fifth for Ferrari ahead of the Sauber of Japan's Kamui Kobayashi after Williams driver Pastor Maldonado crashed out on the final lap while running sixth. Kimi Raikkonen, one of six former world champions in the field, also impressed on his return from two years out of the sport to finish seventh for Lotus after starting 17th on the grid. Mexican Sergio Perez had

started right from the back after changing his gearbox overnight but finished a creditable eighth - the same place he claimed on his Formula One debut here last year before he and Kobayashi were disqualified for technical infringements. Australian Daniel Ricciardo finished ninth on his home race debut for Toro Rosso despite an accident at the start, while the last point was won by Force India's Paul Di Resta in 10th.

North Korea wins AFC Challenge Cup 2012

KATHMANDU MARCH 19,: North Korea beat Turkmenistan 2-1 to successfully defend its AFC Challenge Cup title in Nepal. In the final held at the Dashrath Stadium in Kathmandu, North Korea got off to a shaky start by conceding the first goal just two minutes into the match. However, it raced back to equalize in the 36th minute with Jong Il-gwan's goal. Jang Song-hyok's penalty three minutes from the end of the games. It defeated the Philippines, India and Tajikistan in the group stage and Palestine in the semifinals. With this win, North Korea secured a berth at the 2015 Asian Cup in Australia, where 16 teams will compete. So far, South Korea, Japan, Australia, and North Korea have clinched their places.

Clockwise from top:Roger Federer, Victoria Azarenka, Lisa Raymond and Leizel Huber, Rafael Nadal and Marz Lopez INDIAN WELL CALIFORNIA, MARCH 19: Switzerland's Roger Federer has bagged the Men's Singles and Victoria Azarenka of Belarus has won the Women's Singles title in the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament at the Indian Wells in California. In the Men's Singles finals played on 18 March 2012, third seed Roger Federer defeated John Isner of the United States in straight sets, 7-6, 6-3. Besides becoming the first player to bag the BNP Paribas Open for the fourth time. Federer, with this win, has equaled Rafael Nadal's record of 19 ATP World Tour Master's 1000 titles. In the Women's Singles category, World Number One Victoria Azarenka continued her Australian Open's splendid form as she defeated Russia's Maria Sharapova 6-2, 6-3 on 18 March 2012. This is Azarenka's second consecutive title after the Australian Open victory. Meanwhile, the American pair of Lisa Raymond and Leizel Huber has claimed the Women's Doubles title. They defeated the Indo-Russian pair of Sania Mirza and Elena Vesnina in the finals on 18 March 2012. In men's section, the Spanish duo of Rafael Nadal and Marz Lopez had won the men's Doubles crown.

second half ended the stalemate and capped a tournament that has seen the country win all five of its

West crush North to win Deodhar Trophy

DHARAMSALA, MARCH 19: West Zone won the Deodhar Trophy in style thrashing North Zone by 113 runs in the final on 19 March,2012. Mumbai batsman Ajinkya Rahane played the star turn for West, striking a 122-ball 118, studded with 15 boundaries and a six, to guide his side to a staggering 355 for four in 50 overs. Another India player, Munaf Patel, shone with the ball, taking four wickets as North were bowled out for 242 in 42.2 overs. Patel returned figures of four for 34 in eight overs sealing the issue for West within the first Powerplay. East captain Wriddhiman Saha may have erred by putting West in to bat in the semifinal, it was Harbhajan Singh's turn to make that same mistake as West openers Parthiv Patel and Ajinkya Rahane went on a rampage adding 131 runs. With Parvinder Awana not in the North line-up, pacers Manpreet Gony, Pradeep Sangwan and Rishi Dhawan leaked runs. Chasing 356 was always going to be difficult and Munaf knocked the stuffing out of North dismissing Nitin Saini (2), Shikhar Dhawan (0), Paras Dogra (11) and Yashpal Singh (0) as they were left reeling at 25 for four. The only saving grace for North was a 97 run partnership for the seventh wicket between Bipul Sharma and Harbhajan (30) which helped them cross 200-run mark.

STUDENT AGE SUNDAY, MARCH 25-31, 2012

SCHOOL LIFE
PEARLS OF WISDOM
"Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is for you." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

