Finally....on Golden track

Finally….Abhinav Bindra and nation of 1.2 billion people booked his place in the 2008 Olympics by winning the gold medal at the 2006 ISSF World Shooting Championships with a score of 699.1

At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Abhinav Bindra won the gold for the Men's 10m Air Rifle final after shooting a total of 700.5. He scored 596 (fourth) in the qualifying round and out-scored all other shooters in the finals with a round of 104.5. In the finals, he started with a shot of 10.7, and none of his shots were below 10.0. Bindra was tied with Henri Hakkinen heading into his final shot. Bindra scored his highest of the finals - 10.8 while Hakkinen came with 9.7 to settle for Bronze medal.

This was India's first individual gold medal at the Olympics, and the first gold in 28 years, since the Men's Hockey team won the gold at the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

That could be a golden coincident that, the first gold medal to be awarded at the Los Angeles Olympics 1984 was the first medal to be won by an athlete from China when Xu Haifeng won in the shooting itself. That was a 50 m Pistol event, and Bindra won in 10m Air Rifle.

China won the first gold medal in 1984 LA Olympics, and in 2008 Beijing Olympics till the time I am writing this blog China is leading with 9 gold and total 14 medals. Korea is second with 4 Gold and total 8 medals and US at third position with 3 gold and total 12 medals. No need to say the pain, the determination, the dedication behind making a dream true. It does remind me the John F. Kennedy, who challenged the US people to go to the moon — and they went.

Every long journey starts with but a single step. India is wonderful and powerful nation of some 1.2 billion people. We have the example of nation like China…so Dream for a day like China has…. The golden journey is just started with Abhinav Bindra…India will have thousands of Abhinav soon…

कायर हिन्दुस्तान, कायर हम !!!

आज बंगलोर के बाद अहमदाबाद की बारी आ गई...मुंबई, अयोध्या, मलेगओं, हैदराबाद, जयपुर, बंगलोर २ बार... आखिर कब तक, कब तक हम अपने सीने पर बार सहते रहेंगे. आज अहमदाबाद ब्लास्ट में अस्पतालों को भी निशाना बनाया गया...न्यूज़ सुन कर राम गोपाल बर्मा की लेटेस्ट मूवी Contract का वो द्रश्य यद् आ गया जिसमे कहा जा रहा था की अस्पतालों को निशाना बनाओ, ताकि लोग जहाँ जान बचने जाए वहां भी मौत का तांडव देख ले, ताकि मानवता हिल जाए.
ये बात इतनी छोटी नही की हम महीने २ महीने में इसे भुला दे, पर कही बड़ी बात ये है की हम उन लोगो तक पहुच भी नही पाते जो इतना अभिशप्त कम करने निकल जाते है. निशाना किसी पर भी साधा जाए, कमजोर हर कोई है. और शायद कमजोर से जयादा हम कायर हो चले है. वक्त आ गया है की अब हमें महाराना प्रताप, शिवाजी, लक्ष्मी भाई, भगत सिंह, उधम सिंह या किसी और बहादुर के किस्से न पढाये जाए. अरे कुछ वक्त के बाद तो हमारी माओ के आँशु भी सूख जायेंगे.
हमारे अन्दर शायद अब हलचल नही होती. कभी महसूस करके देखे की आप भीड़ में नग्न खड़े है, आपके ऊपर १ भी कपड़ा नही है, वो अहसास शायद आपको हिला पाए. क्योंकि आज के हिन्दुस्तान की हालत कुछ इस तरह ही हो रही है. कुछ समय में ऐसी ही परछाई लोगो के दिलो दिमाग पर छाने लगेगी...विदेशो में, आतंकवादियों, नाक्साल्वादियो के अन्दर. शायद उस नग्नता के अहसास के साथ हम आपनी आत्मा देख पाए.
कम से कम कोई नही तो मीडिया तो अब आरोप प्रत्यारोप दिखाना बंद करे, बहुत हुआ ....कुछ दिखाना है तो लोगो को सावधान रहने के तरीके सिखाये, लोग कुछ ग़लत होने का अंदेशा पाकर खुफिया तंत्र को जानकारी दे पाए, डरे ना, और इस अहसास को की हमें लड़ना है कम से कम कुछ महीने में गायब न होने दे..शायद कुछ हलचल हो और वो हचल हमें डराने की जगह अपराधियों को डरा पाए.... वरना कायर तो हम हो ही गए है...

Whoever read it..please take a oath for life time..you will be alert from now, if see any thing suspicious around you ...please let the police or concerned authority know...do your job without thinking about the Causes, Complications and Consequences.

Major attacks in India since २००३ (from टाईम्स ऑफ़ इंडिया)

July 25, 2008: Seven blasts hit the Indian IT city of Bangalore, killing at least two people.

March 13, 2003: A bomb attack on a commuter train in Mumbai kills 11 people.

August 25, 2003: Two almost simultaneous car bombs kill about 60 in Mumbai.

August 15, 2004: Bomb explodes in northeastern state of Assam, killing 16 people, mostly schoolchildren, and wounding dozens.

October 29, 2005: Sixty-six people killed when three blasts rip through markets in New Delhi.

March 7, 2006: At least 15 people killed and 60 wounded in three explosions in Varanasi.

July 11, 2006: More than 180 people killed in seven bomb explosions at railway stations and on trains in Mumbai.

September 8, 2006: At least 32 people killed in a series of explosions, including one near a mosque, in Malegaon town, 260 km (160 miles) northeast of Mumbai.

February 19, 2007: Two bombs explode aboard a train bound from India to Pakistan, burning to death at least 66 passengers, most of them Pakistanis.

