Hi,
352 posts this week.The time has come to head home & enjoy the weekend.Possibly watch a couple of movies,spend some time with mom,dad & friends.
So till monday,do enjoy your weekend & do enjoy ur readin
Sri
Aug 30, 2008
Business-India;Lower the growth,then reduce it again
During the first five months of 2008, air traffic grew by just 10 per cent. In June this year, fewer passenger flew than in June last year. And that may well be the trend for the rest of the year. Till the start of 2008-09, India Inc was probably getting ready to live with slower growth. The June quarter numbers showed there was still momentum in the topline and it was high input costs that were hurting. There were certainly enough takers whether for consumer or industrial products, even at higher prices. What was hurting was expensive raw materials and higher wages. That hasn’t changed, though prices of some commodities such as steel have eased. But over the last couple of months, suddenly there aren’t too many buyers for cars or airline tickets. We’ll know for sure only in October. But, anecdotal evidence — lower auto volumes, lower occupancies in hotels, less crowded airports and roads, slower growth in advertising revenues — suggests that bigger EMIs are beginning to pinch. Clearly, in a trend that was not anticipated six months back, sections of India Inc may have to learn to live with not just slower growth, but even negative growth — that is, a fall in either sales or profits, even both.
Take the case of the Rs 7,729 crore Chennai-based truck and bus maker, Ashok Leyland. Citigroup fears the company may sell lower volumes, possibly down 13-20 per cent in the next couple of years, dragging down profits to about Rs 400 crore in the current year from Rs 479 crore in 2007-08. And keep in mind that Leyland’s 16 per cent revenue growth in the June 2008 quarter came more from sales of engines, spares and defence equipment, and less from the sale of trucks. And now, with both interest rates and diesel prices up, the economics and hence purchase decisions of truck operators have clearly been thrown out of gear.
The road appears less bumpy for cars but then their sales haven’t gone anywhere in July either. CLSA forecasts that market leader Maruti Suzuki’s profits for the current year could skid to Rs 1,755 crore from Rs 1,774 crore last year. How quickly the tide has turned can be seen from the fact that just about seven months back, analysts were pencilling in a14 per cent growth in profits for India’s biggest car maker.
The problem doesn’t stop with the auto industry and on December 31, 2007, Citigroup, for instance, had forecast a 19.1 per cent growth in earnings for Sensex firms for 2008-09. After revising that figure twice in between, on August 18, Citigroup forecast a much lower 16.9 per cent earnings growth. So far this year, in fact, Citigroup has downgraded the earnings forecasts for more firms than it has upgraded.
What car companies and others need is some spending by techies and other big spenders, but that’s been missing for a while now. With everyone forking out more for home loans, the sad truth is that there just isn’t that much left to pay for extras. Which is why it’s not surprising that 12 out of 17 textile/apparel and retail firms, including Raymond Ltd and Arvind Ltd, reported a drop in operating profits in the June 2008 quarter. The pressure on margins indicates there is little pricing power even as retailers struggle to push volumes. Obviously costs are still an issue, whether for textiles or FMCG firms, and margins continue to be under pressure — nine of ten FMCG firms, including ITC, saw a fall in net profits in the June quarter.
In even the luxury segment, usually the last to be hit by a slowdown, the impact can be seen. Fewer people are staying in hotels, and topline growth for both Indian Hotels and East India Hotels went up just 9 per cent in the June quarter. Titan actually sold less grammage of gold in the June 2008 quarter as soaring gold prices made jewellery unaffordable — the 30 per cent-plus growth of the last couple of years looks like it may be a thing of the past.
Customers appear to be thinking twice before they buy even small ticket items. Shoppers Stop, for instance, posted a loss of Rs 15. 3 crore in the June 2008 quarter, with same-store sales growing at 7 per cent, the lowest in five years. Fewer people watched movies at PVR’s theatres in the June quarter — the drop in occupancies was over 11 per cent, leaving net profits stranded 35 per cent lower than they were in the June 2007 quarter. The management at Sun TV believes the slowdown could impact advertising revenues for its channels — these grew at 24 per cent last year but could taper off to a far more muted 17-18 per cent in the next couple of years. Sun’s management says it has written off Rs 33 crore in the quarter on account of cable subscriptions. Dish TV is struggling to keep going; the DTH operator continues subsidise set-top boxes despite having piled up losses of Rs 400 crore on revenues of Rs 400 core last year.
Consumers are so reluctant to spend that Merrill Lynch believes earnings for India’s biggest organised retailer may rise by just 3 per cent in year ending June 2009. Apart from a slowing topline, earnings for Pantaloon could be badly hit by rising interest rates, which could stretch an already stretched balance sheet. That could hold for others too; while it was mainly higher expenses on labour that resulted in Nagarjuna Construction’s net profit coming down in the June quarter, it also paid out much more by way of interest. Industry watchers feel that even if banks start to cut interest rates over the next six months, borrowing costs could remain high until the end of 2009.
The other problem is what this will do to investment projects. According to one report, a 6 million tonne steel plant in West Bengal is not making the kind of progress one would have expected. While Kotak Securities economist Mridul Saggar feels the fears of investment stalling in 2008-09 are overblown, Saggar adds the impact could be felt in 2009-10 on the back of high interest rates. Morgan Stanley, however, points to the slowing output of capital goods (from a peak growth of 24.2 per cent in the three months to October 2007, these fell to 6.8 per cent in the three months to June 2008) as evidence of a slowing of fresh investment. ABB’s net sales for instance slowed to just 15 per cent in the June quarter way below the 35 per cent that it posted in calendar 2007.
Corporate fund raising, Morgan Stanley points out, has also suffered and, as a result, it concludes, private corporate sector investments, which had moved up sharply to 16.1 per cent of GDP in 2007-2008 from the lows of 5.2 per cent in 2000-01, could slow to 12.2 per cent in 2009-10. In overall terms, Morgan Stanley expects the aggregate investment- to- GDP ratio to come down to 32 per cent in 2009-10 from 37 per cent in 2007-08.
Naturally, the impact of this slowdown won’t be even, and some will do better than others. Citigroup, for instance, forecasts that oil/gas/chemicals, engineering/power/construction, metals/mining, building materials and IT services will do better (these groups, for instance, have seen their earnings estimates rise). But at times like these, no one is really better off for too long.
Take the case of the Rs 7,729 crore Chennai-based truck and bus maker, Ashok Leyland. Citigroup fears the company may sell lower volumes, possibly down 13-20 per cent in the next couple of years, dragging down profits to about Rs 400 crore in the current year from Rs 479 crore in 2007-08. And keep in mind that Leyland’s 16 per cent revenue growth in the June 2008 quarter came more from sales of engines, spares and defence equipment, and less from the sale of trucks. And now, with both interest rates and diesel prices up, the economics and hence purchase decisions of truck operators have clearly been thrown out of gear.
The road appears less bumpy for cars but then their sales haven’t gone anywhere in July either. CLSA forecasts that market leader Maruti Suzuki’s profits for the current year could skid to Rs 1,755 crore from Rs 1,774 crore last year. How quickly the tide has turned can be seen from the fact that just about seven months back, analysts were pencilling in a14 per cent growth in profits for India’s biggest car maker.
The problem doesn’t stop with the auto industry and on December 31, 2007, Citigroup, for instance, had forecast a 19.1 per cent growth in earnings for Sensex firms for 2008-09. After revising that figure twice in between, on August 18, Citigroup forecast a much lower 16.9 per cent earnings growth. So far this year, in fact, Citigroup has downgraded the earnings forecasts for more firms than it has upgraded.
What car companies and others need is some spending by techies and other big spenders, but that’s been missing for a while now. With everyone forking out more for home loans, the sad truth is that there just isn’t that much left to pay for extras. Which is why it’s not surprising that 12 out of 17 textile/apparel and retail firms, including Raymond Ltd and Arvind Ltd, reported a drop in operating profits in the June 2008 quarter. The pressure on margins indicates there is little pricing power even as retailers struggle to push volumes. Obviously costs are still an issue, whether for textiles or FMCG firms, and margins continue to be under pressure — nine of ten FMCG firms, including ITC, saw a fall in net profits in the June quarter.
In even the luxury segment, usually the last to be hit by a slowdown, the impact can be seen. Fewer people are staying in hotels, and topline growth for both Indian Hotels and East India Hotels went up just 9 per cent in the June quarter. Titan actually sold less grammage of gold in the June 2008 quarter as soaring gold prices made jewellery unaffordable — the 30 per cent-plus growth of the last couple of years looks like it may be a thing of the past.
Customers appear to be thinking twice before they buy even small ticket items. Shoppers Stop, for instance, posted a loss of Rs 15. 3 crore in the June 2008 quarter, with same-store sales growing at 7 per cent, the lowest in five years. Fewer people watched movies at PVR’s theatres in the June quarter — the drop in occupancies was over 11 per cent, leaving net profits stranded 35 per cent lower than they were in the June 2007 quarter. The management at Sun TV believes the slowdown could impact advertising revenues for its channels — these grew at 24 per cent last year but could taper off to a far more muted 17-18 per cent in the next couple of years. Sun’s management says it has written off Rs 33 crore in the quarter on account of cable subscriptions. Dish TV is struggling to keep going; the DTH operator continues subsidise set-top boxes despite having piled up losses of Rs 400 crore on revenues of Rs 400 core last year.
Consumers are so reluctant to spend that Merrill Lynch believes earnings for India’s biggest organised retailer may rise by just 3 per cent in year ending June 2009. Apart from a slowing topline, earnings for Pantaloon could be badly hit by rising interest rates, which could stretch an already stretched balance sheet. That could hold for others too; while it was mainly higher expenses on labour that resulted in Nagarjuna Construction’s net profit coming down in the June quarter, it also paid out much more by way of interest. Industry watchers feel that even if banks start to cut interest rates over the next six months, borrowing costs could remain high until the end of 2009.
The other problem is what this will do to investment projects. According to one report, a 6 million tonne steel plant in West Bengal is not making the kind of progress one would have expected. While Kotak Securities economist Mridul Saggar feels the fears of investment stalling in 2008-09 are overblown, Saggar adds the impact could be felt in 2009-10 on the back of high interest rates. Morgan Stanley, however, points to the slowing output of capital goods (from a peak growth of 24.2 per cent in the three months to October 2007, these fell to 6.8 per cent in the three months to June 2008) as evidence of a slowing of fresh investment. ABB’s net sales for instance slowed to just 15 per cent in the June quarter way below the 35 per cent that it posted in calendar 2007.
Corporate fund raising, Morgan Stanley points out, has also suffered and, as a result, it concludes, private corporate sector investments, which had moved up sharply to 16.1 per cent of GDP in 2007-2008 from the lows of 5.2 per cent in 2000-01, could slow to 12.2 per cent in 2009-10. In overall terms, Morgan Stanley expects the aggregate investment- to- GDP ratio to come down to 32 per cent in 2009-10 from 37 per cent in 2007-08.
Naturally, the impact of this slowdown won’t be even, and some will do better than others. Citigroup, for instance, forecasts that oil/gas/chemicals, engineering/power/construction, metals/mining, building materials and IT services will do better (these groups, for instance, have seen their earnings estimates rise). But at times like these, no one is really better off for too long.
World - Olympics ;Britain & China
Jacques Rogge, the International Olympic Committee president, was only partly right in saying that the stunning Beijing Olympics would lead to further evolution and improvement. Of course, every event must be a step forward if it is not a step backward. But let us also acknowledge that in staging the 2012 games, Britain may not need to drive itself as relentlessly as China did.
The difference is between an established and an aspiring power. As Chinese athletes recreated the gold standard, one almost heard them murmuring: We are the greatest. Not only are we Asia’s Number One, we are Number One in the world! That conclusion is understandable. What I found less explicable was the suggestion by Indian television commentators that the British would develop an inferiority complex because they cannot match the panorama of history depicted in the grand opening.
With Mayor Boris Johnson claiming that far from being Chinese, ping-pong was played on 19th century British dining tables and called whiff-whaff, London has enough history, culture, imagination and talent to put up a comparable show. But major corporate backers are tightening their purse strings, and Britain may have problems matching China’s multi-billion dollar budget. Something else that Indians and Chinese might find difficult to accept is that though the countdown to 2012 has begun and the Olympic flag flies above London’s City Hall, many ordinary London householders view the coming extravaganza with distaste. They fear the prospect of property prices soaring, of being flooded with even more visitors, of chaos, confusion and traffic jams with familiar streets suddenly becoming one-way drives, parking problems, and pressure on all services.
It’s different from 1948 when London hosted the first post-Second World War games. That was independent India’s debut and we heard in school that in passing the royal box where sat King George VI, lately shorn of his Ind Imp title, the leader of the Indian contingent did not dip the standard in customary salute. Some thought it was first-time gaucherie; others accused India of flexing newly independent muscles. But that ripple in a teacup was quickly forgotten. Though 1948 was a time of lingering wartime austerity with food and clothes still rationed, there was exhilaration and a feeling of release as the victory celebrations peaked in the Wembley Stadium games.
Commercialisation alone doesn’t explain the change. Nor politics which go back to 1936 Berlin. It was regarded as politically significant in 2000 when North and South Korean athletes marched under one flag in Sydney. Alas, reunification hopes came crashing down when they participated as two separate teams. Timor Leste was not independent, but its token presence, albeit under the Olympic flag, marked another political milestone.
What is new is the steely sense of national purpose to win instead of the fun of playing the game. China resented it as a slight when Beijing didn’t get the 2000 games. Winning the 2008 bid was “an example of the international recognition of China’s social stability, economic progress and the healthy life of the Chinese people” Vice-President Li Lanqing crowed. It was another Long March, not of idealistic national saviours but of the biggest, most carefully vetted army in the history of organised sport, each sportsman-soldier as sternly programmed as Mao’s Red Guards. No one knows how much pressure was applied to them. Or how many cracked under the strain.
China’s Golden Leap Forward began in Atlanta in 1996 when it won 16 gold medals against America’s 44. In Sydney, China landed 28 and America 37. In Athens, in 2004 it was China 32, America 36. The Chinese feel they started another Long March into history in Beijing last week. An America that cannot match its gold standard (never mind the overall tally), dare not be obstructive over Taiwan or the Dalai Lama.
Britain might worry that so many of its medallists are from the 7 per cent who go to public school which counter the robust populist image conveyed by a London doubledecker, David Beckham and 10-year-old Tayyiba Dudhwala. But Human Rights Watch’s complaint of “massive forced evictions, a surge in the arrest, detention and harassment of critics, repeated violations of media freedom, and increased political repression” will not be heard as ping-pong goes home to London. As for feeling upstaged, I recall reading about a banquet where Queen Elizabeth and another grand woman arrived wearing identical dresses. Questioned about Her Majesty’s thoughts on the subject, a Buckingham Palace spokesman replied, “The Queen does not notice what other people are wearing.”
The difference is between an established and an aspiring power. As Chinese athletes recreated the gold standard, one almost heard them murmuring: We are the greatest. Not only are we Asia’s Number One, we are Number One in the world! That conclusion is understandable. What I found less explicable was the suggestion by Indian television commentators that the British would develop an inferiority complex because they cannot match the panorama of history depicted in the grand opening.
With Mayor Boris Johnson claiming that far from being Chinese, ping-pong was played on 19th century British dining tables and called whiff-whaff, London has enough history, culture, imagination and talent to put up a comparable show. But major corporate backers are tightening their purse strings, and Britain may have problems matching China’s multi-billion dollar budget. Something else that Indians and Chinese might find difficult to accept is that though the countdown to 2012 has begun and the Olympic flag flies above London’s City Hall, many ordinary London householders view the coming extravaganza with distaste. They fear the prospect of property prices soaring, of being flooded with even more visitors, of chaos, confusion and traffic jams with familiar streets suddenly becoming one-way drives, parking problems, and pressure on all services.
It’s different from 1948 when London hosted the first post-Second World War games. That was independent India’s debut and we heard in school that in passing the royal box where sat King George VI, lately shorn of his Ind Imp title, the leader of the Indian contingent did not dip the standard in customary salute. Some thought it was first-time gaucherie; others accused India of flexing newly independent muscles. But that ripple in a teacup was quickly forgotten. Though 1948 was a time of lingering wartime austerity with food and clothes still rationed, there was exhilaration and a feeling of release as the victory celebrations peaked in the Wembley Stadium games.
Commercialisation alone doesn’t explain the change. Nor politics which go back to 1936 Berlin. It was regarded as politically significant in 2000 when North and South Korean athletes marched under one flag in Sydney. Alas, reunification hopes came crashing down when they participated as two separate teams. Timor Leste was not independent, but its token presence, albeit under the Olympic flag, marked another political milestone.
What is new is the steely sense of national purpose to win instead of the fun of playing the game. China resented it as a slight when Beijing didn’t get the 2000 games. Winning the 2008 bid was “an example of the international recognition of China’s social stability, economic progress and the healthy life of the Chinese people” Vice-President Li Lanqing crowed. It was another Long March, not of idealistic national saviours but of the biggest, most carefully vetted army in the history of organised sport, each sportsman-soldier as sternly programmed as Mao’s Red Guards. No one knows how much pressure was applied to them. Or how many cracked under the strain.