27

World Timeline
3500 BC 3114 BC The wheel is used in Mesopotamia, modern day Iraq. Start of the Mayan calendar. The Mayans had 20 days in their month starting with day 0 and ending with day 19. They understood zero not only as a place holder, but as a true counting number. Work begins on Stonehenge in England. Some of the stones came from 240 miles away, the Preseli Mountains in southwestern Wales. What possessed the Neolithic people to build such a monument is still unknown. First Egyptian hieroglyphs Egyptians build first known dam called the Sadd el-Kafara 37 ft tall, 348 ft wide of rubble masonry filled with 100,000 tons of gravel and stone. Egyptians create 365 day calendar with new year starting in June. Work begins on the Great Pyramid at Giza in Egypt. Minoan Bronze age culture on Crete develops hieroglyphic script and extensive palace complex at Knossos. Minoan culture destroyed perhaps by the Mycenaeans Invasion of the Sea Peoples destroys Mycenaean civilization. Greece enters a 400 year "Dark Age"; writing was forgotten; cities abandoned. Linear B would not be read again until modern times. Trojan War. Iron used for weapons and tools. Magnetic compass invented Phoenicians develop alphabetic script Chinese develop gunpowder by mixing saltpeter, charcoal, and sulfur and grinding carefully Homer writes the Iliad and the Odyssey Olympic games start in Greece. Lycurgus gives laws to the Spartans which included the banning of silver and gold, redistribution of all land, creation of a senate, eating at public mess (so no dainty desire for expensive food would develop), and forbidding all useless occupations. According to legend, Rome is founded by Romulus. Twelve birds circled overhead during the founding cere monies and legend had it that the city would survive for 12 centuries. Earliest coins appear. Later, Lydian kingdom produces the first true coins with guaranteed quality and weight. To Be Contd...

3100 BC

SCIENCE FACTS
1 The loud noise you create by cracking a whip occurs because the tip is moving so fast it breaks the speed of sound! 2 Australia's Great Barrier Reef is the largest living structure on Earth reaching over 2000 kilometres (1240 miles) in length. 3 The largest individual flower on Earth is from a plant called Rafflesia arnoldii. Its flowers reach up to 1 metre (3 feet) in diameter and weigh around 10kg. 4 The USA's Mojave Desert is home to the world's largest solar power plant

2900 BC 2750 BC 2700 BC 2575 BC 2000 BC 1450 BC 1200 BC

PUZZLE
24 SOLUTION: 26 22 18 36 32 28 16 28 20 Given the following figure: The numbers 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 28, 32, and 36 need to be filled in in the circles of the figure, in such a way that the sum of numbers of each line amounts to 100. The Question: How can you do this?

1185 BC 1130 BC 1120 BC 1100 BC 1000 BC 750-700? BC 776 BC 775-750 BC

THE SMART DONKEY

Gopu the donkey was happily going munch munch on an extremely green patch of grass right in the heart of the meadow. So intent was Gopu on eating, that he did not hear anyone approaching until he looked up and gave an involuntary shiver. For standing right in front of him, was Shikari, the wolf. Gopu began to limp and make a lot of ooh aah noises while doing so. Shikari watched him in silence for a while and then asked what was wrong. "I trod upon a sharp thorn while passing through a hedge. It is causing me so much pain," Gopu added. "Please, take it out for me." "And why would I do that?" asked Shikari who thought to himself: hee hee, the donkey is so foolish. Here I am trying to think of a way to eat him up, and there he is, wanting me to remove a thorn from his foot. "It is for your benefit that I'm telling you to take it out, sir," said Gopu earnestly. "That thorn is long and sharp. When you eat me, it is sure to get stuck in your throat." Shikari then agreed to remove the thorn. So Gopu lifted his foot up for Shikari, who brought his face close to the foot to peer deep into it. This was the opportunity Gopu was waiting for. With all his might, he kicked Shikari in the mouth and galloped away. "I should have known," moaned Shikari after he had finished reeling from the force of the kick. He had also lost a few teeth. "Why did I ever attempt the art of healing, when all I have been taught is the trade of a butcher?" He thought as he 'limped' away from the meadow.

753 BC

650 BC

FUN TIME
1 Two young boys were spending the night at their grandparents the week before Christmas. At bedtime, the two boys knelt beside their beds to say their prayers when the youngest one began praying at the top of his lungs. "I pray for a new bicycle!" "I pray for a new Nintendo!" "I pray for a new VCR!" His older brother leaned over and nudged the younger brother and said, "Why are you shouting your prayers? God isn't deaf." To which the little brother replied, "No, but Grandma is!" 2 Little Radha was practicing the violin in the living room while her father was trying to read in the newspapper. The family dog was lying and as the screeching sounds of little Radha's violin reached his ears, he began to howl loudly. The father listened to the dog and the violin as long as he could. Then he jumped up, slammed his paper to the floor and yelled above the noise, "For pity's sake, can't you play something the dog doesn't know?" 3 Finding one of her students making faces at others on the playground, Mrs. Chatterjee stopped to gently reprove the child. Smiling sweetly, the Sunday School teacher said, "Pappu, when I was a child, I was told if that I made ugly faces, it would freeze and I would stay like that." Pappu looked up and replied, "Well, Mrs. Chatterjee, you can't say you weren't warned."