May 18, 2007: A bomb explodes during Friday prayers at a historic mosque in the southern city of Hyderabad, killing 11 worshippers. Police later shoot dead five people in clashes with hundreds of enraged Muslims who protest against the attack.

August 25, 2007: Three explosions within minutes at an amusement park and a street-side food stall in Hyderabad kill at least 40 people.

May 13, 2008: Seven bombs rip through the crowded streets of India's western city of Jaipur, killing at least 63 people in markets and outside Hindu temples.

July 25, 2008: Seven blasts strike the IT city of Bangalore killing at least two people and wounding at least 20.

UPA's Trust Vote from eye of World Media

BBC says..
Headline - Ugly Indian debate sets scene for election
In particular, it was a decisive victory for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who had staked his personal reputation on the Indo-US nuclear agreement, a deal that many in his own party were not convinced about.
But the surprise came from a powerful regional politician who emerged as a rallying point for many of the smaller parties - Mayawati, a low-caste politician and chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, India's most politically influential state.
Six jailed MPs, some serving life sentences for crimes as serious as murder, were given bail so that they could vote in parliament. Under Indian law, they may continue to hold their position until the last of their appeals is dismissed.
It was a sordid, seamy side of the world's largest democracy laid bare.
source - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7520381.stm

Times Says...
India Government survives vote to rescue US nuclear deal
Amid raucous scenes in India's parliament, the government eased through a no confidence vote tonight, salvaging a nuclear deal with the United States and staving off the threat of a snap election.
But its unexpectedly easy victory was over-shadowed by three opposition MPs who waved wads of cash in the air in parliament, saying they had been offered a combined £1.1 million to abstain.
The vote capped a passionate and chaotic two-day debate in parliament and a fortnight of furious backroom bartering that highlighted the complexity and venality of Indian politics.
To make up the numbers, the government had temporarily released six MPs from jail and even renamed an airport after another's father.
The opposition, meanwhile, flew in one MP who just had heart surgery in Bombay and another recovering from knee surgery in Los Angeles.
"This is the defeat of Indian democracy that we have seen," said Harish Salve, a former Solicitor General of India. "The spectacle they created was disastrous. For God's sake, the whole world's looking at us."
Source - http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article4380397.ece

Wall Street Journal says...
India's Singh Gets a Boost As Coalition Wins Key Vote
NEW DELHI -- India's government survived a no-confidence vote, keeping the ruling coalition in power for a few more months and providing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with a much-needed political boost as he seeks to secure a nuclear deal with the U.S.
But the victory might be undermined by allegations by opponents of Mr. Singh that officials from the ruling coalition offered bribes totaling $2.25 million to three opposition members to abstain from voting to increase the government's chances of surviving. The allegations were aired after opposition politicians pulled large bundles of rupees out of bags on the floor of ...
Source - http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121672514943973317.html?mod=hpp_us_whats_news

Member of Parliament in Jail – Total 6

These days every ones attention is on UPA government…Only 1 question is going around.. Will UPA survive the trust vote on 22nd July? And few people to whom courts call criminal and as they are ours MPs too, are becoming key part of this crucial game…
Read about them….it’s a short story and good to know those faces.

1. Shahabuddin has been languishing in Siwan jail for years now. He is convicted in at least three criminal cases by trial courts and facing a life term for kidnapping a CPI-ML activist with the intention to murder. But now Siwan MP got the bail and he had to follow his party's (RJD) whip to vote for the UPA government.

2. RJD MP from Bihar, Pappu Yadav, is serving life sentence in Delhi's Tihar Jail for the murder of former Purnea CPM MLA Ajit Sarkar, he is alos on bail to rescue UPA.

3. Another MP serving time in jail is Independent Afzal Ansari from Ghazipur, he used to be with SP. Elder brother of don-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, Afzal too is a history-sheeter and is currently lodged in jail on charges of having murdered the Bharatiya Janata Party politician Krishnanand Rai. Irony is that he is grandson of former Congress President and prominent freedom fighter Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari.

4. On Monday, a lower court in Allahabad had allowed suspended Samajwadi Party MP Atiq Ahmed, also in jail, to participate in the trust vote. This takes the number of jailed MPs allowed to vote on July 22 to four. But he might go against UPA.

5. The Patna HC on Wednesday granted bail to Lok Jantantrik Party MP Surajbhan Singh. The Balia (Bihar) MP had sentenced for life imprisonment for murdering a farmer.

6. Umakant Yadav is the BSP MP from Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh, he is also in jail but because of medical treatment he is in Lucknow Medical College. He was arrested few days ago on Mayawati’s direction. And now again he has declared that Mayawati is his leader, so no price for guessing if he also get the bail.

America’s Most Stolen Cars

The most popular cars among thieves, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau

Here are the 10 most stolen vehicles as reported by the NICB — the number in parentheses is the model year most stolen:
Honda Civic (1995)
Honda Accord (1991)
Toyota Camry (1989)
Ford F-150 (1997)
Chevrolet C/K 1500 (1994)
Acura Integra (1994)
Dodge Ram Pickup (2004)
Nissan Sentra (1994)
Toyota Pickup (1988)
Toyota Corolla (2007)

Nuclear Deal... is it a Real Deal??