China’s Golden Leap Forward began in Atlanta in 1996 when it won 16 gold medals against America’s 44. In Sydney, China landed 28 and America 37. In Athens, in 2004 it was China 32, America 36. The Chinese feel they started another Long March into history in Beijing last week. An America that cannot match its gold standard (never mind the overall tally), dare not be obstructive over Taiwan or the Dalai Lama.
Britain might worry that so many of its medallists are from the 7 per cent who go to public school which counter the robust populist image conveyed by a London doubledecker, David Beckham and 10-year-old Tayyiba Dudhwala. But Human Rights Watch’s complaint of “massive forced evictions, a surge in the arrest, detention and harassment of critics, repeated violations of media freedom, and increased political repression” will not be heard as ping-pong goes home to London. As for feeling upstaged, I recall reading about a banquet where Queen Elizabeth and another grand woman arrived wearing identical dresses. Questioned about Her Majesty’s thoughts on the subject, a Buckingham Palace spokesman replied, “The Queen does not notice what other people are wearing.”
India - Buddhadeb has got it wrong
Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has got it wrong, though he is right to protest against the “gherao” and the “hartal”. The first keeps a manager captive, without means of sustenance or access to a toilet —which must be illegal as it is involuntary confinement, usually accompanied by intimidation if not personal violence. Managers subjected to this inhuman treatment have been known to die of heart attacks. The second, also a coercive method, disrupts normal life in a city or state and has been declared illegal by the court; so the Marxists find new words with which to do the same thing. Both deserve condemnation, and the West Bengal chief minister would be right to uphold the law. However, that is not what he has promised to do; he has merely expressed what he calls his personal view, which is a private matter. What is relevant to the rest of us is that it is his duty to prevent these two coercive practices. Will he do that?
On the third issue, of industrial strikes, the chief minister is comprehensively wrong because you should not take away a trade union’s right to strike, as a tool in collective bargaining. This was a right first won by the working class in Britain 102 years ago, when a new law on trade unions protected them from being sued for the losses incurred by a company because of a strike. India recognised the right to strike in its Industrial Disputes Act of 1947, but this law is confined to “industries”. There was a time when the term was extended by the courts to mean even universities and hospitals, but more recently the Supreme Court held that government employees could not go on strike. The International Labour Organisation has some conventions on the subject, but many countries have started constraining industrial action by asking for complicated procedures, and excluding essential services.
The problem in India is that strikes over pay and working conditions are rare; the maximum number of mandays are lost in industrial action protesting against government policy, like listing the shares of a state-owned undertaking (which, rightly speaking, is for an owner to decide), or more general opposition to the thrust of economic policy — and therefore occur most commonly in the public sector. It is arguable that these are not matters on which strikes should be called; in any case, no strike ballot is taken. Perhaps the last major, specific, industrial strike was in the Bombay textile mills, in 1982. Datta Samant organised a long closure that killed the mills, most of which never re-opened. The workers lost their jobs, and the mills in central Mumbai are now turning over their land to real estate development.
Workers have learnt from this that their interest may be aligned with their employers’, more than with professional trade union leaders. In increasingly competitive markets, companies are usually fighting to keep costs low. In any case, the organised sector (which is relatively small) is relatively well-paid. So it looks slightly absurd when Maruti or Tata Motors employees go on strike over pay. There is hardly any trade union presence in the unorganised sector, and they provide little protection in the small enterprises that are nominally a part of the organised sector. The big, national unions have therefore become tools in the hands of political parties when they want to bring normal life to a halt and make a political point. None of this helps the worker improve his economic prospects. In practice, the right to strike has become less of a collective bargaining weapon and more a political gambit (used mostly by the Marxists). And as we’re beginning to see, the courts don’t approve.
On the third issue, of industrial strikes, the chief minister is comprehensively wrong because you should not take away a trade union’s right to strike, as a tool in collective bargaining. This was a right first won by the working class in Britain 102 years ago, when a new law on trade unions protected them from being sued for the losses incurred by a company because of a strike. India recognised the right to strike in its Industrial Disputes Act of 1947, but this law is confined to “industries”. There was a time when the term was extended by the courts to mean even universities and hospitals, but more recently the Supreme Court held that government employees could not go on strike. The International Labour Organisation has some conventions on the subject, but many countries have started constraining industrial action by asking for complicated procedures, and excluding essential services.
The problem in India is that strikes over pay and working conditions are rare; the maximum number of mandays are lost in industrial action protesting against government policy, like listing the shares of a state-owned undertaking (which, rightly speaking, is for an owner to decide), or more general opposition to the thrust of economic policy — and therefore occur most commonly in the public sector. It is arguable that these are not matters on which strikes should be called; in any case, no strike ballot is taken. Perhaps the last major, specific, industrial strike was in the Bombay textile mills, in 1982. Datta Samant organised a long closure that killed the mills, most of which never re-opened. The workers lost their jobs, and the mills in central Mumbai are now turning over their land to real estate development.
Workers have learnt from this that their interest may be aligned with their employers’, more than with professional trade union leaders. In increasingly competitive markets, companies are usually fighting to keep costs low. In any case, the organised sector (which is relatively small) is relatively well-paid. So it looks slightly absurd when Maruti or Tata Motors employees go on strike over pay. There is hardly any trade union presence in the unorganised sector, and they provide little protection in the small enterprises that are nominally a part of the organised sector. The big, national unions have therefore become tools in the hands of political parties when they want to bring normal life to a halt and make a political point. None of this helps the worker improve his economic prospects. In practice, the right to strike has become less of a collective bargaining weapon and more a political gambit (used mostly by the Marxists). And as we’re beginning to see, the courts don’t approve.
Lifestyle - Kids in Leh
During the week that I spent in Leh, every time I’d look out from my balcony, I’d see three teenagers hanging around the hotel lobby. They’d sit aimlessly, waiting for that elusive odd job to come their way. Odd jobs, not oddly so, didn’t seem to come their way often. I’d see them in the morning when I was on my way out, and then I’d see them again when I came back for lunch. When I stepped out again in the evening, they’d still be hanging around. “Do you all go to school?” I asked when I saw them on the third consecutive morning. “Yes,” they chorused. Why were they sitting around in the hotel lobby then, I wondered aloud. “Summer jobs,” they chorused again. At that moment those fresh-cheeked boys who always spoke in unison, became The Three Musketeers to me.
There were lots of schools in Leh, the musketeers said, none very good though. They were in Class X and pessimistic about their academic future: “like most of our older friends and siblings, we’ll also probably drop out — few students pass the board exams you see!” I’d read a newspaper report that the pass percentage in many government schools in Leh was quite abysmal — last year, only three students passed the Class X board exam in one of Leh’s bigger state-run schools. “Why,” I asked them, “do so few pass the board exam?”
All three shuffled their feet as only bashful teens can. “Teachers are bad,” said one in a rare solo performance. The other two said, “students are bad too!” It was like a dam had opened. The three stumbled over each other to tell me how often their teachers were absent, how bad the textbooks were, how little their unlettered parents could help. “My English textbook has stories which are so difficult for me to understand, not because I don’t understand the language — but because I don’t understand the culture they depict…” said one.
His younger sister, said the other, was struggling in Class I. “Yesterday, she had to memorise the names of five animals, five foodgrains, five sports and five freedom fighters,” said he, “when I left home, I saw her also trying to slink off to escape studies!” All three felt that she’d been sensible to run off: “What good will it do for her to memorise those spellings anyway?” they pointed out.
I reflected sadly that they’d be amazed if I said that young adults all over the country, had the same sorts of issues with state-run schools. At least, I said trying to sound positive, Ladakh has so many schools. In parts of UP, children have to travel so many miles to reach their school that many were forced to drop out. The three musketeers chorused, “how lucky!!”
The boys in their own laid-back way, were exploring other avenues while still in school. They all wanted to be part of Ladakh’s tourism sector. “What we want is to somehow form relationships with hotels, travel operators and tourists. Then, when we finally fail in the tenth-class exams, we’ll have a career waiting for us!” said one. That is why, the three said together, this summer job was so important…
Images of the last three days flashed in my head — the three musketeers lolling on the sofa; lazily watching tourists go by; sleeping under trees in the somnolent afternoons… “Do you think you’ll achieve what you want lolling on this sofa?” I asked bluntly. They replied, “maybe… but first let us flunk the exam!”
There were lots of schools in Leh, the musketeers said, none very good though. They were in Class X and pessimistic about their academic future: “like most of our older friends and siblings, we’ll also probably drop out — few students pass the board exams you see!” I’d read a newspaper report that the pass percentage in many government schools in Leh was quite abysmal — last year, only three students passed the Class X board exam in one of Leh’s bigger state-run schools. “Why,” I asked them, “do so few pass the board exam?”
All three shuffled their feet as only bashful teens can. “Teachers are bad,” said one in a rare solo performance. The other two said, “students are bad too!” It was like a dam had opened. The three stumbled over each other to tell me how often their teachers were absent, how bad the textbooks were, how little their unlettered parents could help. “My English textbook has stories which are so difficult for me to understand, not because I don’t understand the language — but because I don’t understand the culture they depict…” said one.
His younger sister, said the other, was struggling in Class I. “Yesterday, she had to memorise the names of five animals, five foodgrains, five sports and five freedom fighters,” said he, “when I left home, I saw her also trying to slink off to escape studies!” All three felt that she’d been sensible to run off: “What good will it do for her to memorise those spellings anyway?” they pointed out.
I reflected sadly that they’d be amazed if I said that young adults all over the country, had the same sorts of issues with state-run schools. At least, I said trying to sound positive, Ladakh has so many schools. In parts of UP, children have to travel so many miles to reach their school that many were forced to drop out. The three musketeers chorused, “how lucky!!”
The boys in their own laid-back way, were exploring other avenues while still in school. They all wanted to be part of Ladakh’s tourism sector. “What we want is to somehow form relationships with hotels, travel operators and tourists. Then, when we finally fail in the tenth-class exams, we’ll have a career waiting for us!” said one. That is why, the three said together, this summer job was so important…
Images of the last three days flashed in my head — the three musketeers lolling on the sofa; lazily watching tourists go by; sleeping under trees in the somnolent afternoons… “Do you think you’ll achieve what you want lolling on this sofa?” I asked bluntly. They replied, “maybe… but first let us flunk the exam!”
Lifestyle - Yoga for kids
Sarika Bansal has her fingers crossed. Her son, Ronak, attended his first yoga session at Mini Thapar Shastri’s Om Yoga Studio in New Delhi on a recent Saturday morning and she hopes he will go back. The 11-year-old, who is in his school’s soccer team and even plays golf, agreed to yoga lessons only because they will help him become a better sportsman. “Soccer has not made Ronak’s body flexible and agile, or given him more stamina and a better sense of focus — all of which I think yoga can,” says Bansal, who practises yoga
At the recently opened Yoga Sutra in Mumbai, instructor Shradha Sitalvad combines Hindi and English limericks, basic poses and creative storytelling to get children to twist, turn and arch in her class called Yoga Bunnies. “Although children’s bodies are not completely developed to do complicated poses, the basic asanas make them flexible and if done regularly, can help them concentrate,” says Sitalvad.
Yoga classes for children are growing in number in most cities with parents realizing that yoga can equip children with lasting tools for personal well-being. Yoga institutes, in turn, are getting creative and having fun with children. Prana Yoga, a new yoga studio in Mumbai, has started year-round classes for children. Bijal Joshi, who used to teach yoga at three fitness venues in the city before opening this, found that many parents wanted to enrol their children for yoga sessions just before exams to deal with stress.
Watching little ones at Om Yoga Studio twist, groan and grimace helps one understand why children initially resist yoga classes. “Unlike dance or sports, which are ‘fun’ activities, children view yoga with trepidation until they try it out,” says Shastri, who has been conducting classes for children for almost five years in Delhi
Yoga classes for children are growing in number in most cities with parents realizing that yoga can equip children with lasting tools for personal well-being. Yoga institutes, in turn, are getting creative and having fun with children. Prana Yoga, a new yoga studio in Mumbai, has started year-round classes for children. Bijal Joshi, who used to teach yoga at three fitness venues in the city before opening this, found that many parents wanted to enrol their children for yoga sessions just before exams to deal with stress.
Watching little ones at Om Yoga Studio twist, groan and grimace helps one understand why children initially resist yoga classes. “Unlike dance or sports, which are ‘fun’ activities, children view yoga with trepidation until they try it out,” says Shastri, who has been conducting classes for children for almost five years in Delhi
According to her, it takes at least four or five sessions before children begin to enjoy yoga. “At the start, if too much emphasis is laid on the correctness of postures and breathing techniques , children lose interest.” So, Shastri, trained in the Ashtanga school, worked around rigid techniques to make them friendly for the 8-14 age group. “Children can’t appreciate that yoga is not just a physical exercise, but a way of life,” she says. That’s why she tells her students what each asana can do, fuses stories with asanas and pranayam, and also makes sure that the sequence of the asanas is fluid. “There are no abrupt changes in postures and stances. And everytime something new is thrown in to keep them interested
Shastri’s book, Yoga for Children, (co-authored by Neesha Singh), is used as the primer for a 10-day yoga workshop conducted at the Mindbody Zone in Bangalore during the school holiday seasons to introduce kids to yoga.
In the last few years, many schools in New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and other cities have made yoga a part of the curriculum. But Shaleen Parekh, owner of Yoga Sutra, believes that schools, to some extent, are responsible for turning children off yoga. “Most school instructors teach yoga in unimaginative ways. Children are made to do the same postures over and over again in a rigid, textbook-like format,” she says.
Older, established institutes that teach one particular form of yoga (such as the Iyengar Yogashraya in Mumbai that teaches only the asanas formulated by B.K.S. Iyengar) are yet to incorporate children as regular members in their institutes unless they require therapy for physical ailments. But that hasn’t stopped newer, more experimental teachers from tapping into the possibility that yoga can be fun, and to ensure that children get a taste of this age-old Indian discipline early on, to embrace it fully when they grow up.
In the last few years, many schools in New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and other cities have made yoga a part of the curriculum. But Shaleen Parekh, owner of Yoga Sutra, believes that schools, to some extent, are responsible for turning children off yoga. “Most school instructors teach yoga in unimaginative ways. Children are made to do the same postures over and over again in a rigid, textbook-like format,” she says.
Older, established institutes that teach one particular form of yoga (such as the Iyengar Yogashraya in Mumbai that teaches only the asanas formulated by B.K.S. Iyengar) are yet to incorporate children as regular members in their institutes unless they require therapy for physical ailments. But that hasn’t stopped newer, more experimental teachers from tapping into the possibility that yoga can be fun, and to ensure that children get a taste of this age-old Indian discipline early on, to embrace it fully when they grow up.
Lifestyle - Virtual Gurukulam ( V.G.Read)
It is a little after 9pm in Austin, Texas, and Somas Thyagaraja, a 25-year-old program manager with Microsoft, has just finished his dinner. He walks briskly towards his bedroom, removes his shoes, pushes the chair in front of his computer to one side and logs on to the Internet. While the computer connects, he adjusts his webcam and then sits down cross-legged on the floor. A few moments later, the image of Neyveli Santhanagopalan appears on the screen. Thyagaraja folds his hands in pranam. Back in Chennai, India, Santhanagopalan begins his weekly class of Carnatic music.
For dozens of students of Indian classical music around the world, lessons with gurus are no longer the intimate, face-to-face sessions they used to be. With a paucity of experienced teachers abroad, an online class like Santhanagopalan’s is the only way to get “proper and authentic” lessons from Indian gurus.
“I chose to learn from gurus in India because the training there is much more advanced, and I am very serious about my music,” says Aditya Prakash, 20, a student of ethnomusicology at the University of California, Los Angeles. Prakash started attending virtual classes nine years ago — initially, over phone calls to his teacher, Chennai-based guru and vocalist Sugandha Kalamegham.
Today, long distance music lessons have evolved from rudimentary methods such as phone calls and audio files sent over email. Teachers and students now use applications such as Skype, Vonage, Magic Chart and IBM’s Citrix to connect with each other in real time through audio and video. One of the pioneers of this teaching method is renowned Carnatic singer K.N. Shashikiran.
“Not only has there been a tremendous response from students in the US, UK, and wherever I perform and teach,” says Shashikiran, “but there are people in India, even here in Chennai, who are learning through this medium.” Shashikiran’s Carnatica.net website started a “cyber vidyalaya” (school) in 2000. He claims it was the first in India. Today, Carnatica.net has more than 500 students from all over the world on its rolls — some as young as 3, while the oldest is 78.
According to Kalamegham, the average online student is a software professional living abroad who is trying to “mitigate his homesickness by getting in touch with his roots”. And maintaining a strict regimen of regular music classes is one way of keeping those roots alive.
Ironically, most of the teachers who offer online classes learnt their art sans any technological assistance — they were not even allowed to record the lessons with their teachers for reference during practice.
Santhanagopalan is one such modern-day teacher who trained at his guru’s feet. But Santhagopalan believes that the online method can be almost as successful as the traditional. According to him, a guru can transfer “90% of the teachings” online, “provided the student has the gift of music in him or her”. Santhanagopalan has more than 50 students across the world who learn from him and his senior disciples over the Internet.