E-MAIL YOUR ARTICLES, POEMS, ACHIVEMENTS OR WISHES FOR A HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOR YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO US AT
editors@paramountpublications.in or mail at: Paramount Publications 12/12, Nanak Nagar

STUDENT AGE SUNDAY, MARCH 25-31, 2012

SCHOOL LIFE

28

STATIC ELECTRICITY
Hence, these are referred to as "static" which explicitly means "electricity at rest". Causes of Static Electricity When two materials come into physical contact against each other, the electrons are shifted from the surface of one material to the other's surface. The material which supplies the electrons attains extra positive charges called protons and the other material which gains the electrons attain extra negative charges called neutrons. The process of static electricity doesn't purely mean the conduction of electricity. It is found that most of the materials that have the ability to exhibit static electricity are non conductors of electricity. A common fact to note is the circumstance when static electricity is exhibited. When the humidity of air is higher than usual, there is high probability of the presence of water particles on the elements. This hinders the deposition of electrical charges on its surface since the water molecules are bound to repel the charges. Therefore it is implied that the process of static electricity is better exhibited when the air is less humid.Electric eels can stun both predators and prey with electric shocks of around 500 volts. Practical Uses: The common uses of static electricity are in Xerography or electro-photography, Air filters, Automotive paints, Spray paintings. Most of the modern photocopy machines use static electric charges to make photo copies of documents. Recently invented laser and LED printers also use static electricity. Static Cling: The Static electricity can often be cause of annoyance in our daily lives. Your dress clinging to the skin, hair flying in every direction, the 'shocking' experience you have every time you shake hands with or touch someone; all of these problems are reminiscent of the despicable natural phenomenon called static cling. Fortunately, there is a static cling remedy, to help you rid yourself of clinging pants and skirts, and frizzy, flying hair Eliminate Static Electricity in Hair: Oily and straight hair is prone to this problem. Eliminating static electricity is easy by using a good conditioner for your hair. Another way is using a hair lotion, hairspray, gel or mousse on your hair. One of the ways to eliminate static electricity from hair brush is to spray some water or hair spray on it. You must keep your hair and the hair brush clean. Eliminate Static Electricity in Clothes: Using a fabric softer is the trick to keep static electricity away from clothes. Use a fabric softener for the last rinse and wring cycle in your washing machine. Dry skin can make clothes cling to your body, so apply a moisturizer. During the last wash cycle, put cup of vinegar or borax in the machine. Using outfits made of natural fabrics is the best idea. Synthetic clothing usually clings to body, so wear a cotton layer in between your body and clothing. Eliminate Static Electricity in House: To eliminate static electricity and make your house static-proof, just opt for things that prevent the build-up of static charges. Using natural materials, humidifiers and skipping use of synthetic materials is helpful. Keep dryer sheets handy to avoid that irritating cling!

BY: NALIN low air into a balloon. Tie a knot at the end of the balloon. Now start rubbing it gently against your woolen jacket. After rubbing it for at least 30 seconds, stand in front of a mirror and hold the balloon above your head. You will notice your hair standing up in the direction of the balloon. Ever wondered the reason behind this? This is due to Static Electricity! Static Electricity is defined as the deposition of electrical charges or electrons on the surface of a material. They are generally caused when a material is rubbed against the surface of another material. Though electrical charges are present they do not constitute to form an alternating current or a direct current.

Electro-photograph:Underside of a thistle leaf

PROFILE

Lalitaditya Muktapida: Alexander of Kashmir

tity in the domain of art and culture too. Art gained importance during his reign, religious festivals were held, and special facilities as well as encouragement were provided to support painters and sculptors. Numerous shrines and sacred images were erected during his time. The ruins of the splendid Sun Temple of Martanda are still the most striking object of ancient Hindu architecture in the Valley. The most important proof of the scale and extent of the building operations of Lalitaditya are the ruins of Parihaspura which he built as his new capital. Being a veteran player of veena and a brilliant writer himself, Lalitaditya Muktapida propounded a whole genre of artistic expressions like sculpture-making and painting. Evidences of the establishment of various educational institutions were also found in the reign of Lalitaditya Muktapida. In almost all core areas and much beyond, Lalitaditya Muktapida left his outstanding mark and is today regarded as one of the most popular empirical figures in the history of J & K. Lalitaditya had very much patronised Buddhism during his reign. Ou-kong mentions existence of many Stupas and Viharas which he saw during his visit. The greatest Buddhist gift of the King was a great Vihara at Parihaspura with a colossal Buddha image which still existed in Kalhana's time. There was another Vihara at Huskapura where Ou-kong stayed on his arrival in Kashmir. The maxims of policy which the King had set forth influenced Kashmir administration for a long time. Lalitaditya is considered to be the greatest ruler of Kashmir due to his encouragement of art, great work in human welfare, love of education, protection of scholars, and kindness besides his equally magnificient military conquests.