Ten facts about Nuclear Deal

1. India will invest around 100 Billion USD in next 20 Years.
2. Three American companies have expertise in this area, who are already in action to grab most of the chunk (Nuclear reactor manufacturers Westinghouse, General and BWX Technologie).
3. After that huge investment India can only increase its nuclear energy share from existing 3% to 6%.
4. The environmental impact is gigantic. US haven’t built a single nuclear reactor in last 27 years. Even the word’s largest uranium supplier country Australia is not producing nuclear energy at home.
5. Even nuclear power plans require large land as there can’t be any population in 8 KM radius of a power plant.
6. India has vast untapped hydropower resources, only 23 percent of which has been harnessed so far. Huge opportunities are there in that area. China generates 4 times more hydropower then us. And they are world leader in generating power from small hydropower plans.
7. Operating Cost for per unit electricity generated by Nuclear power corporation of India is around Rs 1, and at the same time Bhakra Nangal’s hydro power plant have operating costs of only Rs 0.10 per unit. And that all we are talking about home grown technology which is quite cheap.
8. The cost for river linking project initiated by Mr Atal Bihari was estimated around 250 billion dollars, and no need to tell about its advantages. http://www.aidboston.org/files/Interlinking%20Rivers.pdf
9. No technology is developed yet to dispose the nuclear waste.

Don't you think common people should know those facts?

Also read 2 Reports from Forbes.com on Nuclear deal published in Dec 06, and the World Bank Report on India's Hydro Power and its capacity.

Atomic PowerCashing In On India's Nuclear FutureRuth David, 12.15.06, 3:45 PM ET
MUMBAI, India -
Changes in U.S. regulations on trading nuclear technology with India may turn into big money for a host of firms looking to take advantage.
Weeks before the U.S. congress passed the nuclear bill with India, American companies went shopping in the country’s enormous energy market, looking for prospective clients who had needs ranging from nuclear fuels to reactors to radioactive waste elimination.
The largest trade mission from the U.S. to any country was in Mumbai last month, and 30 of its 250 members represented 14 American firms in the nuclear sector. Nuclear reactor manufacturers Westinghouse, General Electric (nyse: GE - news - people ) and BWX Technologies and fuel processing specialist Thorium Power were among the companies who met nuclear policy officials and visited a nuclear site in India.
In view of the estimates, it's no surprise that foreign firms are so keen on getting into nuclear power generation. At present, India imports one-third of its domestic power needs.
Ron Summers of the U.S.-India Business Council says at least $100 billion worth of investment will be needed to develop nuclear energy here over the next 20 years.
Among the estimated 400 nuclear reactors in the world, the U.S. has 104 and India has just 16, though India's population is more than triple the size of the U.S. The government had set a target of generating 20,000 megawatts of nuclear power by 2020, but it’s now expected to sharply expand that. India's ability to scale up its current production of 3,900 megawatts is restricted by its lack of access to the international nuclear fuel market.
New Delhi’s refusal to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty resulted in the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group barring its members from exporting nuclear fuel to the energy-hungry nation.
Timothy J. Richards, the director of GE's International Energy Policy, says if the nuclear deal with the U.S. comes through and global restrictions are eased, his firm hopes to apply for licenses to develop nuclear technology. Power generation will be the key investment area.
Nuclear companies' reps say India can no longer afford to rely on nonrenewable, often polluting resources like wood, oil and coal to meet its growing energy needs. Nuclear fuel is also an affordable option. The Nuclear Power Corporation sells a kilowatt of power for 1 rupee (two American cents).
"We're trying to understand what India is interested in. Once the nuclear sector opens up, we want to make state-owned companies our customers, since only they can build nuclear plants," said Richards, speaking on the sidelines of the U.S.-India conference.
William E. Cummings, vice president of regulatory affairs and standardization at nuclear power plants at Westinghouse, says Indian firms are bound to be the key players, but his company wants to rapidly establish itself as a supplier to the domestic majors. Westinghouse is one of the world's largest providers of nuclear technology.
"The Indian market is huge, so if [the regulatory environment] changes just from zero to possible, there's enough business to make us interested," Cummings said.
American firms are also exploring ways they can partner with India to supply nuclear power globally. India's natural resources--it is home to nearly one-third of the world's thorium reserves--and an abundant skilled workforce make it an attractive investment.
"Indian and U.S. companies can join hands to meet nuclear energy needs in underdeveloped countries," says Craig S. Hansen, vice president of Washington operations at BWX Technologies. He says between 15 and 30 new nuclear plants will be needed each year in the global nuclear energy industry. The new ventures will generate around 600,000 jobs annually.
Already, uranium mining major WM Mining has agreed to sell 500 metric tons of uranium a year to India's Nuclear Fuel Complex, but the contract will be executed only after the nuclear arrangement with the U.S. is concluded.
This week, Congress passed legislation that will allow the U.S. to share civilian nuclear technology with India. U.S. companies reportedly played a key role in lobbying for the bill in the House and the Senate, both of which passed it by overwhelming margins.
President George W. Bush's signing of the nuclear bill marks the end of a freeze in nuclear ties that began in 1974. That year, India tested an atomic bomb without signing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Under the new nuclear pact with the U.S., India will give international inspectors access to some of its nuclear plants.
The passage of the bill is also likely to see a strengthening in defense ties with India, which wants to buy fighter jets and submarines to upgrade its armed forces. Anticipating that demand, U.S. companies like Lockheed Martin Corp. (nyse: LMT - news - people ) and Northrop Grumman (nyse: NOC - news - people ) were among the defense firms that were part of the American trade team in India last month.
Members of the delegation led by Franklin L. Lavin, undersecretary of commerce for international trade, also held meetings with the state-run Nuclear Power Corporation and the Atomic Energy Commission.
"It's a very rudimentary discussion. We're reviewing technology and other requirements," Lavin said before the talks. "We're telling them, 'Here's what we think we do well.'"
India’s nuclear accord with the U.S. still has to clear key international hurdles. The Nuclear Suppliers Group, which seeks to limit the spread of atomic weapons, must approve the agreement. And New Delhi must work with the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, to decide a timetable for international inspections.