The majority of online classical classes focus on Carnatic music — Shashikiran attributes this to the fact that “Carnatic music is more structured and there is more focus on composition, while the Hindustani form is more relaxed, raga-based and arbitrary”. There are, however, a plethora of new resources coming up for Hindustani, instruments and dance classes as well.
Kathak dancer Vaswati Mishra has set up a Rs4.5 lakh studio in New Delhi to offer lessons — via a state-of-the-art videoconference facility — in Kathak, Chhau, folk and contemporary dances along with Hindustani vocal, tabla and other instruments. Mishra is in talks with institutions in Taiwan and Bangalore to establish learning centres that will receive feeds from her studio. “Such classes are not different from face-to-face interactions at all. I believe distance is just in the mind,” says Mishra.
But training as a classical musician online requires more than just free time, an Internet connection and a generous data package. For all its liberating benefits, many, including some online teachers, believe distance training can only work if the student already has had some traditional learning experience.
For instance, K.K. Subramaniam, founder of the non-profit music institute Brhaddhvani that also offers online classes, believes that such classes are best suited for those who have undergone basic training in music, “and want to learn the finer things”. Kalamegham limits online sessions to students who have already learnt the basics from her and want to continue with their training.
Institutions such as Carnatica and Brhaddhvani, offer several courses of varying duration — from six months to five years — depending on the proficiency level desired by the student. The exams, both theory and practicals, are taken online. “There hasn’t been a difference in the level of proficiency between students who are learning online and those who come for the classes. The exams are, after all, the same for everyone,” says Shashikiran.
For 24-year-old Snigdha Venkataraman, “online classes are the best way to learn in today’s age when everyone has 10 different things on their plate”. Venkataraman released an album, Samarpanam, under the Carnatica banner and continues to take online classes from Shashikiran. Venkataraman is serious about her regular classes and is happy that she can “catch Shashikiran sir anywhere across the world, so my classes don’t get affected because he can log on to the Net from wherever he is”.
The growing online teaching market is also helping teachers tap into a new source of income. Hourly classes start from $20 (around Rs800) to $65, depending on how renowned the guru is. The same class, if conducted face to face, would cost just one-fourth as much.
Shashikiran says his organization’s main income comes from these online classes and packages, and there’s a stark difference of Rs35-50 lakh a year between the revenue earned from online classes and old fashioned classes. In fact, he is taking the idea forward and working on a business model for a cultural tech park and a cultural call centre. “It will be like a front-end 24-hour call centre, with 20-25 faculty members regularly answering queries on ragas, bhajans, songs, or anything related to music,” he says.
So, the next time you feel like taking a tutorial on Raga Darbari, you may have the option of simply logging on to the Internet and connecting with an expert teacher right away. Did someone say traditional music was old fashioned?
For dozens of students of Indian classical music around the world, lessons with gurus are no longer the intimate, face-to-face sessions they used to be. With a paucity of experienced teachers abroad, an online class like Santhanagopalan’s is the only way to get “proper and authentic” lessons from Indian gurus.
“I chose to learn from gurus in India because the training there is much more advanced, and I am very serious about my music,” says Aditya Prakash, 20, a student of ethnomusicology at the University of California, Los Angeles. Prakash started attending virtual classes nine years ago — initially, over phone calls to his teacher, Chennai-based guru and vocalist Sugandha Kalamegham.
Today, long distance music lessons have evolved from rudimentary methods such as phone calls and audio files sent over email. Teachers and students now use applications such as Skype, Vonage, Magic Chart and IBM’s Citrix to connect with each other in real time through audio and video. One of the pioneers of this teaching method is renowned Carnatic singer K.N. Shashikiran.
“Not only has there been a tremendous response from students in the US, UK, and wherever I perform and teach,” says Shashikiran, “but there are people in India, even here in Chennai, who are learning through this medium.” Shashikiran’s Carnatica.net website started a “cyber vidyalaya” (school) in 2000. He claims it was the first in India. Today, Carnatica.net has more than 500 students from all over the world on its rolls — some as young as 3, while the oldest is 78.
According to Kalamegham, the average online student is a software professional living abroad who is trying to “mitigate his homesickness by getting in touch with his roots”. And maintaining a strict regimen of regular music classes is one way of keeping those roots alive.
Ironically, most of the teachers who offer online classes learnt their art sans any technological assistance — they were not even allowed to record the lessons with their teachers for reference during practice.
Santhanagopalan is one such modern-day teacher who trained at his guru’s feet. But Santhagopalan believes that the online method can be almost as successful as the traditional. According to him, a guru can transfer “90% of the teachings” online, “provided the student has the gift of music in him or her”. Santhanagopalan has more than 50 students across the world who learn from him and his senior disciples over the Internet.
The majority of online classical classes focus on Carnatic music — Shashikiran attributes this to the fact that “Carnatic music is more structured and there is more focus on composition, while the Hindustani form is more relaxed, raga-based and arbitrary”. There are, however, a plethora of new resources coming up for Hindustani, instruments and dance classes as well.
Kathak dancer Vaswati Mishra has set up a Rs4.5 lakh studio in New Delhi to offer lessons — via a state-of-the-art videoconference facility — in Kathak, Chhau, folk and contemporary dances along with Hindustani vocal, tabla and other instruments. Mishra is in talks with institutions in Taiwan and Bangalore to establish learning centres that will receive feeds from her studio. “Such classes are not different from face-to-face interactions at all. I believe distance is just in the mind,” says Mishra.
But training as a classical musician online requires more than just free time, an Internet connection and a generous data package. For all its liberating benefits, many, including some online teachers, believe distance training can only work if the student already has had some traditional learning experience.
For instance, K.K. Subramaniam, founder of the non-profit music institute Brhaddhvani that also offers online classes, believes that such classes are best suited for those who have undergone basic training in music, “and want to learn the finer things”. Kalamegham limits online sessions to students who have already learnt the basics from her and want to continue with their training.
Institutions such as Carnatica and Brhaddhvani, offer several courses of varying duration — from six months to five years — depending on the proficiency level desired by the student. The exams, both theory and practicals, are taken online. “There hasn’t been a difference in the level of proficiency between students who are learning online and those who come for the classes. The exams are, after all, the same for everyone,” says Shashikiran.
For 24-year-old Snigdha Venkataraman, “online classes are the best way to learn in today’s age when everyone has 10 different things on their plate”. Venkataraman released an album, Samarpanam, under the Carnatica banner and continues to take online classes from Shashikiran. Venkataraman is serious about her regular classes and is happy that she can “catch Shashikiran sir anywhere across the world, so my classes don’t get affected because he can log on to the Net from wherever he is”.
The growing online teaching market is also helping teachers tap into a new source of income. Hourly classes start from $20 (around Rs800) to $65, depending on how renowned the guru is. The same class, if conducted face to face, would cost just one-fourth as much.
Shashikiran says his organization’s main income comes from these online classes and packages, and there’s a stark difference of Rs35-50 lakh a year between the revenue earned from online classes and old fashioned classes. In fact, he is taking the idea forward and working on a business model for a cultural tech park and a cultural call centre. “It will be like a front-end 24-hour call centre, with 20-25 faculty members regularly answering queries on ragas, bhajans, songs, or anything related to music,” he says.
So, the next time you feel like taking a tutorial on Raga Darbari, you may have the option of simply logging on to the Internet and connecting with an expert teacher right away. Did someone say traditional music was old fashioned?
Lifestyle - New Facebook ;Clean,Sharply Defined,Dull
Are you suffering from Facebook fatigue? I am, after a year of being a hyperactive Facebooker (I would pass on Mortimer, the travelling bear to, or “bite chomps” off the person I got introduced to last week). It’s no longer a daily ritual, except the endless games of Scrabulous played with my spouse and a few friends. Friend requests are piling up and notifications ignored.
Just as I was getting back to a Facebook-free life, the site’s new interface was introduced — a cleaner one that simplifies the user experience, as opposed to the buzzy and cramped old one.
Mark Zuckerberg, the site’s founder, said in an interview to The New York Times soon after the revamped site was launched, that Facebook had “grown up”. The site, launched in February 2004, began as a social networking tool for college students and its closed nature was one of its biggest selling points. But most of those students have graduated, grown up and moved on to the office space. So, the new interface is meant to appeal to a more mature user who doesn’t want to waste time on personality tests and mindless applications.
In the bargain, Facebook, having moved on from the dorm to a one-room studio, has become boring.
First the aesthetics: The home page now looks like that of a news feed site with a steady outpouring of well-defined news items. The left side of the page is blank and the right has a biggish box that contains the applications, the friend finder and the status update space on top — certainly clutter-free, but is it more dynamic? No. Can the new Facebook reflect needs of its changing user profile and yet hook new surfers already spoilt for choice with Twitter, MySpace and other sites? Perhaps not.
The updated news feed and mini-feed features that appear on the home page create a different kind of clutter. Your home page now is a roster of continuous update messages: X became a fan of MooQuest; Y commented on Z’s photo; Z commented back. The previous home page was a combination of photographs, videos, the super-wall and many more elements that made surfing much more unpredictable and fun.
The good part, though, is that you can try out new applications before adding them to your profile. So, there’s no compulsion to add silly tags such as the “What type of dance are you” application and inviting 10 friends to it before you can try it out.
Plus, look out for small, quirky elements that sure make up for the overall dull interface: you have the choice to “throw Justin Timberlake” at your homophobic guy friend. Or “throw an octopuss” at that school bully who you added long ago but have been waiting for her to write on your wall first.
Just as I was getting back to a Facebook-free life, the site’s new interface was introduced — a cleaner one that simplifies the user experience, as opposed to the buzzy and cramped old one.
Mark Zuckerberg, the site’s founder, said in an interview to The New York Times soon after the revamped site was launched, that Facebook had “grown up”. The site, launched in February 2004, began as a social networking tool for college students and its closed nature was one of its biggest selling points. But most of those students have graduated, grown up and moved on to the office space. So, the new interface is meant to appeal to a more mature user who doesn’t want to waste time on personality tests and mindless applications.
In the bargain, Facebook, having moved on from the dorm to a one-room studio, has become boring.
First the aesthetics: The home page now looks like that of a news feed site with a steady outpouring of well-defined news items. The left side of the page is blank and the right has a biggish box that contains the applications, the friend finder and the status update space on top — certainly clutter-free, but is it more dynamic? No. Can the new Facebook reflect needs of its changing user profile and yet hook new surfers already spoilt for choice with Twitter, MySpace and other sites? Perhaps not.
The updated news feed and mini-feed features that appear on the home page create a different kind of clutter. Your home page now is a roster of continuous update messages: X became a fan of MooQuest; Y commented on Z’s photo; Z commented back. The previous home page was a combination of photographs, videos, the super-wall and many more elements that made surfing much more unpredictable and fun.
The good part, though, is that you can try out new applications before adding them to your profile. So, there’s no compulsion to add silly tags such as the “What type of dance are you” application and inviting 10 friends to it before you can try it out.
Plus, look out for small, quirky elements that sure make up for the overall dull interface: you have the choice to “throw Justin Timberlake” at your homophobic guy friend. Or “throw an octopuss” at that school bully who you added long ago but have been waiting for her to write on your wall first.
India - New media tries to capture news/reality?;J&K
Srinagar / Jammu: As the crisis over the Amarnath shrine pilgrimage snowballed in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) over the last few weeks, thousands of young men in both parts of the state, armed with little more than a mobile phone with a camera, have shot pictures and videos of both demonstrations and curfew and uploaded them on the Internet.
J&K has always been a reporter’s paradise, but the use of new media such as the Internet, blogs and SMS (short messaging system), besides news broadcasts on local cable networks, have been imaginatively used by people on both sides of the communal divide to get their message on the recent crisis out to the rest of the world.
YouTube and Google videos have become a favourite space for hundreds of videos, whether it is about the 11 August march across the Line of Control to Muzaffarabad, large gatherings such as the one at the Idgah grounds in Srinagar on 22 August, or people defying security forces across the valley during curfew.
Meanwhile, local cable networks, both in Jammu and in the Kashmir valley, have been broadcasting “inflammatory” news, provoking the government to take action against some of them.
Site Entertainment Network (SEN), a cable operator in the Kashmir valley, was taken off the air on 24 August, ostensibly because it ran an hour-long interview with militant Kashmiri leader Syed Salahuddin, who lives in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.
According to Srinagar district magistrate Asfandyar Khan, SEN was taken off the air because it violated the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995, which prohibits any transmission of news, or advertisements against the Constitution of India and “tends to incite people to crime, cause disorder, or violence, or breach of law”. The Salahuddin interview on SEN apparently contained an exhortation to Kashmiris to hold district-by-district discussions in the valley and stage a referendum that would declare independence from India.
SEN retaliated by taking all national and international news channels, including BBC, Al Jazeera and CNN, which go through its cable network, off the air. SEN executive director Mir Amjad said his channel was being discriminated against by the state authorities, which had not acted similarly against networks in Jammu. “Jammu cable networks like JK were taken off only for 8 hours, while we have already been banned for six days. They are still showing news bulletins and inflaming protests, why should they be allowed to do that? If the situation is bad in Kashmir, it is also bad in Jammu.”
JK, owned by land dealer Subhash Chowdhury, has been instrumental in pushing the cause of Leela Karan Sharma and his Amarnath Sangharsh Samiti, which is demanding control over the use of land for Hindu pilgrims to the Shaivite Amarnath shrine in the Kashmir mountains.
Chowdhury denied his channel broadcasts news, although this reporter watched several bulletins in Jammu, including an interview with Sharma, who admitted to an old association with JK.
Anuradha Bhasin, executive editor of Jammu-based Kashmir Times, said the saturation coverage given by JK to the Amarnath agitation was “so venomous that it had a huge impact on the religious-minded population, especially in the rural areas, which had not even protested over issues related to the international border nearby... The subtle message repeatedly broadcast was that the Muslims have taken away the land belonging to the Hindus.”
Vicious SMSs did the rounds in Jammu, especially in the early part of the agitation in June. State Congress president Mangat Ram Sharma was called “Mullah Mangat Ram” when he sought to balance the Jammu versus Srinagar divide, while divisional commissioner Sudhanshu Pandey was accused of “swimming in the club while the city burnt”.
The state authorities quickly banned SMSes within the state. The ban was extended by the Supreme Court last week.
By now, in the Kashmir Valley, as protests and demonstrations were infused by a sense of separation anxiety caused by Jammu’s economic blockade, thousands of young men came out in the streets, holding mobile phones with cameras in their hands.
“It is so easy to post on YouTube these days,” said Aijaz, shooting a moving video of the Idgah rally. “This is a part of our history and nobody else seems to be interested.” It is common to hear Kashmiris say mainstream journalists no longer report Kashmir with the passion and commitment it deserves.
“Although there is a lot of coverage about Kashmir in the mainstream media, the voices of the people are not coming through. So you have to go to the blogs, or the videos,” says media analyst Sevanti Ninan. “Perhaps Kashmiris feel their voices are not being heard.”
J&K has always been a reporter’s paradise, but the use of new media such as the Internet, blogs and SMS (short messaging system), besides news broadcasts on local cable networks, have been imaginatively used by people on both sides of the communal divide to get their message on the recent crisis out to the rest of the world.
YouTube and Google videos have become a favourite space for hundreds of videos, whether it is about the 11 August march across the Line of Control to Muzaffarabad, large gatherings such as the one at the Idgah grounds in Srinagar on 22 August, or people defying security forces across the valley during curfew.
Meanwhile, local cable networks, both in Jammu and in the Kashmir valley, have been broadcasting “inflammatory” news, provoking the government to take action against some of them.
Site Entertainment Network (SEN), a cable operator in the Kashmir valley, was taken off the air on 24 August, ostensibly because it ran an hour-long interview with militant Kashmiri leader Syed Salahuddin, who lives in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.
According to Srinagar district magistrate Asfandyar Khan, SEN was taken off the air because it violated the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995, which prohibits any transmission of news, or advertisements against the Constitution of India and “tends to incite people to crime, cause disorder, or violence, or breach of law”. The Salahuddin interview on SEN apparently contained an exhortation to Kashmiris to hold district-by-district discussions in the valley and stage a referendum that would declare independence from India.
SEN retaliated by taking all national and international news channels, including BBC, Al Jazeera and CNN, which go through its cable network, off the air. SEN executive director Mir Amjad said his channel was being discriminated against by the state authorities, which had not acted similarly against networks in Jammu. “Jammu cable networks like JK were taken off only for 8 hours, while we have already been banned for six days. They are still showing news bulletins and inflaming protests, why should they be allowed to do that? If the situation is bad in Kashmir, it is also bad in Jammu.”
JK, owned by land dealer Subhash Chowdhury, has been instrumental in pushing the cause of Leela Karan Sharma and his Amarnath Sangharsh Samiti, which is demanding control over the use of land for Hindu pilgrims to the Shaivite Amarnath shrine in the Kashmir mountains.
Chowdhury denied his channel broadcasts news, although this reporter watched several bulletins in Jammu, including an interview with Sharma, who admitted to an old association with JK.
Anuradha Bhasin, executive editor of Jammu-based Kashmir Times, said the saturation coverage given by JK to the Amarnath agitation was “so venomous that it had a huge impact on the religious-minded population, especially in the rural areas, which had not even protested over issues related to the international border nearby... The subtle message repeatedly broadcast was that the Muslims have taken away the land belonging to the Hindus.”