BY: CHANDRIKA KAUL

he numerous foreign expeditions of Lalitaditya and his ultimate disappearance on one of these forays towards north reminds one of the Greek Conqueror, Alexander the Great who was of a similar disposition and in that respect Lalitaditya may be called Kashmir's Alexander. Lalitaditya Muktapida (reign 724 -760 CE) was a Hindu emperor of the Karkota dynasty (625-1003 CE) from Kashmir. Karakota dynasty had come to rule Kashmir after Baladitya, the last King of the Gonanda race passed away. Durlabhavardhana was Baladitya's son in law and after his death was established on the throne of Kashmir. He was followed by his son Partapaditya-II who had three sons, Vajraditya, Udayaditya, and Lalitaditya. Lalitaditya-Muktapida was the youngest son of Partapaditya-II and followed Udayaditya. He is represented as a great conqueror, whose reign was mostly passed in expeditions abroad. King Lalitaditya Muktapida began expanding his rule from the Central Asian regions to the north of India. Kashmir became a vital ruling ground of this brave Hindu ruler. In the beginning of the 8th century, the Arab invasion had started knocking at the door of the Kabul valley. Simultaneously after the end of Tang reign in China, many Central Asian states that had come under the Chinese rule had disintegrated because of civil wars. During this period, the Muslim power in Sindh was trying to march towards the north. While the empires of Kabul and Gandhar were occupied by these invasions, Lalitaditya used the opportunity to establish his foothold in the north, moving with his victorious army from Dardistan to Turkestan. Kashmir, at that time, became the most powerful state in the South and Central Asia.

Ruins of Parihaspura During the time of Lalitaditya, its boundaries covered an area from Tibet in the east to Iran in the west and from Turkestan in the north. Lalitaditya Muktapida has a special significance in the valley. From his triumphant army skills to his excellent cultural inclinations, Lalitaditya made a good name for himself as a wise ruler. Kashmir, under the rule of Lalitaditya Muktapida, achieved a new facilitating attribute. With the advent of canal irrigation, the farmers of Kashmir experienced a new and developed agriculture mode. Due to his diligent efforts on the agricultural front, the crop yield in the fields of Kashmir increased manifold. Also, the plantation of saffron which requires extra farming care was possible. The farmers also started growing some fruits that needed special temperature variations. In the time period of Lalitaditya Muktapida, Kashmir achieved a fresh iden-

STUDENT AGE SUNDAY, MARCH 25-31, 2012

SCHOOL LIFE

29

DID YOU KNOW

1) Ostriches can run faster than horses, and the males can roar like lions. 2) Deer have no gall bladders. 3) The leg bones of a bat are so thin that no bat can walk. 4) A tarantula spider can survive for more than two years without food. 5) For every human in the world there are one million ants. 6) If you keep a goldfish. in a dark room, it will become pale! 7) The flamingo can only eat when its head is upside down. 8) The honey bee has been around for 30 million years. 9) If you cut off a snail's eye, it will grow a new one 10) Sharks are very healthy, as they are immune to all known diseases. 11) The placement of the eyes of a donkey enables them to see all four of their legs at all times. 12) Electric eels can stun both predators and prey with electric shocks of around 500 volts. 13) Polar Bears are nearly undetectable by infrared cameras, due to their transparent fur 14) Butterflies taste with their hind feet, and their taste sensation works on touch this allows them to determine whether a leaf is edible 15) Starfish have no heart, brain, or eyes!

World TB Day
24th of March

World TB Day, falling on March 24th each year, is designed to build public awareness that tuberculosis today remains an epidemic in much of the Third World causing the deaths of several million people each year, mostly in developing countries. It commemorates the day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch astounded the scientific community by announcing that he had discovered the cause of tuberculosis, the TB bacillus. At the time of Koch's announcement in Berlin, TB was raging through Europe and the Americas, causing the death of one out of every seven people. Koch's discovery opened the way towards diagnosing and curing TB. The theme of World Tuberculosis Day 2012 is "Stop TB in my lifetime". The theme encourage people all over the world, from

the youngest to the oldest, to make an individual call for the elimination of TB, and say what changes they expect to take place in their lifetimes. In 1982, on the one-hundredth anniversary of Robert Koch's presentation, the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (IUATLD) proposed that March 24 be proclaimed an official World TB Day. In 1996, the World Health Organization (WHO) joined with the IUATLD and a wide range of other concerned organizations to increase the impact of World TB Day. Today the Stop TB Partnership, a network of organizations and countries fighting TB (IUATLD is a member and WHO houses the secretariat in Geneva), organizes the Day to highlight the scope of the disease and how to prevent and cure it.

QUIZ
1. What mountain range runs along the western United States and is home to Pike's Peak? 2. What area contains the lowest elevation in the United States? 3. What major river in South America is home to the carnivorous pirhana? 4. The Zambezi River flows into a series of gorges. In the second gorge that it enters it has formed a very deep and, at times, turbulent pool that is known by which name? 5. Where would you find the bells affectionately known as Quasimodo's Bells? 6. The Amphitheatre of Thysdrus was built by the Romans in which country? 7. Which city in Italy, home to the Ducal Palace, is known as the "Capital of Engines"? 8. Wat Pho is a Buddhist temple in Bangkok, Thailand. Its name describes Buddha in which position? 9. The Temple of Heaven Park, The Donghuamen Night Markets and Jingshan Park are all located in which Asian capital city? 10. Located in the Chugach Mountains where in the world would you find the Matanuska Glacier? ANSWERS:1 The Rockies, 2 Amazon, 3 Death Valley, 4 Boiling Pot, 5 Notre Dame de Paris, 6Tunisia, 7 Modena, 8 Reclining, 9Beijing, 10 Alaska

COMETS
The solid nucleus of a comet is usually several kilometres in diameter; it consists of ice, dust and solid particles like a large, dirty snowball. When the comet passes close to the Sun, a cloud of gas and dust is ejected from the nucleus, forming a huge head or coma, many thousands of kilometres in diameter. The radiations from the Sun elongate the gas and dust to form one or more tails, often extending millions of kilometres in space. These tails point away from the Sun, but as the comet recedes, the tail will decrease in length until the comet returns to its latent dirty snowball state. Information for selected comets is given below.