India’s critical need for power (A World Bank report)

http://www.worldbank.org.in/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/SOUTHASIAEXT/INDIAEXTN/0,,contentMDK:21388713~pagePK:141137~piPK:141127~theSitePK:295584,00.html

Severe power shortage is one of the greatest obstacles to India’s development. Over 40 percent of the country’s people -- most living in the rural areas -- do not have access to electricity and one-third of Indian businesses cite expensive and unreliable power as one of their main business constraints.India’s energy shortfall of 10 percent (rising to 13.5 percent at peak demand) also works to keep the poor entrenched in poverty. Power shortages and disruptions prevent farmers from improving their agricultural incomes, deprive children of opportunities to study, and adversely affect the health of families in India’s tropical climate.Poor electricity supply thus stifles economic growth by increasing the costs of doing business in India, reducing productivity, and hampering the development of industry and commerce which are the major creators of employment in the country.
Hydropower development -- a key government initiative
To boost economic growth and human development, one of the Government of India’s top priorities is to provide all its citizens with reliable access to electricity by 2012. To ensure that the uncovered 40 percent of Indian homes get electricity by 2012, and to serve rising demand from those already being served by the power grid, the government estimates that the country will need to install an additional 100,000 MegaWatts (MW) of generating capacity by 2012, expanding grid-based generation to about 225,000 MW. Given that India added about 23,000 MW during the last Five Year Plan of 2002-2007, this will be quite a quantum jump.The Government of India has decided to acquire an inreasing portion of this additional power from the country’s vast untapped hydropower resources, only 23 percent of which has been harnessed so far. India’s energy portfolio today depends heavily on coal-based thermal energy, with hydropower accounting for only 26 percent of total power generation. The Government of India has set the target for India’s optimum power system mix at 40 percent from hydropower and 60 percent from other sources.Advantages of hydropowerWhen developed in accordance with good environmental and social practices, hydropower plants have the advantage of producing power that is both renewable and clean, as they emit less greenhouse gases than traditional fossil fuel plants and do not emit polluting suspended particulate matter (from the high ash-content of indigenous coal).Hydropower plants can also start up and shut down quickly and economically, giving the network operator the vital flexibility to respond to wide fluctuations in demand across seasons and at different times of the day. This flexibility is particularly important in a highly-populated country like India where household electricity demand is a significant portion of total demand and this demand in concentrated in a short period of time (usually in the evening). As an illustration, if the approximately 150 million households in India were to turn on two 100 watt light bulbs at 7 pm, the power system would experience an instantaneous surge in demand of about 30,000 MW! Today, this peak demand is often met by households turning on small gasolene and diesel generation units, which, in addition to being polluting, are a serious health hazard in congested areas. And, with rising wealth, households are switching on a lot more than two light bulbs. Although hydropower plants are subject to daily and seasonal variations in water flows (which affects the production of electricity at that point in time), they are not subject to the fluctuations in fuel costs that trouble thermal power plants.While hydropower plants have large up-front capital costs, they also have long and productive lives, which significantly help reduce costs over time. For example, the Bhakra Nangal plant, now more than 40 years old, has operating costs of only Rs 0.10 or US$ 0.002 per unit. Hydropower plants are thus generally cheaper in the long run than natural gas-based plants, which are constantly at risk from fuel price increases in the global market.While India plans to develop mainly run-of-the-river projects, multipurpose hydropower plants with water storage facilities can help manage critical water resources in an integrated manner by serving as flood controllers as well as sources of irrigation and much-needed drinking water. The Tehri Dam in Uttarakhand, for instance, which was commissioned in 2006, today caters to one-third of the drinking water needs of Delhi, India’s capital.Besides which, India’s hydro-resources are largely available in some of the least-developed parts of the country and hydropower plants, if designed appropriately offer significant potential for regional development and poverty alleviation. Hydropower projects that forge equitable systems of benefit-sharing and implement targeted local area development can help local communities improve the quality of their lives quite significantly.

दो योद्धा!!!

Frieday - June 28, 2008

दो योद्धा!!!

आज भी रोज मर्रा की तरह ही दिन की शुरुआत हुई थी. मैं आज भी अपनी भूख को शांत करने की कोशिश में था, जी हाँ वही खबरों की भूख. पता नही कहा जाकर अंत है इस भूख का, शायद किसी दिन ख़ुद ख़बर बन जाने की चाहत हो :) आज बहुत सारी खबरों से होता हुआ मैं अचानक रुक गया...२ बड़ी खबरे थी आज...१ दूर हिन्दुश्तान से...जहाँ से सिर्फ़ मे दूर हूँ...दिल नही...तो दूसरी सिर्फ़ 15 मील दूर से. बात सैम मानेकशा की थी, आजाद भारत का सबसे बहादुर सिपाही, भारत को १९७१ की लडाई में जीत दिलाने वाला बहादुर, सैम बहादुर!!! (बीबीसी News Former army chief Sam Manekshaw, who led India to victory in १९७१ war, dies). ख़बर आ रही थी सैम नही रहे, दूसरी ख़बर थी माइक्रोसॉफ्ट के जन्मदाता बिल गेट्स की जो १ सादे समारोह मे आज से माइक्रोसॉफ्ट से सेवा निवृत हो रहे थे. बात दो योध्याओ की है...दुनिया के दो कोनो से आ रही ये खबरे मन को भाभुक कर रही थी. हिन्दुश्तान के सारे समाचार चेंनल और अखबारों में सैम के किस्से आ रहे थे, इस बहादुर ने ७१ की लडाई मे कैसे पाकिस्तान के ९४००० सेनिको को आत्म समर्पण करने बार बाध्य कर दिया था. दूसरी तरफ़ गेट्स साहेब ने १ सपना देखा था, हर घर मे कंप्यूटर का..और उस असंभव को भी पूरा कर दिखाया.