Vicious SMSs did the rounds in Jammu, especially in the early part of the agitation in June. State Congress president Mangat Ram Sharma was called “Mullah Mangat Ram” when he sought to balance the Jammu versus Srinagar divide, while divisional commissioner Sudhanshu Pandey was accused of “swimming in the club while the city burnt”.
The state authorities quickly banned SMSes within the state. The ban was extended by the Supreme Court last week.
By now, in the Kashmir Valley, as protests and demonstrations were infused by a sense of separation anxiety caused by Jammu’s economic blockade, thousands of young men came out in the streets, holding mobile phones with cameras in their hands.
“It is so easy to post on YouTube these days,” said Aijaz, shooting a moving video of the Idgah rally. “This is a part of our history and nobody else seems to be interested.” It is common to hear Kashmiris say mainstream journalists no longer report Kashmir with the passion and commitment it deserves.
“Although there is a lot of coverage about Kashmir in the mainstream media, the voices of the people are not coming through. So you have to go to the blogs, or the videos,” says media analyst Sevanti Ninan. “Perhaps Kashmiris feel their voices are not being heard.”
Business - The French Connection;HIDESIGN
What did luxury powerhouse Louis Vuitton (LV) see in a (relatively) small Indian leather goods manufacturer? How did the French brand even think of setting up a factory—its first in Asia and one that will likely end up being its largest in the world—in Puducherry of all places? Why did the intensely private company buy a stake in Hidesign, an Indian company that began as a hobby in 1970s Auroville, India’s French hub?
Dilip Kapur, 60, president of Hidesign, the free spirit who began his life as an entrepreneur with Rs25,000 (for a sewing machine, some leather and a worker, all accommodated on a thatched shed on his roof) and who now has a Rs100 crore turnover, can’t answer these questions.
Most reports say LV has picked up 20% of Hidesign, but Kapur won’t confirm the percentage. LV’s Indian partner recently signed a confidentiality document.
Let’s make some educated guesses anyway.
If you were Louis Vuitton, looking to settle down in India after decades of flirting with the country’s affluent set, and you needed someone you could trust, someone in your area of business, a guaranteed good investment, someone with whom you could converse fluently in your language, Kapur’s would be a name that came to mind.
For one, Kapur is quality conscious. His Hidesign outlets sell nicely crafted, natural leather goods; I know because I’ve been buying their bags since the company opened its first Indian store in 2000 (before that, Kapur was mostly an exporter). Trendier consumers would say the designs are boring/predictable; I think it’s refreshing that a local brand focuses on quality and detailing rather than on imitating the latest global designs.
“You’re a typical customer,” Kapur says, over Sauvignon Blanc at Trident’s Tiffin in Mumbai (his knowledge of good wine has grown exponentially, thanks to his connoisseur French partners). “She studies a lot, reads a lot, travels a lot; like you, she’s very natural,” he says, pointing to my slightly crumpled cotton shirt and messy hair. I tell him I’ll wear a business suit to our next lunch appointment, and he informs me that he changed quickly from a T-shirt to a Just Cavalli navy shirt—purchased by his German wife Jacqueline—for our meeting.
Incidentally, Kapur swore off suits after he graduated from Phillips Academy, a private school in the US, but recently Jacqueline bought him one from Gianfranco Ferre for all those meetings he now has to attend.
But then, Kapur has always been open to reinvention. In 2000, just as he was beginning to get bored of his rollicking export business, India saved him. “It was one of the best things that happened to me. I think I would have sold the company but then I rediscovered myself and my Indianness.” If you had lived abroad for more than a decade, been married to an American and then a German woman, and grown up at the Auroville ashram, where each of your notebooks came inscribed with the maxim “There’s a great beauty in simplicity”, you would talk this way too.
At that point, Kapur decided it was time to retail in India and diversify into the hotel business. Eight years later, he has 45 stores in the country (18 more are scheduled to open in the coming year) and two boutique hotels, both in Puducherry.
Kapur and Puducherry have a history. He was born in New Delhi and moved to Auroville when he was nearly six years old after his father sold his shoe business, donated the money to the ashram and “happily became a modern sadhu”.
Then there’s the comfort factor. Kapur is someone you can relate to. He teaches current affairs to 14-year-olds at the ashram (all of Kapur’s four children have done stints at this school) and worries about the fact that they don’t care for much beyond sports and music. He has just come from a meeting with his store managers where he spent some time explaining that Hidesign did indeed have an exchange policy and that the customer was not their adversary.
Unlike most Indian leather sweatshops, Hidesign’s 7.5 acre factory in Puducherry could actually make it to the pages of a magazine. Of course, as Kapur points out, an average Hidesign worker still has only 4 sq. m of space against his European counterpart’s 11 sq. m.
Recently, he found himself competing against another international brand, Coach (which also has plans to produce its bags in India), for a job applicant—and winning. “He’s going to be the structural engineer of my bags. He joined us because he would be involved in building an authentic brand rather than just implementing international specifications,” Kapur says.
Which brings us to what Kapur gets out of LV’s investment (besides the money to implement his dreams, of course). After all, he already does business in more than 20 countries. For a guy who has always maintained that he was not terribly interested in running a company, he hasn’t done too badly. “When I began, one of my biggest weaknesses and strengths was the fact that I really didn’t care. I didn’t care if the company flopped or if it survived because that was not what was driving me,” he says.
It was exactly this attitude, he believes, that allowed him to take risks and do things that he wanted to do rather than things that he thought would work. “It took me many years to realize that doing your own thing is making your own brand.”
Now, LV will help him do just that.
For one, he’s already learnt the French phrase de rigueur.“In terms of quality, we are only 30-40% of where we want to be,” says Kapur, who will spend the next two years getting the back-end of the business right. In between building two factories and boosting his HR department, he has to figure out a way to improve productivity (a Hidesign bag takes 11 hours to make against a European bag that takes just 3 hours) without compromising on detailing.
His two older sons will do their bit. Vikas, a 29-year-old Stanford graduate and lawyer-who-would-rather-not-be-a-lawyer, will spend six months training at Louis Vuitton in Paris before returning to India and working on the development of Hidesign. Akash, 31, a Rhodes scholar, Harvard graduate and soon-to-be published author, is helping his father build a third hotel, a beach resort, in (where else?) Puducherry. Indian Hotels Co., which runs the Taj group of hotels, will manage this property. Kapur’s younger son Milan now studies at the Kodaikanal International School, and Ayesha, his precocious, talented teenage daughter, (you saw her in the 2005 film Black) still studies at the ashram.
Jacqueline has her own 12,000 sq.ft lifestyle store in Puducherry and is passionate about the horse-riding school she runs. “She keeps the standards of our hotels from becoming pedestrian and helps me with leather garments but the minute she gets involved in the core, we totally disagree,” Kapur says. “We have lots of fights when we work together.” Sounds like the perfect partnership.
CURRICULUM VITAE
DILIP KAPUR
Born: 20 April 1948
Education: Schooled at Auroville and Phillips Academy, Massachusetts, US. Graduated in international affairs from Princeton University and earned a PhD from University of Denver
Current designation: President, Hidesign
Work profile: While doing his PhD, he worked at a leather company. He returned to India in 1977 to live in Auroville and started Hidesign a year later
What’s on his iPod: Pink Martini, Cesare Amora and lots of hip-hop, courtesy his son, Milan. “I used to be crazy about the Grateful Dead but now find them boring.”
Food fetish: “I find it really hard to eat a piece of meat, I don’t like the idea of it, the physical chewing, and you know I’m a leather guy.” Enjoys seafood. “I also love my mother’s old Punjabi hick desserts — ‘gajar ka halwa’, ‘gud ki sewiyan’, kulfi.”
Dilip Kapur, 60, president of Hidesign, the free spirit who began his life as an entrepreneur with Rs25,000 (for a sewing machine, some leather and a worker, all accommodated on a thatched shed on his roof) and who now has a Rs100 crore turnover, can’t answer these questions.
Most reports say LV has picked up 20% of Hidesign, but Kapur won’t confirm the percentage. LV’s Indian partner recently signed a confidentiality document.
Let’s make some educated guesses anyway.
If you were Louis Vuitton, looking to settle down in India after decades of flirting with the country’s affluent set, and you needed someone you could trust, someone in your area of business, a guaranteed good investment, someone with whom you could converse fluently in your language, Kapur’s would be a name that came to mind.
For one, Kapur is quality conscious. His Hidesign outlets sell nicely crafted, natural leather goods; I know because I’ve been buying their bags since the company opened its first Indian store in 2000 (before that, Kapur was mostly an exporter). Trendier consumers would say the designs are boring/predictable; I think it’s refreshing that a local brand focuses on quality and detailing rather than on imitating the latest global designs.
“You’re a typical customer,” Kapur says, over Sauvignon Blanc at Trident’s Tiffin in Mumbai (his knowledge of good wine has grown exponentially, thanks to his connoisseur French partners). “She studies a lot, reads a lot, travels a lot; like you, she’s very natural,” he says, pointing to my slightly crumpled cotton shirt and messy hair. I tell him I’ll wear a business suit to our next lunch appointment, and he informs me that he changed quickly from a T-shirt to a Just Cavalli navy shirt—purchased by his German wife Jacqueline—for our meeting.
Incidentally, Kapur swore off suits after he graduated from Phillips Academy, a private school in the US, but recently Jacqueline bought him one from Gianfranco Ferre for all those meetings he now has to attend.
But then, Kapur has always been open to reinvention. In 2000, just as he was beginning to get bored of his rollicking export business, India saved him. “It was one of the best things that happened to me. I think I would have sold the company but then I rediscovered myself and my Indianness.” If you had lived abroad for more than a decade, been married to an American and then a German woman, and grown up at the Auroville ashram, where each of your notebooks came inscribed with the maxim “There’s a great beauty in simplicity”, you would talk this way too.
At that point, Kapur decided it was time to retail in India and diversify into the hotel business. Eight years later, he has 45 stores in the country (18 more are scheduled to open in the coming year) and two boutique hotels, both in Puducherry.
Kapur and Puducherry have a history. He was born in New Delhi and moved to Auroville when he was nearly six years old after his father sold his shoe business, donated the money to the ashram and “happily became a modern sadhu”.
Then there’s the comfort factor. Kapur is someone you can relate to. He teaches current affairs to 14-year-olds at the ashram (all of Kapur’s four children have done stints at this school) and worries about the fact that they don’t care for much beyond sports and music. He has just come from a meeting with his store managers where he spent some time explaining that Hidesign did indeed have an exchange policy and that the customer was not their adversary.
Unlike most Indian leather sweatshops, Hidesign’s 7.5 acre factory in Puducherry could actually make it to the pages of a magazine. Of course, as Kapur points out, an average Hidesign worker still has only 4 sq. m of space against his European counterpart’s 11 sq. m.
Recently, he found himself competing against another international brand, Coach (which also has plans to produce its bags in India), for a job applicant—and winning. “He’s going to be the structural engineer of my bags. He joined us because he would be involved in building an authentic brand rather than just implementing international specifications,” Kapur says.
Which brings us to what Kapur gets out of LV’s investment (besides the money to implement his dreams, of course). After all, he already does business in more than 20 countries. For a guy who has always maintained that he was not terribly interested in running a company, he hasn’t done too badly. “When I began, one of my biggest weaknesses and strengths was the fact that I really didn’t care. I didn’t care if the company flopped or if it survived because that was not what was driving me,” he says.
It was exactly this attitude, he believes, that allowed him to take risks and do things that he wanted to do rather than things that he thought would work. “It took me many years to realize that doing your own thing is making your own brand.”
Now, LV will help him do just that.
For one, he’s already learnt the French phrase de rigueur.“In terms of quality, we are only 30-40% of where we want to be,” says Kapur, who will spend the next two years getting the back-end of the business right. In between building two factories and boosting his HR department, he has to figure out a way to improve productivity (a Hidesign bag takes 11 hours to make against a European bag that takes just 3 hours) without compromising on detailing.
His two older sons will do their bit. Vikas, a 29-year-old Stanford graduate and lawyer-who-would-rather-not-be-a-lawyer, will spend six months training at Louis Vuitton in Paris before returning to India and working on the development of Hidesign. Akash, 31, a Rhodes scholar, Harvard graduate and soon-to-be published author, is helping his father build a third hotel, a beach resort, in (where else?) Puducherry. Indian Hotels Co., which runs the Taj group of hotels, will manage this property. Kapur’s younger son Milan now studies at the Kodaikanal International School, and Ayesha, his precocious, talented teenage daughter, (you saw her in the 2005 film Black) still studies at the ashram.
Jacqueline has her own 12,000 sq.ft lifestyle store in Puducherry and is passionate about the horse-riding school she runs. “She keeps the standards of our hotels from becoming pedestrian and helps me with leather garments but the minute she gets involved in the core, we totally disagree,” Kapur says. “We have lots of fights when we work together.” Sounds like the perfect partnership.
CURRICULUM VITAE
DILIP KAPUR
Born: 20 April 1948
Education: Schooled at Auroville and Phillips Academy, Massachusetts, US. Graduated in international affairs from Princeton University and earned a PhD from University of Denver
Current designation: President, Hidesign
Work profile: While doing his PhD, he worked at a leather company. He returned to India in 1977 to live in Auroville and started Hidesign a year later
What’s on his iPod: Pink Martini, Cesare Amora and lots of hip-hop, courtesy his son, Milan. “I used to be crazy about the Grateful Dead but now find them boring.”
Food fetish: “I find it really hard to eat a piece of meat, I don’t like the idea of it, the physical chewing, and you know I’m a leather guy.” Enjoys seafood. “I also love my mother’s old Punjabi hick desserts — ‘gajar ka halwa’, ‘gud ki sewiyan’, kulfi.”
Lifestyle - Celebrate your employee's Ideas
A wise friend of mine believes that the hardest part of marriage isn’t learning how to get along with your spouse but rather, coming to grips with what you learn about yourself as you relate to your wife or your husband. I think managers face the same challenge.
During my first week as the Journal’s bureau chief in Pittsburgh, in what was my first management job, a young reporter sought my feedback about a feature story she had written. I quickly ticked off all the things she needed to do to improve the story — in the same sharply critical way I often reviewed my own work.
Then I glanced up and saw the crestfallen, anxious expression on her face. I realized that if I wanted creative and hard-working employees, I needed to keep my style in check and make sure that I applauded my staff’s strengths as much as I targeted their weaknesses.
My experiences as a manager prompted me to launch this column almost a decade ago. I wanted to learn more about how leaders inspire those who follow them to take risks and to do more than they ever thought possible, and about how they convince employees that while failure is permissible, success is expected.
The more executives I interviewed and wrote about, the more I realized that the most effective ones review their own performance at least as frequently and as thoroughly as they review the work of their employees. They also constantly adapt their management styles to meet different challenges and to motivate different employees.
In a column published in November 2005, I wrote about how Selena Lo, CEO of Ruckus Wireless in Sunnyvale, California, changed from being a brusque, temper-tantrum-prone manager. Early in her career, she often banged her fist on conference tables to press her point of view, she said. Then she became CEO of Ruckus. There was no boss who “cleaned up after me and soothed people who felt I was steamrolling them”, she said. She realized that as the top boss, she needed to delegate a lot of work but to “stop scaring people and give them room to make their own decisions”.
When several new hires told her they didn’t like her name for the company, Video54, she told them to come up with a new one — and agreed Ruckus was better.
In a June 2004 column, Novartis chairman and CEO Daniel Vasella disclosed that before he became an executive, he had been a physician and psychoanalyst. In business, he didn’t want to be his employees’ therapist, he said, but he used his analytical listening skills when conferring with managers or interviewing prospective hires. “I ask myself, ‘am I interested, relaxed, tense or bored — and what is this person doing to make me feel one way or the other?’”
Some of the best leadership models are from outside business. In a January 2007 column, I wrote about how Tony Dungy, head coach of the Indianapolis Colts who led his team to victory in the Super Bowl last year, pushes his players hard but doesn’t curse at them, chew them out, or speak to them sarcastically — unusual behaviour in the National Football League’s scream-and-holler culture.
There is widespread cynicism in the ranks of many companies. At a time when no job is secure, many top executives still get steep salaries regardless of performance and golden parachutes after they’re dismissed.
The best leaders recognize this attitude and studiously avoid being self-absorbed. They celebrate their employees’ ideas, knowledge and commitment, and they understand they must be both bold and kind to attract talent.
Among leaders such as these are Procter and Gamble CEO A.G. Lafley, who assembles diverse teams of employees around the world and tells them to worry about pleasing consumers, not him; Rite Aid CEO Mary Sammons, who acknowledges to employees that she has made mistakes — and learnt from them — during her career; and General Electric CEO Jeffrey Immelt, who doesn’t hesitate to show weak-performing executives the door, but often gives them time to find a new job elsewhere to avoid any humiliating public firings.
So much has changed in business since In the Lead launched, from the growth of the Internet to the new emphasis on corporate governance. But my original premise — that management is more an art than a science, highly dependent on relationships — has not, even as this column comes to a close. For me, exploring the art of management has been an extraordinary privilege and incredible fun.