Comet
Halley Bennett Cruls Donati Encke Flauergues Great Comet Hale-Bopp Humason Hyakutake

First seen
240 bc 1970 1882 1858 1786 1811 1843 1995 1961 1996

Period of orbit (years)

76.1 1 680 758.4 1 950 3.3 3 094 512.6 2 400 3 000 18 000

STUDENT AGE SUNDAY, MARCH 25-31, 2012

SCHOOL LIFE
CAREER FORUM

30

MASS COMMUNICATIONS

The world has witnessed a phenomenal and unprecedented explosion in communication technology and media. All boundaries have been transcended, and the entire global community seems to have been brought together into one unified whole. And it is here that mass-communication, as a stream of study, and as a career, becomes so important and enviable. Mass communication has evolved into a specialized field today. The study of mass communication encompasses the academic study of various means of communication. Specialized courses in mass communication offer students an in-depth knowledge and functioning of various media like television, radio and the internet. Unlike engineering or medical streams there are no preparation strategies or set formulae for making a career in mass communication. A graduate degree in the field is good to start with but a post graduate degree or diploma is almost essential to be considered for responsible positions in any organisation. Meanwhile, blogging or work as a freelance contributor to newspapers and a host of online publishing sites to develop communication skills also helps. Maturity, objectivity and a sensible train of thought are essential. Education Qualification:

10+2 from Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) or any Printing; Radio Jockeying; Video Jockeying; Video Editing other examination recognised as equivalent to it with a minimum Top Mass Communication Institutes 45 percent is must. However, most of the universities insist on 1st IIMC, Delhi division in aggregate of 3 main subjects and 1 elective subject in Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad, Ahmedabad XIIth standard. Some colleges also want their student to be fluent Symbiosis Institute of Mass Communication, Pune Xavier Institute of Communication, Mumbai in English language and expect at least 75 marks in the subject. Asian College of Journalism, Chennai Higher Study Options: Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Doctoral Degree Communication, Bhopal Master's Degree PG Institutes for Mass Communication: Master's Degree Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Delhi CAREER PROSPECTS A student who takes up Mass Communication has number of AJK Mass Communication Research Centre of Jamia Millia career options before him. Successful completion of mass com- Islamia University, New DelhiSymbiosis Institute of Mass munication courses open a plethora of opportunities for students Communication, Pune in various fields related to media. The field of media is quite interesting and rewarding but at the PRO Media Planner same time it demands lots of time, energy and hard work from one. So if you have the passion to defeat deadlines and ready to work as it comes to you at Public Relations any time of the day, you are the right person this industry is looking for. By taking up professions & like Radio Jockeys or Anchors one can shot to fame ting Radio Prin ishing instantly. Whereas candidates passing out from ubl P IIMC, MCRC Jamia, Symbiosis College and many other institutes receive attractive placement after Mass Electronic Print their courses and handsome salaries, students from Communication Media Media not-so-well- known institutes have to work hard to get placed. Starting salary for a mass communication professional could be between Rs 12,000 and Television NewsPaper 25,000. After 5 Years of work experience a professional can expect higher salary in the range of Rs 50,000 to Rs 1,00,000 per month. Entertainment Various mass communication related careers and the nature of their work are described below: Advertising; Disc Jockey; Film-Making; Disc Jockey Film Makers Journalism; Public Relations; Publishing and