पर इस सब के बाद जो सबसे बड़ा अफ्शोश, झोभ और दुःख कही हो रहा था, वो उस ख़बर पर की....सैम बहादुर की मौत भी भारत के नायको को उसके जनाजे तक न ला पाई. उस दिन ऊटी जहाँ उसका अन्तिम संस्कार हो रहा था न तो भारत की राष्ट्रपति आई, न ही प्रधानमंत्री और ना ही रक्षा मंत्री या सेना के कोई भी सेना अध्यक्ष. शायद विदेशो मे सेर मानाने वाले हमारे नेताओ को ऊटी अब रास नही आता... जी हाँ हम उसी देश के १ सैनिक को भूल गए ...जहाँ अभी कुछ दिन पहले ही क्रिकेट का 1983 वर्ल्ड कप जीतने वालो को २५-२५ लाख के चेक बाँट कर धन्यवाद दे रहे थे. १ सैनिक का कद कितना छोटा कर दिया है गया...

खैर जो भी बात हो इन् दोनों ही शख्सियतों पर फक्र हो रहा है...वो कही भी रहे...काम से दूर या दुनिया से दूर ....उनके बारे मे सोच कर मन मे बस श्रधा भाव आ जाता है.......इन् दोनों को ही शत शत नमन. ....

Fight now or forget it.

अब 6 लाख तक आय वाले क्रीमी लेयर में!

नई दिल्ली. राष्ट्रीय पिछड़ा वर्ग आयोग ने उच्च शिक्षण संस्थानों में क्रीमी लेयर निर्धारण के लिए आय सीमा को बढ़ाकर चार से छह लाख रुपए वार्षिक करने की सिफारिश की है। फिलहाल यह सीमा सालाना 2.5 लाख रुपए है।
आयोग गुरुवार को सामाजिक न्याय व सशक्तिकरण मंत्री मीरा कुमार को अपनी रिपोर्ट सौंपेगा। मामले पर चर्चा तथा राज्यों की राय जानने के लिए इस माह के प्रारंभ में एनसीबीसी ने राज्य पिछड़ा वर्ग आयोगों तथा उनके सचिवों की बैठक बुलाई थी। आयोग ने पिछले माह एक सार्वजनिक सूचना निकालकर आय की संशोधित सीमा पर लोगों से उनके विचार भी पूछे थे।
सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने उच्च शिक्षण संस्थानों में ओबीसी के लिए 27 फीसदी आरक्षण को बरकरार रखते हुए सरकार से क्रीमी लेयर को इसके दायरे से बाहर रखने के लिए कहा था। इसके बाद क्रीमी लेयर निर्धारित करने के लिए आय सीमा में वृद्धि की मांग उठी थी।

source - http://www.bhaskar.com/2008/06/26/0806260141_6lakh.html

Comment From Vinod Sharma (June 25-9:30 PM):

As per the Government of India, at present the poverty line stands at Rs 368 and Rs 559 per person per month for rural and urban areas, i.e. people in India who earn less than Rs. 12 to 18 per day. As per GOI, this amount will buy food equivalent to 2200 calories per day, medically enough, to prevent death. At this level of earning, even in a poor country like India, survival on Rs. 18 per day is a nightmare! . The people earning above that line are not considered below the poperty line. The World Bank's definition of the poverty line, for under developed countries, like India, is US$ 1/day/person or US $365 per year.

So the conclusion is that if a person earns Rs 600 per month ...he is can't be poor. And another person who is earning as good as Rs 50000 a month is not a part of creamy layer. He can still have all the benefits of reservation ..

The creamy layer definition is spelt out in a 1993 government notification issued by the NCBC. It underwent one major amendment, when the then NDA government in 2004 accepted the NCBC's recommendation to increase income slab from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh, and just withing 4 years a new recommendation is on the floor to increase it for 6 lakhs.

Now look at the poverty line revisions:

The poverty line for rural India, where most of the poor live, was fixed in 1973-74 at about Rs 1.40 per day. For the urban poor, it was about Rs 2. Over time, as prices increased, without a lot more money it was just not possible to buy the food that provided the minimum calorie intake considered a defining element for moving out of poverty. Hence, in 2005-06, the rural poverty-line was fixed at a little below Rs 12 a day and for urban India at a little less than Rs 18. An eight to nine times increase in poverty line against 27 times increase in per capita income tells a story of its own.

The motive is clear, vote bank is defined, election is nearby....complete drama is ready....but be aware...its a real life drama....fight now or forget it.

कौन है ओबामा... बराक हुसैन ओबामा...