During my first week as the Journal’s bureau chief in Pittsburgh, in what was my first management job, a young reporter sought my feedback about a feature story she had written. I quickly ticked off all the things she needed to do to improve the story — in the same sharply critical way I often reviewed my own work.
Then I glanced up and saw the crestfallen, anxious expression on her face. I realized that if I wanted creative and hard-working employees, I needed to keep my style in check and make sure that I applauded my staff’s strengths as much as I targeted their weaknesses.
My experiences as a manager prompted me to launch this column almost a decade ago. I wanted to learn more about how leaders inspire those who follow them to take risks and to do more than they ever thought possible, and about how they convince employees that while failure is permissible, success is expected.
The more executives I interviewed and wrote about, the more I realized that the most effective ones review their own performance at least as frequently and as thoroughly as they review the work of their employees. They also constantly adapt their management styles to meet different challenges and to motivate different employees.
In a column published in November 2005, I wrote about how Selena Lo, CEO of Ruckus Wireless in Sunnyvale, California, changed from being a brusque, temper-tantrum-prone manager. Early in her career, she often banged her fist on conference tables to press her point of view, she said. Then she became CEO of Ruckus. There was no boss who “cleaned up after me and soothed people who felt I was steamrolling them”, she said. She realized that as the top boss, she needed to delegate a lot of work but to “stop scaring people and give them room to make their own decisions”.
When several new hires told her they didn’t like her name for the company, Video54, she told them to come up with a new one — and agreed Ruckus was better.
In a June 2004 column, Novartis chairman and CEO Daniel Vasella disclosed that before he became an executive, he had been a physician and psychoanalyst. In business, he didn’t want to be his employees’ therapist, he said, but he used his analytical listening skills when conferring with managers or interviewing prospective hires. “I ask myself, ‘am I interested, relaxed, tense or bored — and what is this person doing to make me feel one way or the other?’”
Some of the best leadership models are from outside business. In a January 2007 column, I wrote about how Tony Dungy, head coach of the Indianapolis Colts who led his team to victory in the Super Bowl last year, pushes his players hard but doesn’t curse at them, chew them out, or speak to them sarcastically — unusual behaviour in the National Football League’s scream-and-holler culture.
There is widespread cynicism in the ranks of many companies. At a time when no job is secure, many top executives still get steep salaries regardless of performance and golden parachutes after they’re dismissed.
The best leaders recognize this attitude and studiously avoid being self-absorbed. They celebrate their employees’ ideas, knowledge and commitment, and they understand they must be both bold and kind to attract talent.
Among leaders such as these are Procter and Gamble CEO A.G. Lafley, who assembles diverse teams of employees around the world and tells them to worry about pleasing consumers, not him; Rite Aid CEO Mary Sammons, who acknowledges to employees that she has made mistakes — and learnt from them — during her career; and General Electric CEO Jeffrey Immelt, who doesn’t hesitate to show weak-performing executives the door, but often gives them time to find a new job elsewhere to avoid any humiliating public firings.
So much has changed in business since In the Lead launched, from the growth of the Internet to the new emphasis on corporate governance. But my original premise — that management is more an art than a science, highly dependent on relationships — has not, even as this column comes to a close. For me, exploring the art of management has been an extraordinary privilege and incredible fun.
Lifestyle - Save Indian Clothing,Wear a Kurta
Last month, I went to Delhi to give a presentation to some hotshot marketing types. It was the first PowerPoint presentation I have ever done and I was terrified. But this piece is not about the sorry ass I made of myself. This piece is about clothes and the pleasurable dilemma that we women face every time we open our closets: what to wear?
The simplest thing would have been to wear a black business suit and for weeks, that was my plan. Then I got to thinking: What is the point of espousing and celebrating personal style if you end up wearing what are essentially cop-out clothes?
Correct me if I am wrong, but I think Indian clothes are on the verge of dying out of corporate India. Sure, there are women executives who wear saris: ICICI’s Renuka Ramnath, Britannia’s Vinita Bali and HSBC’s Naina Lal Kidwai come to mind. In Bangalore, I am proud to say that prominent women such as Sudha Murthy and Rohini Nilekani don’t just wear Indian clothes, but bindis as well.
I have conflicting feelings about bindis. I appreciate their cultural uniqueness but question their religious connotation. As a proudly secular Indian, I wonder how wearing a bindi can be different from wearing a hijab since both are religious identifiers and therefore dividers. That said, I wear bindis mostly because I feel they are a lost cause and I must add my weight to their survival. It is like signing a petition: Save the humpback whale; wear a bindi.
Indian clothes are another matter. There is nothing religious about a salwar-kameez or a sari. I am no fan of netas but I appreciate that our politicians still wear Indian clothes (at least in India; Davos is another matter), ranging from P. Chidambaram’s pristine white dhoti to Atal Behari Vajpayee’s north Indian version of it.
In corporate India, however, few wear Indian clothes. Just as English has become the lingua franca of global business, I think Western attire will soon be its sartorial equivalent. Most of the young executives I meet, both men and women, wear a shirt and pants. This is sad, for many reasons. Homogeneity in clothing is not just boring but also doesn’t reflect our rich culture and textile traditions. If we Indians start wearing Western clothes all the time, how are we different from the faceless Chinese businesswoman who wears dark suits and changes her name from Su-yan to Susan?
Clothing choices are easier for women. We can wear saris and salwar-suits and still appear professional. Few young women do, however. Perhaps they feel that they appear older in saris or salwar-suits; perhaps they feel that Western clothes make them appear more professional. Perhaps they think it is not “cool” to show up in a salwar-suit. It is harder for men. It would take a very brave man to show up at work in a kurta-pyjama, however understated it is. Maybe the thing to do is to get the male CEOs to start wearing Indian clothes so as to encourage others. Then of course, the question becomes, why should you? My reasons would be to “save” Indian clothes; to encourage others to wear them; and to facilitate cultural diversity in the workplace. I honestly feel that our clothes are colourful, crisp and elegant. They suit our body types and having them around will encourage creativity. Mostly, my reason is a paraphrase of Edmund Hillary’s reason for climbing Everest. Why wear Indian clothes to work? Because we can.
Unlike traditional Japanese attire such as the kimono, Indian clothes are wonderfully adaptable and comfortable. Nobody even knows what traditional Chinese clothing is. You have to go to Lijiang and Dali and observe pretty maidens from the Yi tribe in colourful red clothes to realize what China has lost in its race for economic prosperity at all costs (I can see the capitalist hackles rise right here). But this is not about whether 10% GDP growth is worth losing precious irreplaceable cultural touchstones; this piece is simply about what to wear to work.
Part of me questions why I am obsessed with dying traditions. Countless other traditions have died; and some, I would argue, should die. But as lost causes go, Indian clothes are an easy fix. There are very few downsides to wearing Indian clothes; you aren’t hurting anyone and best of all, it is easy. Unlike reviving, say, Sanskrit or Farsi, you don’t have to learn a new language or plant trees or pick up litter from the streets. Reviving the salwar-suit or sari is easy: You wear one and get others to wear one.
For my Delhi gig, I took the middle path, which I guess is the same as copping out. I wore Western clothes for one session and Indian clothes for another. I am not proud of my choice. I feel that I should have worn Indian clothes throughout, particularly in light of what I’ve just said. But cut me some slack, okay? It was my first presentation and I wanted to blend in.
The simplest thing would have been to wear a black business suit and for weeks, that was my plan. Then I got to thinking: What is the point of espousing and celebrating personal style if you end up wearing what are essentially cop-out clothes?
Correct me if I am wrong, but I think Indian clothes are on the verge of dying out of corporate India. Sure, there are women executives who wear saris: ICICI’s Renuka Ramnath, Britannia’s Vinita Bali and HSBC’s Naina Lal Kidwai come to mind. In Bangalore, I am proud to say that prominent women such as Sudha Murthy and Rohini Nilekani don’t just wear Indian clothes, but bindis as well.
I have conflicting feelings about bindis. I appreciate their cultural uniqueness but question their religious connotation. As a proudly secular Indian, I wonder how wearing a bindi can be different from wearing a hijab since both are religious identifiers and therefore dividers. That said, I wear bindis mostly because I feel they are a lost cause and I must add my weight to their survival. It is like signing a petition: Save the humpback whale; wear a bindi.
Indian clothes are another matter. There is nothing religious about a salwar-kameez or a sari. I am no fan of netas but I appreciate that our politicians still wear Indian clothes (at least in India; Davos is another matter), ranging from P. Chidambaram’s pristine white dhoti to Atal Behari Vajpayee’s north Indian version of it.
In corporate India, however, few wear Indian clothes. Just as English has become the lingua franca of global business, I think Western attire will soon be its sartorial equivalent. Most of the young executives I meet, both men and women, wear a shirt and pants. This is sad, for many reasons. Homogeneity in clothing is not just boring but also doesn’t reflect our rich culture and textile traditions. If we Indians start wearing Western clothes all the time, how are we different from the faceless Chinese businesswoman who wears dark suits and changes her name from Su-yan to Susan?
Clothing choices are easier for women. We can wear saris and salwar-suits and still appear professional. Few young women do, however. Perhaps they feel that they appear older in saris or salwar-suits; perhaps they feel that Western clothes make them appear more professional. Perhaps they think it is not “cool” to show up in a salwar-suit. It is harder for men. It would take a very brave man to show up at work in a kurta-pyjama, however understated it is. Maybe the thing to do is to get the male CEOs to start wearing Indian clothes so as to encourage others. Then of course, the question becomes, why should you? My reasons would be to “save” Indian clothes; to encourage others to wear them; and to facilitate cultural diversity in the workplace. I honestly feel that our clothes are colourful, crisp and elegant. They suit our body types and having them around will encourage creativity. Mostly, my reason is a paraphrase of Edmund Hillary’s reason for climbing Everest. Why wear Indian clothes to work? Because we can.
Unlike traditional Japanese attire such as the kimono, Indian clothes are wonderfully adaptable and comfortable. Nobody even knows what traditional Chinese clothing is. You have to go to Lijiang and Dali and observe pretty maidens from the Yi tribe in colourful red clothes to realize what China has lost in its race for economic prosperity at all costs (I can see the capitalist hackles rise right here). But this is not about whether 10% GDP growth is worth losing precious irreplaceable cultural touchstones; this piece is simply about what to wear to work.
Part of me questions why I am obsessed with dying traditions. Countless other traditions have died; and some, I would argue, should die. But as lost causes go, Indian clothes are an easy fix. There are very few downsides to wearing Indian clothes; you aren’t hurting anyone and best of all, it is easy. Unlike reviving, say, Sanskrit or Farsi, you don’t have to learn a new language or plant trees or pick up litter from the streets. Reviving the salwar-suit or sari is easy: You wear one and get others to wear one.
For my Delhi gig, I took the middle path, which I guess is the same as copping out. I wore Western clothes for one session and Indian clothes for another. I am not proud of my choice. I feel that I should have worn Indian clothes throughout, particularly in light of what I’ve just said. But cut me some slack, okay? It was my first presentation and I wanted to blend in.
India - The Chandigarh Dream (G.Read)
“[Chandigarh] hits you on the head and makes you think. You may squirm at the impact but it has made you think and imbibe new ideas, and the one thing which India requires in many fields is being hit on the head so that it may think.”
Jawaharlal Nehru, at an architecture seminar in New Delhi, 1959
Almost 50 years ago, Nehru saw Chandigarh as a symbol of the new India, a city that would prove the country’s ability to unite the social classes, embrace modernity and inspire generations of thinkers and inventors. Constructed as the new capital of the sorely divided Punjab, Chandigarh gave architect Le Corbusier his only opportunity to implement his modernist ideals about shaping cities around the new mode of transportation—cars; self-sufficient sectors dividing a city into small parts; and the nobility of cement as a building material.
In reality, after its much-crowed-about beginnings, Chandigarh, with its quirky architecture, settled for the status of a second-tier city, meant for bureaucrats and middle managers. Long-time residents called it the best place to live in India; others called it a city for the “dead and the dying”; and the rest of the country barely cast a second glance at it
Outside India, though, the city has been a source of fascination for the international architecture community that has both vilified and adored Le Corbusier, “the father of modern architecture”. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) approached the city in 2001, with a plan to nominate the city as a possible modern World Heritage site. Design students constantly make pilgrimages to the city. And, last year, foreign furniture dealers auctioned off original Le Corbusier items from Chandigarh. A typical piece, such as a wooden coffee table, which fetched around Rs100 at a government auction, went for over Rs67.7 lakh at Christie’s in New York.
After years of dragging their feet, the city’s authorities have finally gone into an overdrive to protect their heritage, spurred on by a group of architects and design lovers in the city, and by the embarrassment of the Christie’s sale. Not only have they created committees to oversee the preservation of its historical core and organized community outreach programmes to educate citizens, but, in a major coup, the three governing bodies in Chandigarh—the Punjab, the Haryana, and the Union government—have finally agreed to submit the Unesco nomination. The preservation, maintenance and repair work done at a Unesco Heritage Site can only be carried out under the UN body’s supervision. According to Vivek Atray, secretary, Chandigarh department of tourism, Unesco will likely add the city to its heritage list as early as January, and Chandigarh, long overlooked by its own people, may finally get the recognition it deserves.
One of the main reasons people tend to overlook Chandigarh’s significance can be attributed directly to Le Corbusier. Before he was roped in by Nehru, Le Corbusier had tried, and failed, for years to convince European governments to implement his ideas on city planning. He believed a modern city needed to be shaped around cars, the new mode of transport. That meant wide roads, traffic circles and all walking paths and storefronts set off from the main roads. He also believed in dividing the city into sectors—small, self-sufficient blocks that would each include areas for schools, shops and parks. And finally, he believed in buildings that served the people, rather than imposing ornamentation and form on them.
He famously wrote in his book Toward an Architecture: “The house is a machine for living in.” It was this philosophy that contributed to an utterly unassuming town structure, though the buildings look different from those in any other city. The cleanliness, functionality and peacefulness of the city can also be largely attributed to the architectural plan. In Chandigarh, Le Corbusier finally had the opportunity to put his theories to work, but to the untrained eye, it isn’t always obvious why the city works so well.
Kapil Dev, a former captain of the Indian cricket team who grew up in Chandigarh, recalls that he naturally assumed every city ran in the same orderly fashion, that every road had its own function, that parks were plentiful and that sectors divided cities evenly. Once he started travelling to play cricket, he realized how wrong he had been.
“I thought the entire world was like that,” he says, “but it is the only planned city.” His work keeps him away from his childhood home, but “if I didn’t have a business… I wouldn’t think twice about” returning to the city to live there, he says.
Dev isn’t alone in boasting about his home city—visit any part of the city and people will readily talk about the virtues of the place: “It’s the only place our children can grow up with safe areas to play in… Our police force is second only to Mumbai in the country… Soon, we’ll even surpass Bangalore in attracting IT companies… A recent smoking ban keeps the public spaces and the air clean… Everyone wants to live here now, just look at how much our population has gone up.”
While the city was under construction in the 1950s, Y.P. Vohra, now 80, says most public servants were horrified at the government’s decision to shift from Shimla to Chandigarh. “Nobody wanted to go,” he chuckles. But 49 years later, he “wouldn’t live anywhere else”.
For visitors from Delhi—with its traffic, its pollution and the brutal sun beating down with little respite—it’s easy to fall in love with Chandigarh. The streets offer long, unbroken sidewalks to stroll on in the shade of leafy trees. In the evening, as the sun sets in hues of purple and pink, people sit out on their stoops and balconies, greeting friends and strangers.
Le Corbusier insisted that every building maintain greenery in the front, the back, and, occasionally, on the roof, so the whole town seems like one large garden party. It is peaceful, easy living, far removed from the chaos and dirt of the usual big-city life.
Even the buildings—the functional, concrete, angular buildings that many people harp on about due to their lack of ornamentation—are aesthetically appealing as a whole. The definitive stamp of one style on the whole city makes it visually stimulating, even if you’re not an architecture enthusiast.
This seems to be the year for Le Corbusier. Chandigarh, as his major work, is being revisited by design students and architects as an example of urban planning that has withstood 50 years of active use. A discussion organized in Mumbai last month by the Asiatic Society of Mumbai examined Chandigarh for lessons on how a city and its society interact with and shape each other over a period of time. A new exhibition sponsored by the Royal Institute of British Architects (Riba) opens in Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral in England on 2 October (and will run till 18 October) as part of Liverpool’s 2008 European Capital of Culture programme, and will examine both Le Corbusier’s great ideas (plans for the Capitol Complex at Chandigarh) and his terrible ones (he wished to tear down the historic centre of Paris, particularly the second, third, ninth and tenth arrondissements, and rebuild it with concrete skyscrapers). A new translation of Toward an Architecture was published last year and chosen as a Favorite Book of 2007 by the Art and Architecture Critics of The New York Times. And many urban planners, such as the US Department of housing and urban development (HUD), have adopted “New Urbanism”, a style based on many of Le Corbusier’s precepts, which espouses the creation of compact, walkable, mixed-use cities.
Riba president Sunand Prasad curated an earlier exhibition on Le Corbusier and is thrilled to be sponsoring the forthcoming exhibition in Liverpool. “His best buildings are really, in the view of many of us, some of the best works of architecture, indeed of art, that we have anywhere in the world,” says Prasad. “Architecture has to be useful, it has to work for people, but at its best, architecture gives pleasure and uplifts one’s spirit. Le Corbusier’s best works do just that.”