Copy writer

Copy Editor

Journalist/Editors

Radio Jockey

WORLD SPARROW DAY

By: Baleshwer Bali al organisations, NGOs, clubs and societies, universities, schools and individuals across the world celebrated the event by organizing awareness programs. The association between humans and the house sparrow (Passer domesticus) dates back to several centuries and no other bird has been associated with humans on a daily basis like the house sparrow. It is a bird that evokes fond memories and has thus found mention in folklore and songs from time immemorial. The House Sparrow is a chunky bird, typically about 16 cm (6.3 in) long, ranging from 14-18 centimetres (5.5-7.1 in). The House Sparrow originated in the Middle East and spread, along with agriculture, to most of the world, due chiefly to deliberate introductions, but also through natural dispersal and ship borne travel. The House Sparrow is a very social bird. It is gregarious at all seasons when feeding, often forming flocks with other types of bird. It also roosts communally, its nests are usually grouped together in clumps, and it engages in a number of social activities, such as dust and water bathing, and "social singing", in which birds call together in bushes. The House Sparrow feeds mostly on the ground, but it flocks in trees and bushes. For the larger part it is sedentary, rarely moving more than a few kilometres. As an adult, the House Sparrow mostly feeds on the seeds of grains and weeds, but it is opportunistic and adaptable, and eats whatever foods are available. It can perform complex and unusual tasks to obtain food, such as opening automatic doors to enter supermarkets, clinging to hotel walls to watch vacationers on their balconies. The House Sparrow's nesting sites are varied, but it prefers the shelter of a hole. Nests are most frequently built in the eaves and other crevices of houses. Holes in cliffs and banks, or in tree cavities are also used. The nest is usually domed, though it sometimes is not roofed over in enclosed sites. It has an outer layer of stems and roots, a middle layer of dead grass and leaves, and a lining of feathers. The building of the nest is initiated by the unmated male while displaying to females. The female assists in building, but is less active than the male. Unfortunately, the house sparrow is now a disappearing species. Their numbers are also declining across their natural range for various reasons ranging from the destruction of its habitat to lack of insect food for the young and even the increasing microwave pollution from mobile phone towers. The decline of the house sparrow is an indicator of the continuous degradation the environment around us is facing. It is also a warning bell that alerts us about the possible detrimental effects on our health and wellbeing. We need to know the health risks of the increasing amount of microwave pollution and what is decimating the population of the house sparrow, which coexisted with us, so that we can estimate the effect on all forms of life, including ours. The house sparrow also represents many of the common bird species and is, in a sense, their ambassador. Therefore, the conservation of the house sparrow and its habitat will also help save much of the common biodiversity, which shares the habitat of the house sparrows.

Chirp for the sparrow! Tweet for the sparrow! This is the theme of World Sparrow Day - 2012. The pace at which our immediate environment is degrading, this little bird may well find its way into the endangered list before we even know it. To raise public awareness about the decline of the house sparrow, World Sparrow Day (WSD) is celebrated on 20th March across the globe. The first World Sparrow Day was celebrated on March 20, 2010 across the globe to celebrate the beauty of the house sparrow. National and internation-

STUDENT AGE SUNDAY, MARCH 25-31, 2012

NEWS ANALYSIS
Norway Custody Row
20 MARCH, 2012: The matter of the Bhattacharya couple and their two children in Norway, which almost led to souring the diplomatic ties between the two countries to quite an extent has revealed the problems of adjustability to the environment that many people get affronted with on their stay abroad. The mother was suffering from post-partum depression and with a husband who worked long hours and the older child showed autism-like symptoms. Even though the CWS deserves kudos for stepping in and take children ROW in their specialized care, it has committed a grave mistake in showing cultural insensitivity. The decision contravened Norway's own Child Protection Act which calls for ensuring continuity in the child's upbringing according to ethnic, and cultural background. Foster parenting in Norway would obliterate that "continuity". The core underlying issue of parent's incompatibility needs to be addressed at the earliest to ensure welfare of children in its true sense. Howsoever specialized is foster care it cannot substitute security children feel with its parents. That is where the specialists from India should step in for counseling process before irreparable damage is done.

31
An Unhealthy Budget
21 March, 2012: The Union Budget has given no indication of the central government's plans to double India's public health spend from 1.2 per cent of GDP to 2.5 per cent in the next five years. The health allocation in the Budget as a proportion of the country's GDP remains stagnant at 0.3 per cent over the past several years. The absence of significant statements of intent on health in the Union budget is glaring, given that these are the two identified priorities for the Twelfth Plan. Notwithstanding the planned launch of a National Urban Health Mission and improvements to some govt. medical colleges for better tertiary care, providing a certain level of guaranteed, tax-funded Universal Healthcare to all Indians through public and private hospitals very much requires attention of stakeholders in the health sector. In addition to creation of trained public health cadres, setting up of a National Health Regulatory and Development Authority to evolve norms for treatment and developing an IT platform to administer the massive enterprise, the govt. must commit a higher share of public funding to health without which, it is impossible to reconfigure the country's healthcare system in an equitable manner.

India's Stand on UNHRC Resolution on SL

Mar 19, 2012: India is treading a thin line between domestic and international politics. The grisly evidence of what seems to be the execution of Prabhakaran's 12-year-old son is bound to make feelings run high in TN and if the UPA government turns a blind eye to such crimes, it may well have to pay a price at home. For a country that loses no chance to proclaim its credentials for a place at the global high table, it is imperative that it makes its presence felt by taking an exemplary stand as a leader in the Asian region. In view of Colombo's obduracy in the face of strong international criticism about human rights in the conflict's aftermath, it becomes all the more imperative for India to take a strong stand. Western countries hardly have the moral right to lecture others and if New Delhi were to get stridently evangelical on human rights abroad, pretty soon fingers will be pointed at its own record in Gujarat, Kashmir or the northeast. India has a lot of interests in Sri Lanka backing a UN resolution in Sri Lanka could alienate this neighbor and push it into Beijing's hands. A better approach would be to push for meaningful political devolution to empower Sri Lanka's Tamils.