Source - http://www.ndtvkhabar.com/2008/06/07004211/Column-Arfa-Khanum-Sherwani-06.html

वह काला जादू है या फिर ख़ुद ही एक जादूगर... वह मुस्कुराता है तो मन मोहता है... लगता है सब कुछ अच्छा है... वह बोलता है तो यक़ीन करने को दिल चाहता है... वह लाखों की महफिल में लोगों को हंसाता है, रुलाता है और हिम्मत रखता है यह कहने की - दुनिया को सबक़ देने वाले अमेरिका में कालों का गोरों से और गोरों का कालों से मनमुटाव है - वह है ओबामा... बराक हुसैन ओबामा... अमेरिका का पहला अफ़्रीकी-अमेरिकी राष्ट्रपति पद का उम्मीदवार। ओबामा ने डेमोक्रेटिक पार्टी के उम्मीदवार के तौर पर अपनी जगह पक्की करके ही इतिहास नहीं बनाया, इस उम्मीदवारी ने कई इतिहास रचे हैं।
4 अगस्त 1961 में होनोलूलू में पैदा हुए ओबामा, इलिनॉइस से पहली बार सीनेटर चुनकर आए और चार साल के इस सफ़र ने उन्हें दुनिया के सबसे ताक़तवर देश अमेरिका के राष्ट्रपति की कुर्सी के क़रीब पहुंचा दिया। इसे करिश्मा ही कहेंगे कि सियासत और ज़िंदगी के तजुर्बे में उनसे सालों आगे पहुंचे हुए लोग, सियासत में उनसे बहुत पीछे छूट गए। सियासत में कदम रखने से पहले, कोलम्बिया विश्वविद्यालय और हार्वर्ड लॉ स्कूल से पढ़ाई करने वाले ओबामा ने एक यूनिवर्सिटी प्रोफ़ेसर और वकील के तौर पर भी काम किया।
बदलाव मुमकिन है, अगर यक़ीन हो... अमेरिका बदल सकता है... जब ओबामा यह कहते हैं तो उन्हें सुनने वाले सिर्फ़ उनके समर्थक ही नहीं होते, बल्कि होती हैं वे घरेलू महिलाएं, बुज़ुर्ग और छात्र भी, जो उन्हें वोट देंगे या नहीं, यह तो तय नहीं, लेकिन वे यह ज़रूर जानना चाहते हैं कि क्या वाक़ई अमेरिका बदल रहा है। अमेरिकियों को शायद पहली बार यह लगा कि सिर्फ़ देश का नेता नहीं चुन रहे हैं, बल्कि ख़ुद एक सियासी आंदोलन का हिस्सा हैं।
ओबामा में एक तरह की कशिश है, एक ऐसी शख़्सियत, जिसने अमेरिका ही नहीं, दुनिया भऱ के मीडिया को दीवाना बना दिया है। अंतरराष्ट्रीय राजनीति की गहरी समझ रखने वाले पत्रकार इस बात पर चर्चा नहीं कर रहे हैं कि एक श्वेत व्यक्ति के राष्ट्रपति बनने से अमेरिका के समाज या राजनीति में क्या बदलाव मुमकिन है, बल्कि उनकी शख़्सियत में उलझे पत्रकार इस बात में मशगूल हैं कि उनकी धीमी-सी मुस्कुराहट के क्या मायने हैं... किस रंग की टाई पहनकर ओबामा क्या कहना चाहते हैं। न्यूयार्क टाइम्स अपने पहले पन्ने पर लिखता है कि ओबामा यक़ीनन एक राजनीति फ़िनोमिना बन गए हैं। आसान शब्दों में कहें तो एक शख़्स, जो सियासत से आगे निकलकर एक प्रतीक बन गया है।
ओबामा की यह कशिश सिर्फ़ उनके समर्थकों को नहीं खींचती, बल्कि उनके विरोधियों को भी बांधे रखती है। वे यह तो कहते हैं कि किस तरह राजनीतिक तौर पर एक कम तजुर्बेकार आदमी उनका राष्ट्रपति बनने के लिए अच्छा नहीं, लेकिन इससे ज़्यादा यह बताते हैं कि किस तरह ओबामा की पहचान अमेरिका को संकट में डाल सकती है। बराक हुसैन ओबामा के हुसैन नाम ने सबसे ज़्यादा लोगों की तवज्जो खीची। इंटरनेट पर बाक़ायदा एक मुहिम चलाई गई, यह बताने की कि ओबामा अपनी मज़हबी पहचान छिपा रहे हैं और उनका बीच का नाम हुसैन बताता है कि वह ईसाई नहीं, मुस्लिम हैं। कहा गया कि एक मुसलमान को कैसे अमेरिका की तक़दीर तय करने की इजाज़त दी जा सकती है। दरअसल इसमें कुछ हद तक सच्चाई भी है। ओबामा केन्या के रहने वाले एक मुस्लिम पिता की औलाद हैं, लेकिन उनकी मां ईसाई हैं। ओबामा ने शादी भी एक ईसाई से ही की है। अपनी पहचान से होने वाले नुक़सान का अंदाज़ा ओबामा को भी था। ओबामा ने लाखों लोगों के मजमे में ऐलान किया कि वह मुसलमान नहीं, बल्कि उतने ही ईसाई हैं, जितना कोई दूसरा अमेरिकी। उनकी आस्था पर शक करना एक पवित्र किताब के अपमान जैसा है।
अपनी ख़ूबसूरत मुस्कुराहट और भाषणों की गर्मजोशी ने ओबामा को अमेरिकी राष्ट्रपति की कुर्सी के इतना क़रीब तो ला दिया है, लेकिन क्या वह वाक़ई उस बराबरी के अमेरिका की इमारत की नींव रख पाएंगे, जिसका ख़्वाब अमेरिका जनता को उनसे मिला है।