Despite all the international attention and the citizens’ avowals of love for the city, little has been done to protect the design elements that have made Chandigarh so distinct, other than obeying the building authority edicts that Le Corbusier set in place in 1961.
Architect Kiran Joshi, a professor at Chandigarh School of Architecture, began researching Le Corbusier in 1988 with the help of her students. The Chandigarh administration had asked her to compile a study on the works of Le Corbusier for reference. She expected it to take her around four months. It took her 10 years, and she continues to update it to this day. The study became “a voyage of discovery” for her and she says that everyone who worked on it with her became fascinated by Le Corbusier’s work.
Unfortunately, few people in the city paid her study much attention. She recently tore out a full-page advertisement in the local paper requesting a painter to create a mural depicting “the bounty of Haryana” for a judge’s quarters in the high court. The high court was designed by Le Corbusier down to the last detail—the murals in offices, the desks for judges and the lamp posts outside. But the people working at the high court didn’t realize the value of the art they had in their own offices and preferred newer furniture, shiny desks and cheap paintings. “The judges are supposed to protect the heritage of the country, but in Chandigarh, they are the ones actively destroying it,” Joshi says.
It came as little surprise to her when the city’s furniture, sold for mere rupees in government auctions, went on sale in 2007 for thousands of dollars at Christie’s in New York. Chairs that can still be found, damaged and discarded, on the balconies in government offices in Chandigarh sold for as high as Rs20 lakh. That incident shamed the administration, with The New York Times crowing: “The city that sat on its treasures, but never saw them”.
But the director of the Museum of Architecture, Navjot Pal Singh Randhawa, who is also the inspector general of the Chandigarh jail, says that the sale actually benefited the town.
“We would have destroyed what’s left,” he explains, sitting in his office at the museum. The furniture was specifically made for offices and the very simplicity of design that makes it worth so much today is exactly what turned off people in Chandigarh. “If people had liked it in their house, they wouldn’t have thrown it out,” Randhawa explains. Thankfully, the auction made people realize what they had, and now more people are trying to preserve the furniture.
The changes in architecture occurred most often in personal homes. One grand mansion at No. 33, Sector 1, was divided up to create a guest house for visitors of the Haryana government. The wide-open veranda had a ceiling built over it; the genteel, curved driveway was split to make way for a reception area. And that’s one of the lucky ones that hasn’t been torn down by new owners to design homes in styles that are completely incongruous with the rest of the town.
Joshi’s husband, I.J.S. Bakshi, also an architect, laments the loose regulations for building new homes: “There’s no control over what people might be doing,” he says. “They put up anything they want rather than being loyal to the city’s aesthetic. So you get strange things that don’t belong here.”
It is jarring to see the mishmash of a new home built in a strange colonial-gothic mix in a city known for its bare-bones ornamentation. For example, the peaceful Sukhna lake was built with no buildings obscuring the view to the foothills of the Himalayas. All the structures were low-slung and devoid of flourishes. But, these days, across the street from the main entrance, a grandiose mansion with Corinthian pillars dominates the view. It appears as a gaudily overdressed guest at an otherwise sober party.
Aditya Prakash saw all these changes as the natural ageing of a city—and he liked it that way. He worked under Le Corbusier as part of the original 50-person architectural team in Chandigarh and took over as chief architect of Chandigarh from Le Corbusier’s partner and cousin Pierre Jeanneret. He passed away on 12 August and spent his last weeks in the home he designed, obviously derived from the teaching of Le Corbusier, from its angular lines and sparse furnishings to the main material, cement.
A month before he passed, Prakash complained that the Unesco designation will be akin to “pickling the city”. He said that like a human body, cities grow, age and die, “We should not kill it, but it should be able to die”. He worried that the preservation will fortress the city, keeping residents from actively living in it.
Prasad has similar concerns. He says that World Heritage status protects buildings, but it also freezes them in time since no more building or changes will be allowed after the designation. “(The Capitol Complex) is an extraordinary piece of theatre, but it is not very functional. It should be altered through intelligent modification,” he says.
Joshi and other architects, such as the chief architect of Punjab, B. Saini, disagree. Joshi firmly believes the Unesco heritage tag is necessary to make people in Chandigarh value what they have and that they need the backing of the designation to preserve the historical core. Vivek Atray agrees with Joshi. “Over the years, awareness about heritage has gone down” especially with buildings that are functional and lived in, he says. “Highlighting the heritage status will make the people more conscious.”
The process for a World Heritage designation was initiated in part by Unesco and a consortium of other countries, including France and Japan, with other Le Corbusier-designed buildings. In December 2007, a panel of Unesco experts visited the city for a Le Corbusier convention. Atray says the designation will not only give the city prestige, and a huge boost to its tourism, but Unesco will also provide expertise on preserving and modernizing the city.
The city administration also hopes the designation will raise community awareness about its historical treasures. The Museum of Architecture, under the guidance of Randhawa, has begun to compile a catalogue of Le Corbusier and Jeanneret’s furniture designs. Randhawa says that despite the bad press about the auctions abroad, people still don’t know what pieces deserve to be kept. The museum and government are marking each piece of furniture with a serial number and creating a board to oversee all future government auctions, in order to preserve what they have now.
Randhawa, in his role as inspector general of the jail, also decided to turn the inmates into protectors of the Le Corbusier legacy. “I had a potential labour force that could be utilized in any direction that I gave,” he says. So he trained the inmates in furniture restoration. Now, when pieces of furniture at government offices break or are damaged, they aren’t thrown away—they are sent to the jail to be fixed. “They think I’ve gone mad,” Randhawa laughs.
Some private building owners, too, have taken it upon themselves to restore their homes to the original designs. The family behind the Delhi-based Imperial Hotel plans to restore the house at No. 33, Sector 1, to its original floor plan and furnish it with time-appropriate pieces. It should open as a boutique bed-and-breakfast some time next year.
For now, though, the city still needs to wake up to its own value. On a rainy afternoon at the city’s “head”, at its capital park, the great works of Le Corbusier—his massive, ship-like secretariat, the playful assembly, with its gravity-defying concrete curve roof, and the colourful high court—preside over only a few people. Ensconced in tight security, ever since a car bomb exploded outside the park in 1995, the place Le Corbusier saw as a modern-day Greek forum now stands eerily empty, with grass growing through cracks in the park’s cement pathways and the artificial lake a mire of moss and mosquitoes. The only people enjoying Le Corbusier’s masterwork are a group of sanitation department workers, clearing wastepaper through the grand ceremonial door to the assembly. A trash collector, Amarjeet Singh, pauses in his work to point to the bright, large mural Le Corbusier painted: “A French architect gave us that!”
Jawaharlal Nehru, at an architecture seminar in New Delhi, 1959
Almost 50 years ago, Nehru saw Chandigarh as a symbol of the new India, a city that would prove the country’s ability to unite the social classes, embrace modernity and inspire generations of thinkers and inventors. Constructed as the new capital of the sorely divided Punjab, Chandigarh gave architect Le Corbusier his only opportunity to implement his modernist ideals about shaping cities around the new mode of transportation—cars; self-sufficient sectors dividing a city into small parts; and the nobility of cement as a building material.
In reality, after its much-crowed-about beginnings, Chandigarh, with its quirky architecture, settled for the status of a second-tier city, meant for bureaucrats and middle managers. Long-time residents called it the best place to live in India; others called it a city for the “dead and the dying”; and the rest of the country barely cast a second glance at it
Outside India, though, the city has been a source of fascination for the international architecture community that has both vilified and adored Le Corbusier, “the father of modern architecture”. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) approached the city in 2001, with a plan to nominate the city as a possible modern World Heritage site. Design students constantly make pilgrimages to the city. And, last year, foreign furniture dealers auctioned off original Le Corbusier items from Chandigarh. A typical piece, such as a wooden coffee table, which fetched around Rs100 at a government auction, went for over Rs67.7 lakh at Christie’s in New York.
After years of dragging their feet, the city’s authorities have finally gone into an overdrive to protect their heritage, spurred on by a group of architects and design lovers in the city, and by the embarrassment of the Christie’s sale. Not only have they created committees to oversee the preservation of its historical core and organized community outreach programmes to educate citizens, but, in a major coup, the three governing bodies in Chandigarh—the Punjab, the Haryana, and the Union government—have finally agreed to submit the Unesco nomination. The preservation, maintenance and repair work done at a Unesco Heritage Site can only be carried out under the UN body’s supervision. According to Vivek Atray, secretary, Chandigarh department of tourism, Unesco will likely add the city to its heritage list as early as January, and Chandigarh, long overlooked by its own people, may finally get the recognition it deserves.
One of the main reasons people tend to overlook Chandigarh’s significance can be attributed directly to Le Corbusier. Before he was roped in by Nehru, Le Corbusier had tried, and failed, for years to convince European governments to implement his ideas on city planning. He believed a modern city needed to be shaped around cars, the new mode of transport. That meant wide roads, traffic circles and all walking paths and storefronts set off from the main roads. He also believed in dividing the city into sectors—small, self-sufficient blocks that would each include areas for schools, shops and parks. And finally, he believed in buildings that served the people, rather than imposing ornamentation and form on them.
He famously wrote in his book Toward an Architecture: “The house is a machine for living in.” It was this philosophy that contributed to an utterly unassuming town structure, though the buildings look different from those in any other city. The cleanliness, functionality and peacefulness of the city can also be largely attributed to the architectural plan. In Chandigarh, Le Corbusier finally had the opportunity to put his theories to work, but to the untrained eye, it isn’t always obvious why the city works so well.
Kapil Dev, a former captain of the Indian cricket team who grew up in Chandigarh, recalls that he naturally assumed every city ran in the same orderly fashion, that every road had its own function, that parks were plentiful and that sectors divided cities evenly. Once he started travelling to play cricket, he realized how wrong he had been.
“I thought the entire world was like that,” he says, “but it is the only planned city.” His work keeps him away from his childhood home, but “if I didn’t have a business… I wouldn’t think twice about” returning to the city to live there, he says.
Dev isn’t alone in boasting about his home city—visit any part of the city and people will readily talk about the virtues of the place: “It’s the only place our children can grow up with safe areas to play in… Our police force is second only to Mumbai in the country… Soon, we’ll even surpass Bangalore in attracting IT companies… A recent smoking ban keeps the public spaces and the air clean… Everyone wants to live here now, just look at how much our population has gone up.”
While the city was under construction in the 1950s, Y.P. Vohra, now 80, says most public servants were horrified at the government’s decision to shift from Shimla to Chandigarh. “Nobody wanted to go,” he chuckles. But 49 years later, he “wouldn’t live anywhere else”.
For visitors from Delhi—with its traffic, its pollution and the brutal sun beating down with little respite—it’s easy to fall in love with Chandigarh. The streets offer long, unbroken sidewalks to stroll on in the shade of leafy trees. In the evening, as the sun sets in hues of purple and pink, people sit out on their stoops and balconies, greeting friends and strangers.
Le Corbusier insisted that every building maintain greenery in the front, the back, and, occasionally, on the roof, so the whole town seems like one large garden party. It is peaceful, easy living, far removed from the chaos and dirt of the usual big-city life.
Even the buildings—the functional, concrete, angular buildings that many people harp on about due to their lack of ornamentation—are aesthetically appealing as a whole. The definitive stamp of one style on the whole city makes it visually stimulating, even if you’re not an architecture enthusiast.
This seems to be the year for Le Corbusier. Chandigarh, as his major work, is being revisited by design students and architects as an example of urban planning that has withstood 50 years of active use. A discussion organized in Mumbai last month by the Asiatic Society of Mumbai examined Chandigarh for lessons on how a city and its society interact with and shape each other over a period of time. A new exhibition sponsored by the Royal Institute of British Architects (Riba) opens in Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral in England on 2 October (and will run till 18 October) as part of Liverpool’s 2008 European Capital of Culture programme, and will examine both Le Corbusier’s great ideas (plans for the Capitol Complex at Chandigarh) and his terrible ones (he wished to tear down the historic centre of Paris, particularly the second, third, ninth and tenth arrondissements, and rebuild it with concrete skyscrapers). A new translation of Toward an Architecture was published last year and chosen as a Favorite Book of 2007 by the Art and Architecture Critics of The New York Times. And many urban planners, such as the US Department of housing and urban development (HUD), have adopted “New Urbanism”, a style based on many of Le Corbusier’s precepts, which espouses the creation of compact, walkable, mixed-use cities.
Riba president Sunand Prasad curated an earlier exhibition on Le Corbusier and is thrilled to be sponsoring the forthcoming exhibition in Liverpool. “His best buildings are really, in the view of many of us, some of the best works of architecture, indeed of art, that we have anywhere in the world,” says Prasad. “Architecture has to be useful, it has to work for people, but at its best, architecture gives pleasure and uplifts one’s spirit. Le Corbusier’s best works do just that.”
Despite all the international attention and the citizens’ avowals of love for the city, little has been done to protect the design elements that have made Chandigarh so distinct, other than obeying the building authority edicts that Le Corbusier set in place in 1961.
Architect Kiran Joshi, a professor at Chandigarh School of Architecture, began researching Le Corbusier in 1988 with the help of her students. The Chandigarh administration had asked her to compile a study on the works of Le Corbusier for reference. She expected it to take her around four months. It took her 10 years, and she continues to update it to this day. The study became “a voyage of discovery” for her and she says that everyone who worked on it with her became fascinated by Le Corbusier’s work.
Unfortunately, few people in the city paid her study much attention. She recently tore out a full-page advertisement in the local paper requesting a painter to create a mural depicting “the bounty of Haryana” for a judge’s quarters in the high court. The high court was designed by Le Corbusier down to the last detail—the murals in offices, the desks for judges and the lamp posts outside. But the people working at the high court didn’t realize the value of the art they had in their own offices and preferred newer furniture, shiny desks and cheap paintings. “The judges are supposed to protect the heritage of the country, but in Chandigarh, they are the ones actively destroying it,” Joshi says.
It came as little surprise to her when the city’s furniture, sold for mere rupees in government auctions, went on sale in 2007 for thousands of dollars at Christie’s in New York. Chairs that can still be found, damaged and discarded, on the balconies in government offices in Chandigarh sold for as high as Rs20 lakh. That incident shamed the administration, with The New York Times crowing: “The city that sat on its treasures, but never saw them”.
But the director of the Museum of Architecture, Navjot Pal Singh Randhawa, who is also the inspector general of the Chandigarh jail, says that the sale actually benefited the town.
“We would have destroyed what’s left,” he explains, sitting in his office at the museum. The furniture was specifically made for offices and the very simplicity of design that makes it worth so much today is exactly what turned off people in Chandigarh. “If people had liked it in their house, they wouldn’t have thrown it out,” Randhawa explains. Thankfully, the auction made people realize what they had, and now more people are trying to preserve the furniture.
The changes in architecture occurred most often in personal homes. One grand mansion at No. 33, Sector 1, was divided up to create a guest house for visitors of the Haryana government. The wide-open veranda had a ceiling built over it; the genteel, curved driveway was split to make way for a reception area. And that’s one of the lucky ones that hasn’t been torn down by new owners to design homes in styles that are completely incongruous with the rest of the town.
Joshi’s husband, I.J.S. Bakshi, also an architect, laments the loose regulations for building new homes: “There’s no control over what people might be doing,” he says. “They put up anything they want rather than being loyal to the city’s aesthetic. So you get strange things that don’t belong here.”
It is jarring to see the mishmash of a new home built in a strange colonial-gothic mix in a city known for its bare-bones ornamentation. For example, the peaceful Sukhna lake was built with no buildings obscuring the view to the foothills of the Himalayas. All the structures were low-slung and devoid of flourishes. But, these days, across the street from the main entrance, a grandiose mansion with Corinthian pillars dominates the view. It appears as a gaudily overdressed guest at an otherwise sober party.
Aditya Prakash saw all these changes as the natural ageing of a city—and he liked it that way. He worked under Le Corbusier as part of the original 50-person architectural team in Chandigarh and took over as chief architect of Chandigarh from Le Corbusier’s partner and cousin Pierre Jeanneret. He passed away on 12 August and spent his last weeks in the home he designed, obviously derived from the teaching of Le Corbusier, from its angular lines and sparse furnishings to the main material, cement.
A month before he passed, Prakash complained that the Unesco designation will be akin to “pickling the city”. He said that like a human body, cities grow, age and die, “We should not kill it, but it should be able to die”. He worried that the preservation will fortress the city, keeping residents from actively living in it.
Prasad has similar concerns. He says that World Heritage status protects buildings, but it also freezes them in time since no more building or changes will be allowed after the designation. “(The Capitol Complex) is an extraordinary piece of theatre, but it is not very functional. It should be altered through intelligent modification,” he says.
Joshi and other architects, such as the chief architect of Punjab, B. Saini, disagree. Joshi firmly believes the Unesco heritage tag is necessary to make people in Chandigarh value what they have and that they need the backing of the designation to preserve the historical core. Vivek Atray agrees with Joshi. “Over the years, awareness about heritage has gone down” especially with buildings that are functional and lived in, he says. “Highlighting the heritage status will make the people more conscious.”