Tell - tale Signs

22 March, 2012: The recent showdown in by-elections for the national parties - Congress and BJP are the tell tale signs for the party of the times to come.In significant upsets, the Congress on Wednesday wrested a Lok Sabha seat in Karnataka and an Assembly seat in Gujarat in two BJP strongholds after 15 years but it was routed in Andhra Pradesh due to the Telangana factor. In Karnataka, where BJP is rocked by dissidence, the Congress snatched a comfortable 45,724 vote victory in Udupi Chikmagalur seat, which has been with BJP since 1998, and more significantly bagged the Mansa Assembly seat, held by BJP since 1995, in Narendra Modi-dominated Gujarat If the battle for Kovur is any indication, the Congress will have a tough time keeping the YSR Congress at bay. Not surprisingly, the Telangana Rashtra Samiti, which supports a separate Telangana, won four of the seats. Looking for one underlying theme in the results of 12 byelections in six States is meaningless. The writing on the wall is clear- quite unmistakably, regional forces are gathering strength. And, the Congress's losses are unlikely to translate into the BJP's gains.

Roll Back on Rail Fare Hike

23 March, 2012: Curtains were finally pulled down on the week long drama over the increase in rail fares as Mr. Mukul Roy announced roll back on rail fares hike in the classes used commonly by the poor masses. The whole matter has revealed the the inability of Manmohan Singh's govt. to take unpopular steps and its vulnerability in the face of querulous coalition allies. Mr. Manmohan Singh had himself praised the rail budget presented by Trivedi which promised the "Vision 2020" outlined by Mamta Banerjee two years ago as a blueprint for modernising the railways. Undoubtedly the increase in fare would pinch the common man but the safety factor is something that cannot be neglected. What is the logic of travelling cheap at risk to one's life? Arguments that revenue generation for modernisation could be generated by increasing the freight charges lacks substance. The freight increase would be borne eventually by the common man in the form of raised prices in other necessary commodities like food itself. A common man can invariably do without travel but not without food and cannot afford to risk his own life as he is often the sole bread earner of the family. So much so for the "populist" rail budget!

ANOTHER GATE FOR UPA-II

25 MARCH, 2012: Even as the UPA-II is trying to play down news reports by Times of India which allegedly points to "undue benefits" of Rs. 10.76 lakh crore to private and public firms due to awarding 155 coal acreages without competitive bidding on the grounds that the details being brought out were observations which are under discussions at a very preliminary stage "; there is hardly any doubt that the controversy has opened yet another gate for exit of government from power well before its term ends in 2014. It is a well established fact that CAG audit reports, far from being a 'guesstimate' are a result of an elaborate process of audit irrespective of the stage it is in. As such one really wonders who UPA-II is trying to fool. With Mulayam Singh joining BJP, Aklai Dal, JDU and BSP chorus of impending 'mid-term' polls coupled with the reluctance on part of SP on joining the government at the center as it feels its days are numbered and same feelers having been given out by Trinamool Congress on the likelihood of mid-term polls, it is quite clear where the UPA-II is headed. UPA-II has just put another handful of 'coal' on its own coffin.

WEEKLY NEWS ANALYSIS

he state of things that a common man finds itself in as it watches with seeming helplessness as the world in general and India in particular stands ravaged by political inclinations is indeed pathetic. National and International issues are all viewed more from the perspective of allies. The decisions on all fronts, be it Rail fare hike, FDI in multi brand retail or resolution on Sri Lanka etc, are governed by partisan politics. Appeasement of allies is gaining precedence over logical conclusions to vari-

ous issues. These flaws are showing itself in the election results be it the assembly elections in the five states whose results were out earlier this month or the by-elections in Karnataka, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh where it has lost considerable ground. UPA is facing flak in national and international circuits. Far from being considered an ally to bank on and a role model, it has disappointed and alienated the neighbour because of its decisions that were lacking in degree of diplomatic approach.

On the domestic front, it has blatantly overridden the health concerns of its people. In spite of the 15% increase in the budget allocation to the health sector, the lackadaisical attitude in dispensing services to the needy over the years has left much to be desired by the common man. The silver lining to the dark clouds lies in the government's address to the Indian Diasporas in Norway custody row. Had it not been for the intervention of India, the insensitiveness of Norwegian Child Welfare

Service towards Indian culture would never have come to the forefront. An example of their insensitiveness was exhibited in its viewing child's sleeping with its parent as symptomatic of behavior disorder while in India it is quite normal and in fact conducive to child's psychological development to sleep with its parents. The latest news that parents have decided to patch up and signed an agreement for their children's sake is reflective of persistent efforts on part of India. By: Chandrika Kaul