Gujjar agitation costs India Inc Rs 7000 crore

Rajasthan is back on track with the Gujjar leaders calling off their 26-day long agitation. The total loss incurred during this period is Rs 7000 crore, according to an industry body. "The 26-day-long agitation has led to losses of above Rs 7000 crore to various industries and specifically Railways," Sajjan Jindal, president of Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham), told reporters. "The major blows fell on the railways and tourism industry. Also, the disruption of railway freight traffic caused production delays in many parts of the country," Jindal said. "The figures do not include the losses of property and damages done to railway tracks," he added. Though the railways have not come up with any loss figure so far, sources said the Gujjar agitation resulted in a loss of about Rs 500 million to it due to cancellation of tickets alone. The Delhi-Mumbai trunk route was the worst-affected owing to the blockades in Rajasthan. Both western and northern railways have suffered huge losses. "More than 1,000 trains were either cancelled or diverted or terminated before their destinations during this period," an official said. According to North-Western Railways (NWR), 50,000 passengers and goods worth Rs120 million were stranded due to the agitation. The NWR suffered about Rs 375 million losses. "The freight corridor between Mumbai and Delhi via Rajasthan was the worst affected due to the blockade, and the movement of container trains dropped to less then 50 per cent between Jaipur and Delhi," the official added. Now, normal rail traffic will be restored in a day or two. Mudit Mittal, spokesperson of West Central Railway, said: "We have already opened many lines and the lines passing the worst affected areas will be opened after 18-20 hours. The repair work of the track has already started. "However, for some time we will put speed restriction of 20 km per hour for the trains in the affected areas. "A team from railways will go for inspection and will repair the broken tracks. Then only the complete railway services will be restored. The process will take one or two days," said a senior railway ministry official. He added that the damages caused to the railways will be calculated only after an inspection.

Source - Times of India

MPs in 5-star comfort on trip to monitor wasteful spending

--> MPs in 5-star comfort on trip to monitor wasteful spending-->
Sun, Jun 15 12:40 AM
Sample this: Nearly a dozen MPs some with spouses and others without check into a five-star hotel. They are on an official visit: a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Public Accounts.
Their job: to take stock of wasteful expenditure and pass strictures against extravagance and enforce financial discipline. Calculate this: The rack rate of a double room begins at Rs 20,000-odd per night and stretches unto Rs 30,000.
On the eve of the three-day meeting, as many as 13 MPs had checked in and others were expected. Some were on the premium club floor where the base price of an executive suite is Rs 40,000 per night.
Add to that the 10 per cent luxury tax plus expenditure on food and sundries and the figure will cross Rs 50,000 per night. Given that it is a weeklong tour, the cost per MP will work out to be over Rs 2 lakh for a standard room and around Rs 5 lakh for the premium club, excluding air travel, cost of conference facilities and other things.
On June 12, the Public Accounts Committee held its first meeting in Mumbai. This will be followed by meetings in Goa and Bangalore, which will conclude on June 18.
While this committee was busy scrutinising "wasteful expenditure" at Rs 50,000 per head per night, there was another meeting taking place in the same hotel. At this Parliamentary committee meet, seven MPs were taking stock of the Children's Film Institute, Khadi and Village Industries, and the Employees Provident Fund.
While some of the visiting MPs were in deluxe rooms, others stayed on the club floor. Public Accounts Committee Chairman Vijay Kumar Malhotra told Hindustan Times that it was "cheaper" for MPs to travel than to call officials to Delhi.
Reiterating that austerity was a concern, he said Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee would take a view on this. On whether it was necessary to stay in five-star hotels and in such luxury, Malhotra said, "all depends on accommodation availability".
He said that special care had been taken to ensure that the accommodation (in this case a five-star hotel) was near the airport to save on travel time and expense. When Hindustan Times quizzed Hanan Mollah, Chairman of the Parliamentary committee on papers laid on the table of the House, of the Prime Minister's concern over wasteful expenditure, he shot back: "Austerity does not mean you lock yourself and sit at home.
Or stop Parliament work? We travel only when necessary and tours have been reduced, but we cannot stop them totally.".

The Reputations of the World’s Largest Companies - 2008 List

Rank CompanyGlobal Pulse
1 Toyota Motor Corp. (Japan) 86.53
2 Google (US) 85.23
3 IKEA (Sweden) 84.14
4 Ferrero (Italy) 83.52
5 Johnson & Johnson (US) 83.48
6 Tata Group (India) 82.84
7 Kraft Foods Inc. (US) 82.79
8 Novo Nordisk (Denmark) 82.28
9 Grupo Bimbo, S.A. (Mexico) 81.75
10 Migros (Switzerland) 81।54
---------------------------------------------------

Infosys Technologies Limited (India) is at 14th Postion and Boeing (US) at 78th.

गूजर आरक्षण आंदोलन?

Added: 31/05/08 10:32 GMT
गुर्जर जो देश के एक बड़े हिस्से में जन-जीवन अस्तव्यस्त कर सकते हैं, न कमज़ोर हैं और न ही पिछड़े हैं. बल्कि वे बड़े बलवान हैं. आरक्षण का दायरा बढ़वाने का कोई औचित्य नहीं है. बल्कि स्वाभिमानी गुर्जर समुदाय को आगे आकर स्वयं ये मान लेना चाहिए कि वो लोग समर्थ हैं तथा उन्हें आरक्षण की भीख नहीं चाहिए.
Vishwa Vir Abidjan

सोर्स - http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/ws/thread.jspa?forumID=6278