The process for a World Heritage designation was initiated in part by Unesco and a consortium of other countries, including France and Japan, with other Le Corbusier-designed buildings. In December 2007, a panel of Unesco experts visited the city for a Le Corbusier convention. Atray says the designation will not only give the city prestige, and a huge boost to its tourism, but Unesco will also provide expertise on preserving and modernizing the city.
The city administration also hopes the designation will raise community awareness about its historical treasures. The Museum of Architecture, under the guidance of Randhawa, has begun to compile a catalogue of Le Corbusier and Jeanneret’s furniture designs. Randhawa says that despite the bad press about the auctions abroad, people still don’t know what pieces deserve to be kept. The museum and government are marking each piece of furniture with a serial number and creating a board to oversee all future government auctions, in order to preserve what they have now.
Randhawa, in his role as inspector general of the jail, also decided to turn the inmates into protectors of the Le Corbusier legacy. “I had a potential labour force that could be utilized in any direction that I gave,” he says. So he trained the inmates in furniture restoration. Now, when pieces of furniture at government offices break or are damaged, they aren’t thrown away—they are sent to the jail to be fixed. “They think I’ve gone mad,” Randhawa laughs.
Some private building owners, too, have taken it upon themselves to restore their homes to the original designs. The family behind the Delhi-based Imperial Hotel plans to restore the house at No. 33, Sector 1, to its original floor plan and furnish it with time-appropriate pieces. It should open as a boutique bed-and-breakfast some time next year.
For now, though, the city still needs to wake up to its own value. On a rainy afternoon at the city’s “head”, at its capital park, the great works of Le Corbusier—his massive, ship-like secretariat, the playful assembly, with its gravity-defying concrete curve roof, and the colourful high court—preside over only a few people. Ensconced in tight security, ever since a car bomb exploded outside the park in 1995, the place Le Corbusier saw as a modern-day Greek forum now stands eerily empty, with grass growing through cracks in the park’s cement pathways and the artificial lake a mire of moss and mosquitoes. The only people enjoying Le Corbusier’s masterwork are a group of sanitation department workers, clearing wastepaper through the grand ceremonial door to the assembly. A trash collector, Amarjeet Singh, pauses in his work to point to the bright, large mural Le Corbusier painted: “A French architect gave us that!”
Columnists - Vir Sanghvi;Why we will always love the Rolling Stones
There was a time, way back in the 1970s, when every time the Rolling Stones were introduced as “the greatest rock and roll band in the world,” there were howls of protest. The Beatles had never claimed to be just another rock and roll band so that was okay. But what about another great British band of the same vintage, The Who? What about Led Zeppelin whose records outsold the Stones everywhere in the world?
These days, nobody quibbles too much when the Stones are described as “the greatest”. Zeppelin never made it past the 1970s. The Who lost their edge. And the other pretenders came and went. Only the Stones, reunited after a bitter battle between Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, are still rocking in the 21st century.
And yet, who knows exactly why they are the greatest rock and roll band in the world? Of course they have a certain historical importance. And they’ve written some great songs. But it’s been a while since the Stones have recorded anything memorable. Their albums don’t really sell that well. I’d be very surprised if more than a handful of Lounge readers could name a single Stones track released in the last 10 years.
I pondered the immortality of the Stones while watching Shine a Light, a new concert movie made by Martin Scorsese.
There are nearly as many Stones movies as there are Stones live albums but in many ways, Shine a Light is the best. Not only is Scorsese a brilliant director but the film takes the bold decision to strip the Stones of the stadium glitz and pyrotechnics that have marred so many of the other concert movies. As he did with the Band in his seminal 1970s movie The Last Waltz, Scorsese gives us the Stones without any frills. He chooses a show at a relatively intimate venue (New York’s Beacon theatre), uses a simple set and shoots the band from so close that you can almost run a motorcycle through the giant grooves on Mick Jagger’s face. Does Shine a Light answer the question of why the Stones are the greatest rock band of all time? Not really. It’s a great show but the Stones are not significantly better than say, The Who, when that band is in form. The music is okay but there are no displays of virtuosity and no great insights into the songs.
What Scorsese does answer, however, is the question of why the Stones remain such icons. The show is a benefit for the Clinton foundation and when the Great Philanderer strides on to the screen to shake hands with the band, you can’t help thinking: “not only is this man much taller than Mick Jagger, he is also younger!”
Scorsese suggests, through subtle use of archival footage and the odd remark captured on film, (Clinton tells the Stones, “lots of sixty year olds have been calling me for tickets”) that we venerate the Stones because they take us back to our formative years; they remind us of the times we had the most fun; their songs are the ones we broke up with our girlfriends to (I think Wild Horses pretty much said it all for me); and they root us to a past that has effortlessly extended into the present.
We don’t really care what the Stones are writing these days. We don’t buy their records unless they are greatest hits compilations or live albums. We love them for what they represent in our lives.
Does that make the Stones an oldies act? A travelling jukebox? It should. I love the music of the Beatles dearly and am often moved to tears by some of the old songs that Paul McCartney sings in concert these days. But McCartney, sadly enough, is an oldies act. The Stones on the other hand, don’t make us feel sad or merely nostalgic. They make us feel alive.
The real difference between the way McCartney has handled the Beatles legacy and the manner in which the Stones have remained relevant is the live concert. You go to a Stones show to see a performance. Of course the songs are a part of it. But mainly, it is the pure theatre and the incredible showmanship of the band on stage. If you can go to a Stones concert and never once want to get up and dance then you are either tone-deaf or too old.
As Shine a Light shows us, almost all of this is due to Mick Jagger. I know it is fashionable to refer to Keith Richards as the musical heart of the Stones. But if he is such a genius, how come he hasn’t written a good song in 20 years or more? Richards’ greatest achievement is that he is still alive. He was never a great guitarist and his two-song bit at Stones concerts is always the point in the show when everyone heads for the loo. But because he represents some triumph of survival, is proof that you can still live the rock and roll lifestyle and come out on top, his very endurance makes him an icon.
On stage though, Richard looks like an elderly ragman who has dressed up as Alice Cooper. The shows are powered along solely by Jagger’s energy. Jagger may have the face of a man of 60 but he has the body of a teenager. Such is his onstage charisma that you never once feel that you are watching a bunch of old farts out to squeeze every last penny from their back catalogue (though this may well be true...).
In 1972, John Lennon sneered “I think Mick is a joke with all that fag dancing.” And perhaps he is. Taken out of context, all that high camp pouting and ass-jiggling can seem ridiculous. But, within the context of the shows, it makes perfect sense.
Some years ago, when the Stones came to India, I saw both their shows, in Bangalore and Mumbai. It struck me then that the reason we still take the old material so seriously is because Jagger takes it seriously himself. He sings each song like he’s just released the record last week and puts so much effort into each performance that you can’t help being seduced by his charisma.
Each time we see him snarl “Please allow me to introduce myself”, we are reminded of when we first heard Sympathy For the Devil and are grateful that, after all these years, it still sounds as fresh and energized.
We may have all come a long way since that first hearing but seeing Jagger sing it, we know our youth is not over, that our memories have not stagnated and that for that one evening at least, we are as fresh, and as energized as we were in our prime.
So, they may not be the greatest rock band in the world. But the Stones are time travellers. And when he tells us that yesterday does matter, even if it’s gone, Jagger makes time stand still.
Shine a Light is scheduled to release in Mumbai and New Delhi in September.
These days, nobody quibbles too much when the Stones are described as “the greatest”. Zeppelin never made it past the 1970s. The Who lost their edge. And the other pretenders came and went. Only the Stones, reunited after a bitter battle between Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, are still rocking in the 21st century.
And yet, who knows exactly why they are the greatest rock and roll band in the world? Of course they have a certain historical importance. And they’ve written some great songs. But it’s been a while since the Stones have recorded anything memorable. Their albums don’t really sell that well. I’d be very surprised if more than a handful of Lounge readers could name a single Stones track released in the last 10 years.
I pondered the immortality of the Stones while watching Shine a Light, a new concert movie made by Martin Scorsese.
There are nearly as many Stones movies as there are Stones live albums but in many ways, Shine a Light is the best. Not only is Scorsese a brilliant director but the film takes the bold decision to strip the Stones of the stadium glitz and pyrotechnics that have marred so many of the other concert movies. As he did with the Band in his seminal 1970s movie The Last Waltz, Scorsese gives us the Stones without any frills. He chooses a show at a relatively intimate venue (New York’s Beacon theatre), uses a simple set and shoots the band from so close that you can almost run a motorcycle through the giant grooves on Mick Jagger’s face. Does Shine a Light answer the question of why the Stones are the greatest rock band of all time? Not really. It’s a great show but the Stones are not significantly better than say, The Who, when that band is in form. The music is okay but there are no displays of virtuosity and no great insights into the songs.
What Scorsese does answer, however, is the question of why the Stones remain such icons. The show is a benefit for the Clinton foundation and when the Great Philanderer strides on to the screen to shake hands with the band, you can’t help thinking: “not only is this man much taller than Mick Jagger, he is also younger!”
Scorsese suggests, through subtle use of archival footage and the odd remark captured on film, (Clinton tells the Stones, “lots of sixty year olds have been calling me for tickets”) that we venerate the Stones because they take us back to our formative years; they remind us of the times we had the most fun; their songs are the ones we broke up with our girlfriends to (I think Wild Horses pretty much said it all for me); and they root us to a past that has effortlessly extended into the present.
We don’t really care what the Stones are writing these days. We don’t buy their records unless they are greatest hits compilations or live albums. We love them for what they represent in our lives.
Does that make the Stones an oldies act? A travelling jukebox? It should. I love the music of the Beatles dearly and am often moved to tears by some of the old songs that Paul McCartney sings in concert these days. But McCartney, sadly enough, is an oldies act. The Stones on the other hand, don’t make us feel sad or merely nostalgic. They make us feel alive.
The real difference between the way McCartney has handled the Beatles legacy and the manner in which the Stones have remained relevant is the live concert. You go to a Stones show to see a performance. Of course the songs are a part of it. But mainly, it is the pure theatre and the incredible showmanship of the band on stage. If you can go to a Stones concert and never once want to get up and dance then you are either tone-deaf or too old.
As Shine a Light shows us, almost all of this is due to Mick Jagger. I know it is fashionable to refer to Keith Richards as the musical heart of the Stones. But if he is such a genius, how come he hasn’t written a good song in 20 years or more? Richards’ greatest achievement is that he is still alive. He was never a great guitarist and his two-song bit at Stones concerts is always the point in the show when everyone heads for the loo. But because he represents some triumph of survival, is proof that you can still live the rock and roll lifestyle and come out on top, his very endurance makes him an icon.
On stage though, Richard looks like an elderly ragman who has dressed up as Alice Cooper. The shows are powered along solely by Jagger’s energy. Jagger may have the face of a man of 60 but he has the body of a teenager. Such is his onstage charisma that you never once feel that you are watching a bunch of old farts out to squeeze every last penny from their back catalogue (though this may well be true...).
In 1972, John Lennon sneered “I think Mick is a joke with all that fag dancing.” And perhaps he is. Taken out of context, all that high camp pouting and ass-jiggling can seem ridiculous. But, within the context of the shows, it makes perfect sense.
Some years ago, when the Stones came to India, I saw both their shows, in Bangalore and Mumbai. It struck me then that the reason we still take the old material so seriously is because Jagger takes it seriously himself. He sings each song like he’s just released the record last week and puts so much effort into each performance that you can’t help being seduced by his charisma.
Each time we see him snarl “Please allow me to introduce myself”, we are reminded of when we first heard Sympathy For the Devil and are grateful that, after all these years, it still sounds as fresh and energized.
We may have all come a long way since that first hearing but seeing Jagger sing it, we know our youth is not over, that our memories have not stagnated and that for that one evening at least, we are as fresh, and as energized as we were in our prime.
So, they may not be the greatest rock band in the world. But the Stones are time travellers. And when he tells us that yesterday does matter, even if it’s gone, Jagger makes time stand still.
Shine a Light is scheduled to release in Mumbai and New Delhi in September.
Lifestyle -India;Chilli in my Plate
It might be just an ingredient in recipe books or lost amongst the bigger fry on a plate, but don’t underestimates the thrill of the chilli.
Despite its seemingly American origins, India’s spicy palate has been quite the nesting place for it, and we find the spice route takes us farther than the kitchen. Bring the chilli out to the bar, we say, and to the bakery, if you will and oh, if it gets too hot to handle, take it to the icecream counter as well.
When it comes to the chilli, one can’t ignore the Mexican side of the affair. Arguably one of the most superior cuisines when it comes to sampling the widest variety of chillies ever cultivated, you have a choice from freshly-picked jalapeno to its dry form, chiptle.
Then, there’s the poblano and another dry form, ancho, and so on. You will find all these and more at Tex-Mex resto-bar Sancho’s at South Extension in Delhi. It’s spicy, yes, but the Mexican way, not “Indianised”, reaffirms Mexican chef at work at Sancho’s, Jorge Romero.
“I have not “adjusted” the food to suit the Indian palate. It’s how it is in Mexico. We use 13 types of chillies here, all imported from Mexico and, I think, in a country like India where spice is popular, this should work,” he says.
Sample the Jalapeno mushroom pimento salsa (Rs 245) and you’ll know what he means. The subtle flavour of chillies is definitely not too hot for the palate though it will be a tad bit stronger in the chilli sizzling fajitas — king prawns (Rs 325) or Mexican chicken (Rs 295).
What you can also try is the tortilla buffet at Sancho’s (Rs 99), where you’ll find seven varieties of delightful salsas, from mango flavour to the corn variety to the delicate avocado salsa to roasted tomato.
At the ongoing Mexican food promotion at Pickwicks, the all-day dining restaurant at Claridges in the capital, try the jalapeno wonder Chimichanga, stuffed grilled tortilla bread served with jalapeno coleslaw, with a choice of chunky tuna or corn fed chicken, priced at Rs 850/750.
If a drink is what you need, chilli won’t disappoint you there either. At F-Bar and Lounge, The Ashok, New Delhi, captain of the bar Balwant Chauhan’s spiced up mocktails take centrestage.
For a red chilli mix, try Red Hot Chilli Peppers (Rs 300), prepared with lime juice, ginger ale syrup, chopped chilly, topped with lemonade and garnished with red chilli. The green chilli composition (also Rs 300), meanwhile, comes muddled and shaken.
Guava juice with a pinch of black salt, Tabasco, fresh lime, Worcestershire sauce, chopped green chilli and a bit of coriander, and you’ve got yourself a clean mean mocktail, garnished with green chilli and a ginger slice.
At Aura — The Vodka Bar at Claridges, chilli meets vodka in the Red Devil cocktail (Rs 500). Made with chilli infused vodka, fresh watermelon chunks and sugar syrup, this promises to be refreshingly spicy.
At Sancho’s, a special tequila shot mixed with salsa does a fantastic job of balancing the pungent taste of both the chilli and tequila. You won’t need lime or salt. The salsa shot is priced at Rs 199-400, depending on your choice of tequila; you can take your pick from brands like Corralejo to silver/gold Souza.
Also on the menu is Al Rayo, a tequila-based cocktail tipped with salsa, pomegranate juice and grenadine, priced at Rs 350 a drink. If you’re looking to buy a whole bottle of chilli vodka, try Kalanov Vodka, in black pepper chilli flavour, available at the Eshik Impex in Mumbai (price on request).
As an aside, it’s always a boost to know that what’s hot is also healthy! Chillies are very high in Vitamin A and C and consumed in small amounts, aid digestion. Especially, they say, in the digestion of chocolate. No wonder chilli chocolates are quite the thing these days.
From Australia to South America, small-town chilli growing communities are known to have ventured into the chilli chocolate making business, and online orders are very popular.
Closer home in the capital, the first to fuse the unlikely pair into a premium chocolate was Chocolatiers’ owner Sanjiv Obhrai a while ago.
“I get my chillies from Andhra Pradesh, surprisingly called Kashmiri chilli. We wash them with vodka to retain its red colour and to make the taste less pungent,” he explains.
At his chocolate boutique in CR Park, you will find that the red chilli is stuffed delicately with chocolate, albeit the tip will be more pungent than the rest for the lack of chocolate there. A kilogram of this delicate chocolate will cost you Rs 750.
And not just in chocolates, The Taj Mahal pastry chef Kim Caula recommends blending chilli in cake, a chocolate drink, anything that one would like, he gushes.
“You can cook it with dark chocolate, or use it for a chocolate base for chicken. But the use of chilli in this way is limited in India at the moment. People here have not yet understood it well. But this style of cooking is very popular in the US, Chile, Argentina and Mexico,” he says.
As for the cherry on the cake, chilli icecream is quite the thing to try. The spicy cold flavour comes for just Rs 30 for a cup of 100 grams at Apsara icecream outlets, Mumbai.
Despite its seemingly American origins, India’s spicy palate has been quite the nesting place for it, and we find the spice route takes us farther than the kitchen. Bring the chilli out to the bar, we say, and to the bakery, if you will and oh, if it gets too hot to handle, take it to the icecream counter as well.