STUDENT AGE SUNDAY, MARCH 25-31, 2012

MISC

32

History Carved Out of the Hills

ll museums are temples of sorts, monuments to collectors or cultures, declarations of identity, gathering places for tribute. But museums of natural history have an even more distinctive stature. Their focus is not human history, measured in centuries, but natural history, measured in eons. And their subject is not a particular culture and its accomplishments, but a world that seems to stand beyond culture altogether. That is one reason that the Natural History Museum of Utah, located in a new $102 million, 17acre home in the foothills of the Wasatch Mountain Range, has such a powerful impact. Here, at Salt Lake City's edge, above the geological shoreline of the ancient Lake Bonneville, the earth is vividly present: seen in nearby snowcovered mountains, in the winding hiking and biking path that runs past the museum, and in the untouched land above. Most natural history museums are in urban centers, offering reminders of a distant natural world, but this one is housed in the realm it surveys; it is at home. The museum is terraced into the hillside, built in the form of three interconnected bars that seem to have sheared against one another,

leaving jagged surfaces. The building is clad in 42,000 square feet of copper sheeting, which is laid out in shaded bands with mixtures of zinc and tin, resembling both the strata of Utah's mountains and the examinations of those layers in the exhibitions. Native plants grow on the rooftop, and solar panels provide some electric power. Within the museum, the earth's presence is still palpable, visible through walls of windows and across landscaped terraces. A 60foot-high central atrium, called the Canyon, is less spectacular than

intended, partly because the panoramic view of snow-covered mountains is so much more compelling than the fancifully jagged interior. But the Canyon functions as the building's axis. On one side are 28,000 square feet of office and storage space and research facilities, housing more than 1.2 million objects. On the other side are 44,000 square feet of exhibitionsthe most impressive of which play off of the natural forms already seen, leading visitors on switchback paths that climb through the

earth's landscapes and timescapes. Two of the shows - one of dinosaurs ("Past Worlds") and the other of geological transformations ("Land") - are viewed from raked pathways that head upward: through time in "Past Worlds," and through geological space in "Land." The state's fossils and quarries offer traces of extraordinary expanses of time in an unusually compressed space. One of the gallery's immense walls shows a family tree of sorts, mapped with mounted horned dinosaur skulls. We also find the only known skele-

ton of Nothronychus graffami, a plant-eating creature that looks as eccentric as its name suggests. You cannot remain passive in the face of this presentation, and that is often the case throughout the museum. Many displays for children are also engaging. ("Press to sniff," reads the label near one button. "Get a whiff of a fetid forest.") And there are demonstrations of water and wind erosion, a floor map of the Great Salt Lake, and traditional dioramas with animal specimens in Utah's varied habitats.

Direct entries for ISC and CBSE toppers to Oxford University

KHARAGPUR ( WEST BENGAL): The hallowed Oxford University has decided to allow the toppers of ISC and CBSE exams direct entry to its undergraduate courses from the academic session of 2013, a senior university official said. The vice chancellor professor of Oxford, Andrew Hamilton in a press conference at IITKharagpur on Friday expressed his happiness over the decision to allow toppers of India to have their undergraduate courses in Oxford University. "We want to draw the best students from India to Oxford. It has been decided that we will accept Class XII examination results for all undergraduate courses at Oxford," said Hamilton. Earlier, Indian students needed to appear for their A-levels, SATs or the International Baccalaureate as the criteria for getting admitted in the undergraduate courses at Oxford. Under the new rule, the university will now make conditional offers of entrance to those students who acquire more than 90 percent in the CBSE and ISC exams. An Indian aspirant who opts for the science course in Oxford at the undergraduate level may also need to take the Indian IIT entrance examination.

Lose the Lag: How to Make Your PC Run Like New Again
One of the most frustrating things in life is a slow computer. THE GOOD NEWS: It's not the computer hardware that's the problem. In most cases, the hardware you have is perfectly capable of being restored to its original glory and kept in fast running condition with minimal effort. The two most common causes of slowdown (along with easy solutions) are: 1. The most common problem: registery errors: Every time you (or your kids) load a program, game, or file, your PC's software registery is updated with new instructions needed to operate that item. However, when the item is removed, these instructions usually remain on your PC. Every time you run your computer it tries to execute these instrucbought it. . 2. Spyware and viruses: Spyware and viruses are software programs that are loaded on your computer without your knowledge or permission. They tend to take up a lot of computing power and, as a result, will significantly slow down your computer. The simple rule of thumb to follow is to never download any free software programs from companies you do not know and trust, especially screensavers, emoticons, and the like. You should never open any attachment to an email unless you are 100 percent certain you know and trust the sender. I, make sure you have a good anti-virus/spyware removal software running at all times. Follow the above advice and your PC should stay fast and safe.

tions but, because the related program can't be found, it causes a registry error. Your PC is doing a lot more work than it should be and the result is a significantly slower computer. One of the best ways to manage this is with a neat little tool from Support.com, a Silicon Valley based company called ARO 2012 which scans, identifies, and fixes registry errors--resulting in a computer that's a lot more like it was when you first

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