..तो आज मूल्य वृद्धि की नौबत नहीं आती

Jun 04, 09:10 am
नई दिल्ली। सरकार ने बुधवार को पेट्रोल की कीमत में पांच रुपये प्रति लीटर, डीजल की कीमत में तीन रुपये प्रति लीटर और रसोई गैस की कीमत में 50 रुपये प्रति सिलेंडर के हिसाब से वृद्धि करने का फैसला लिया। कच्चे तेल की अंतरराष्ट्रीय कीमतों में जबरदस्त वृद्धि के मद्देनजर यह फैसला लिया गया। केंद्र व तेल कंपनियां का दावा है कि उन्होंने आम आदमी को इस मूल्यवृद्धि से बचाने की पूरी कोशिश की है, लेकिन अब वे कुछ नहीं कर सकती जबकि असलियत इससे उल्टी है। पिछले चार वर्षो में सरकार व तेल कंपनियों के आलस्य के कारण कई ऐसे कदम नहीं उठाए जा सके, जो इतनी मूल्यवृद्धि की नौबत को रोक सकते थे।
यूपीए सरकार ने तीन वर्ष पहले अमीर और गरीबों के लिए अलग-अलग केरोसिन बेचने की योजना बनाई थी। गरीबी रेखा के नीचे रहने वालों को केरोसिन सब्सिडी पर बेचने की योजना थी जबकि अमीरों से पूरी कीमत वसूलने की बात थी। लेकिन वाम दलों व अन्य सहयोगी दलों के विरोध के चलते इस योजना को ठंडे बस्ते में डाल दिया गया।
इसके बाद स्मार्ट कार्ड के जरिए केरोसिन के वितरण की योजना बनी, लेकिन राज्यों के विरोध के चलते यह भी परवान नहीं चढ़ सकी। केंद्र का रवैया भी सुस्त रहा। नतीजा यह हुआ है कि आज पूरे देश में केरोसिन की जबरदस्त कालाबाजारी हो रही है।
रसोई गैस पर सब्सिडी देने के चलते तेल कंपनियों की हालत खराब है। अगर समय पर इन तेल कंपनियों ने वाणिज्यिक प्रयोग के लिए रसोई गैस का पारदर्शी सिलेंडर बाजार में लांच कर दिया होता, तो कम से कम सब्सिडी वाली गैस होटलों और दुकानों में प्रयोग न होती। पेट्रोलियम मंत्री मुरली देवड़ा के बार-बार जोर देने के बावजूद तेल कंपनियां इसको लेकर आगे नहीं बढ़ीं। सरकार ने एक वर्ष पहले आयकर दाताओं से रसोई गैस की पूरी कीमत वसूलने की योजना बनाई थी लेकिन यह भी आगे परवान नहीं चढ़ पाई। बाद में इस पर विचार किया गया कि उच्च आय वर्ग से पूरी कीमत वसूली जाए, लेकिन इसके लिए भी सरकार हिम्मत नहीं जुटा पाई। अगर ये दो कदम उठाए गए होते तो कम से कम निम्न आय वर्ग और गरीब परिवारों के लिए आज रसोई गैस महंगा करने की नौबत नहीं आती।
मिलावट के चलते तेल कंपनियों को होने वाला घाटा लागत से कम कीमत पर पेट्रो उत्पाद बेचने से होने वाले घाटे पर नमक छिड़कने का काम कर रहा है। अगर तेल कंपनियों ने पिछले दो-तीन वर्षो में अपने टैंकरों में रेडियो फ्रीक्वेंसी आईडेंटिफिकेशन पद्धति लगाई होती, तो मिलावट को पूरी तरह से रोका जा सकता था।
यदि इन योजनाओं को लागू कर दिया गया होता, तो यह तय था कि तेल कंपनियों का घाटा कम से कम मौजूदा 2 लाख 46 हजार करोड़ रुपये के स्तर पर नहीं होता। और, घाटा कम होने से शायद पेट्रोलियम उत्पादों की कीमतों में इतनी ज्यादा मूल्यवृद्धि करने की जरूरत नहीं पड़ती।

Source - http://in.jagran.yahoo.com/news/business/general/1_12_4511820/

सचिन, सौरव और द्रविड़ में अभी भी है दमखम

Source- http://www.bhaskar.com/2008/05/28/0805281925_sourav_dravid_not_spent_force.html
निम्न आंकड़ें 27 मई तक खेले गए मैचों के आधार पर हैं-
खिलाड़ी - मैच - रन - अर्धशतक - औसत
सचिन - 7 - 148 - 1 - 24.66
राहुल - 14 - 360 - 2 - 30.00
सौरव - 13 - 349 - 3 - 29.08
रैना - 14 - 323 - 2 - 32.30
युसूफ पठान- 13 - 295 - 3 - 26.81
उथप्पा - 13 - 301 - 0 - 33.44

Germany offers black money data, India dithers

Germany offers black money data, India dithers

Anil,Bangalore,says:Instead of giving details of the offer, TOI is instead concentrating on the soft side... They should have done enough investigation... Journalism needs rigour... Claims like this come one day and disappear next day... I remember once TOI claimed Dawood was in custody... It day made good sale for one day but next day they found something else...

Sanjeev Singhal,Delhi,says:Do you think that Govt of India will ever accept this offer? I don't think so. The onus will have to be on responsible media or even Transparency International to obtain the details and expose the corrupt politicians and bureaucrats who, like leeches and white ants, are destroying our country and its social fabric. The vested interests of those in power or out of power will never ever allow this data to be obtained. We are expecting too much if we think the these "dacoits" are going to expose themselves.[21 May, 2008 1059hrs IST]

Source - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/opinions/3057422.cms#top0

Japanese help rickshaw puller to open school for destitute kids

Sorce - http://in.news.yahoo.com/ani/20080527/r_t_ani_nl_nri/tnl-japanese-help-rickshaw-puller-to-ope-d03182a.html

Raj targets students from UP, Bihar

Raj targets students from UP, Bihar

Nikhil,US,says:I've never seen a loser like him in my whole life. He doesn't have any clue of what he is doing; he just want to come into power by all wrong means.

Source - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/opinions/msid-3073198,curpg-2.cms