When it comes to the chilli, one can’t ignore the Mexican side of the affair. Arguably one of the most superior cuisines when it comes to sampling the widest variety of chillies ever cultivated, you have a choice from freshly-picked jalapeno to its dry form, chiptle.
Then, there’s the poblano and another dry form, ancho, and so on. You will find all these and more at Tex-Mex resto-bar Sancho’s at South Extension in Delhi. It’s spicy, yes, but the Mexican way, not “Indianised”, reaffirms Mexican chef at work at Sancho’s, Jorge Romero.
“I have not “adjusted” the food to suit the Indian palate. It’s how it is in Mexico. We use 13 types of chillies here, all imported from Mexico and, I think, in a country like India where spice is popular, this should work,” he says.
Sample the Jalapeno mushroom pimento salsa (Rs 245) and you’ll know what he means. The subtle flavour of chillies is definitely not too hot for the palate though it will be a tad bit stronger in the chilli sizzling fajitas — king prawns (Rs 325) or Mexican chicken (Rs 295).
What you can also try is the tortilla buffet at Sancho’s (Rs 99), where you’ll find seven varieties of delightful salsas, from mango flavour to the corn variety to the delicate avocado salsa to roasted tomato.
At the ongoing Mexican food promotion at Pickwicks, the all-day dining restaurant at Claridges in the capital, try the jalapeno wonder Chimichanga, stuffed grilled tortilla bread served with jalapeno coleslaw, with a choice of chunky tuna or corn fed chicken, priced at Rs 850/750.
If a drink is what you need, chilli won’t disappoint you there either. At F-Bar and Lounge, The Ashok, New Delhi, captain of the bar Balwant Chauhan’s spiced up mocktails take centrestage.
For a red chilli mix, try Red Hot Chilli Peppers (Rs 300), prepared with lime juice, ginger ale syrup, chopped chilly, topped with lemonade and garnished with red chilli. The green chilli composition (also Rs 300), meanwhile, comes muddled and shaken.
Guava juice with a pinch of black salt, Tabasco, fresh lime, Worcestershire sauce, chopped green chilli and a bit of coriander, and you’ve got yourself a clean mean mocktail, garnished with green chilli and a ginger slice.
At Aura — The Vodka Bar at Claridges, chilli meets vodka in the Red Devil cocktail (Rs 500). Made with chilli infused vodka, fresh watermelon chunks and sugar syrup, this promises to be refreshingly spicy.
At Sancho’s, a special tequila shot mixed with salsa does a fantastic job of balancing the pungent taste of both the chilli and tequila. You won’t need lime or salt. The salsa shot is priced at Rs 199-400, depending on your choice of tequila; you can take your pick from brands like Corralejo to silver/gold Souza.
Also on the menu is Al Rayo, a tequila-based cocktail tipped with salsa, pomegranate juice and grenadine, priced at Rs 350 a drink. If you’re looking to buy a whole bottle of chilli vodka, try Kalanov Vodka, in black pepper chilli flavour, available at the Eshik Impex in Mumbai (price on request).
As an aside, it’s always a boost to know that what’s hot is also healthy! Chillies are very high in Vitamin A and C and consumed in small amounts, aid digestion. Especially, they say, in the digestion of chocolate. No wonder chilli chocolates are quite the thing these days.
From Australia to South America, small-town chilli growing communities are known to have ventured into the chilli chocolate making business, and online orders are very popular.
Closer home in the capital, the first to fuse the unlikely pair into a premium chocolate was Chocolatiers’ owner Sanjiv Obhrai a while ago.
“I get my chillies from Andhra Pradesh, surprisingly called Kashmiri chilli. We wash them with vodka to retain its red colour and to make the taste less pungent,” he explains.
At his chocolate boutique in CR Park, you will find that the red chilli is stuffed delicately with chocolate, albeit the tip will be more pungent than the rest for the lack of chocolate there. A kilogram of this delicate chocolate will cost you Rs 750.
And not just in chocolates, The Taj Mahal pastry chef Kim Caula recommends blending chilli in cake, a chocolate drink, anything that one would like, he gushes.
“You can cook it with dark chocolate, or use it for a chocolate base for chicken. But the use of chilli in this way is limited in India at the moment. People here have not yet understood it well. But this style of cooking is very popular in the US, Chile, Argentina and Mexico,” he says.
As for the cherry on the cake, chilli icecream is quite the thing to try. The spicy cold flavour comes for just Rs 30 for a cup of 100 grams at Apsara icecream outlets, Mumbai.
Lifestyle - Eat Right
“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” With those three simple sentences, Michael Pollan ushered in a revolution in the way Americans thought about food. His book, In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto, offers an elegantly simple thesis.
The American diet includes too many “edible foodlike substances” that aren’t real food. The more you process food, the longer it stays on the shelves, the worse it is for you. So, he advises, eat fresh; don’t eat anything your grandmother wouldn’t recognise; and pay attention to your plate.
“But India’s different,” a foodie friend said. “We eat mostly fresh foods and we don’t have to worry about the whole organic debate.” I wasn’t so sure. So I spent some time in Delhi’s markets, watching people’s shopping habits.
More Indians eat out than ever before, and what we eat is often junk food — burgers, artery-busters like choley-bhature and butter chicken, two-minute noodles.
In INA Market, Defence Colony Market and Khan Market, many shopkeepers confirmed that the Indian household’s dependence on packaged foods was going up. If you speak to school teachers and the parents of young children, they’ll confirm that this is the chips-over-fruit generation.
Even when we’re buying “healthy”, the local vegetable markets have changed. Yes, you can find button mushrooms, broccoli and cherry tomatoes and other such exotica in the markets.
But with cold storage catching on, you lose your sense of what is and isn’t seasonal. I noticed small absences: the varieties of spinach seemed to have shrunk from 14-21 kinds to just two or three, mulberries and phalsa and other local fruit were disappearing off the shelves even as California grapes and prunes became readily available.
Two months after reading Pollan’s book, I came across Barbara Kingsolver’s account of how she and her family spent a year eating mostly what they had grown and farmed themselves. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle demonstrated an increasingly fashionable trend — the idea that eating local is better for you and better for the environment.
Inspiring as Kingsolver’s book is, I didn’t see my husband and me moving down to the farm. Instead, I set out to shop and eat slightly differently over a two-month period, just to see how easy or difficult it might be to eat healthier. This is what worked and what didn’t:
1) Shopping for vegetables every day — desirable, but impractical for many Indian households, especially if the family members keep office hours. Shopping twice a week, however, is easy for even the busiest of us. With veggies in the fridge, the need to order out dropped sharply.
2) Killing your own food: Bill Buford did it in Heat, Pollan did it, Kingsolver did it. I wimped out, given that cutting up a fish makes me nauseous. And besides, the friendly neighbourhood butcher does a better job than I could. I agree that killing your own chickens and goats is a way to remind yourself of the “cost” of meat, that you’re taking a life, but I’m, well, too chicken to do it.
3) The no-deprivation rule: Don’t go completely off chocolate; just save up your “chocolate points” for really excellent chocolate once in a while instead of eating KitKats every day. Don’t swear completely off meat; instead, pass on burgers, cheap sausages, badly made kababs and treat yourself once in a while to really excellent pork chops or spectacular raan. Chuck out the junk food — chips, biscuits, dalmoth — and buy nuts and raisins instead.
4) The do-it-yourself rule: Juicing fresh fruit rather than buying tetrapaks worked surprisingly well; spending Sunday in the kitchen cooking soups and stocks to use during the rest of the week became something of a chore. I did manage to cut down on the processed foods considerably, but it’ll be a while before I make stocks from scratch again. Sometimes, a good bouillon cube is the best way to go.
The American diet includes too many “edible foodlike substances” that aren’t real food. The more you process food, the longer it stays on the shelves, the worse it is for you. So, he advises, eat fresh; don’t eat anything your grandmother wouldn’t recognise; and pay attention to your plate.
“But India’s different,” a foodie friend said. “We eat mostly fresh foods and we don’t have to worry about the whole organic debate.” I wasn’t so sure. So I spent some time in Delhi’s markets, watching people’s shopping habits.
More Indians eat out than ever before, and what we eat is often junk food — burgers, artery-busters like choley-bhature and butter chicken, two-minute noodles.
In INA Market, Defence Colony Market and Khan Market, many shopkeepers confirmed that the Indian household’s dependence on packaged foods was going up. If you speak to school teachers and the parents of young children, they’ll confirm that this is the chips-over-fruit generation.
Even when we’re buying “healthy”, the local vegetable markets have changed. Yes, you can find button mushrooms, broccoli and cherry tomatoes and other such exotica in the markets.
But with cold storage catching on, you lose your sense of what is and isn’t seasonal. I noticed small absences: the varieties of spinach seemed to have shrunk from 14-21 kinds to just two or three, mulberries and phalsa and other local fruit were disappearing off the shelves even as California grapes and prunes became readily available.
Two months after reading Pollan’s book, I came across Barbara Kingsolver’s account of how she and her family spent a year eating mostly what they had grown and farmed themselves. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle demonstrated an increasingly fashionable trend — the idea that eating local is better for you and better for the environment.
Inspiring as Kingsolver’s book is, I didn’t see my husband and me moving down to the farm. Instead, I set out to shop and eat slightly differently over a two-month period, just to see how easy or difficult it might be to eat healthier. This is what worked and what didn’t:
1) Shopping for vegetables every day — desirable, but impractical for many Indian households, especially if the family members keep office hours. Shopping twice a week, however, is easy for even the busiest of us. With veggies in the fridge, the need to order out dropped sharply.
2) Killing your own food: Bill Buford did it in Heat, Pollan did it, Kingsolver did it. I wimped out, given that cutting up a fish makes me nauseous. And besides, the friendly neighbourhood butcher does a better job than I could. I agree that killing your own chickens and goats is a way to remind yourself of the “cost” of meat, that you’re taking a life, but I’m, well, too chicken to do it.
3) The no-deprivation rule: Don’t go completely off chocolate; just save up your “chocolate points” for really excellent chocolate once in a while instead of eating KitKats every day. Don’t swear completely off meat; instead, pass on burgers, cheap sausages, badly made kababs and treat yourself once in a while to really excellent pork chops or spectacular raan. Chuck out the junk food — chips, biscuits, dalmoth — and buy nuts and raisins instead.
4) The do-it-yourself rule: Juicing fresh fruit rather than buying tetrapaks worked surprisingly well; spending Sunday in the kitchen cooking soups and stocks to use during the rest of the week became something of a chore. I did manage to cut down on the processed foods considerably, but it’ll be a while before I make stocks from scratch again. Sometimes, a good bouillon cube is the best way to go.
Entertainment - BadSHAH of Bollywood
It is 3:00 pm in London, the aroma of jerk chicken, Jamaican patties and fried fish waft in the air surrounding the 600,000 people who have congregated to celebrate the Notting Hill Carnival. Amidst the colourful crowds and beating drums, a 43-year-old Indian film director and producer smiles indulgently.
Along with his wife, who flew in from Mumbai to join him at short notice, he has joined in the revelries, clicked photographs, and made videos of Europe’s biggest street party with a security spend of £6 million according to the city’s Metropolitan Police.
For Vipul Amrutlal Shah, producer of 2008’s biggest Bollywood blockbuster Singh is Kinng, the Rs 48 crore spent on the Notting Hill Carnival security is like loose change, considering his current profits could burst a couple of bank lockers. “So far,” he grins, “the film has grossed Rs 126 crore worldwide.” For a film made on a budget of Rs 55 crore (it was produced by Shah and directed by Aneez Bazmee), that’s a lot of money.
So what if its storyline, at least on paper, looked like a dud: A young Sikh goes to Australia to bring back a bunch of goons, his village mates, whose wayward ways are giving his humble Punjab village a bad name. During the course of events he raises their conscience, lectures them on the virtues of being a good Sikh, and brings them back home. End . Oh, the hero makes a mistake, flying out to Egypt instead of Australia, where he sings a couple of songs with the love of his life.
“The first time I heard the story of Singh is Kinng, I had a good laugh about it with Vipul,” says J D Mathijia of Hats Off, a well-known Indian television production company. Shah and Mathijia (whose families have been friends) were together in the Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics, which Shah joined “because the dramatics society there was very strong”.
Mathijia remembers Shah as a risk-taker: “A major difference between him and me: I think and move, he moves and then thinks.” A case in point is Singh is Kinng which he couldn’t relate to but on which Shah had cast his bet. “It’s certainly not a superlative film, it’s no piece of art, but Vipul knew what he was doing. The fact that audiences have lapped it obviously means that he has succeeded beyond all expectations,” says Mathijia.
He’s right, Singh is Kinng is an out-and-out commercial success. “Its first weekend collection was Rs 25 crore and its all-India opening stood at a bumper 95 per cent,” says film trade analyst Komal Nahta. The film’s second week domestic net collection alone stood at Rs 64 crore. What’s more, even before the film’s release, the music rights were sold to Junglee Music, an arm of Times Music, for Rs 13.5 crore, the highest-ever in the Indian film industry.
But Nahta makes a point: “Some distributors who bought the film from Indian Films, to whom Vipul Shah had sold it, have posted losses. However, that’s nothing compared to the success that Singh is Kinng has seen.” Sources say that Ramesh Sippy Productions, which acquired the film’s distribution rights for the Mumbai territory for Rs 9.5 crore, has lost Rs 1.5 crore. “But Singh is Kinng,” adds Nahta, “is a clear winner.”
Years ago, Shah couldn’t have even dreamed of such numbers in his kitty. “But then, I don’t dream, I’ve never done that. I’ve just kept doing my work — happily and passionately,” he says, busy scouting for locations for his forthcoming London Dreams. Interestingly, like his Singh is Kinng and Namastey London, the new film too will be distributed by Indian Films. Reportedly, at over Rs 100 crore, London Dreams has commanded the highest sale figure for any Indian film though, as film trade analyst Taran Adarsh points out, the deal is yet to be signed on paper.
For someone whose father forced him to take charge of the family business 20 years ago — he ran Parle Book Depot, one of the oldest bookshops in Mumbai — Shah has come a long, long way. With no one from his family in films (his brother publishes educational books and his sister is married and settled), Shah likes to think that his creative genes came from his mother, who is a terrific singer. His entire training ground was Gujarati theatre, where he acted, produced and even directed plays (he was 19 when he started acting and 21 when he directed his first play) before he moved on to making Gujarati TV programmes.
His biggest hit was Ek Mahal Ho Sapno Ka (inspired by one of his own Gujarati plays) on Sony TV which completed 1,000 episodes before he switched to films. His first film Aankhen (“I hate the second half of that film,” confesses Shah), produced by Gaurang Doshi, had a budget of Rs 18 crore and collected Rs 23 crore at the box office. His second, Waqt, produced by Adlabs, garnered Rs 4 crore in the overseas territories alone and Rs 7.5 crore from Mumbai territory. His third, Namastey London, made for Rs 25 crore, has collected Rs 110 crore so far.
It was through college theatre that he met his group of friends who would later become successful TV producers (Mathijia), writers (Aatish Kapadia) and actors (Deven Bhojani and Paresh Ganatra). “I remember sitting at my father’s bookshop, waiting for him to take phone calls or attend to clients so I could slip away,” says Shah. “I would gallivant,” he shrugs, “turn up home at 3:00-4:00 am to find my father sometimes glaring from the balcony.”
Akshay Kumar, who has worked in four films with Shah, says, “While doing Namastey London with him, I saw how intelligent he was not just as a director but also as a producer. I actually suggested to him then that he should make a film where he would have a role only as producer, and I’m glad Singh is Kinng became that example.” But another friend, not wishing to be named, fears that Shah might be beginning to drift away into the world of out-and-out commercial films.
Adarsh interjects, “Vipul’s films are contemporary but still very desi at heart, and that’s why he’s in the big league.” In his view, Shah’s films are a perfect marriage of form and technique, vital ingredients for any film to succeed. “His goodwill and success are reasons why his forthcoming films, before they’ve even begun, are already in the news,” he adds.
In what will be a big challenge to prove himself, Shah will start shooting for London Dreams next month with Ajay Devgan, Salman Khan and south Indian actress Asin. No Akshay Kumar-Katrina Kaif? “I need to be flexible, I have to work with other actors,” says Shah, agreeing that with his success graph expectations from London Dreams are huge. When he had decided to cast Katrina Kaif and Akshay Kumar in Namastey London, friends had warned him of potential disaster. “I had immense faith in my actors, and it proved a success,” says Shah.
Already, his production team in Mumbai is working on shot sequences, drawing up lists of locations, jotting minute details of costumes and songs, even the number of extra crew that would be needed from London. “We work very systematically, but unlike many directors I never use a storyboard. I like working shots on the sets, that’s the only thing I don’t plan,” says Shah.
The Gujarati lad, born and bred in Mumbai, whose father worried about his son’s future, is ironically booked for the next two years with projects that include London Dreams and an as-yet untitled film, work on which will begin by February 2009, with — who else? — Akshay Kumar. “Vipul sat me down and had a long chat with me some days ago and said, ‘You have to support me, I’m going to be busy for the next two years’,” says Shefali, his wife, who worked with him in Waqt, that starred Amitabh Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra and Akshay Kumar.
Their first meeting was for a Gujarati film, one in which Shah wanted Shefali to act, and which she wanted to refuse. “He has tremendous power to convince, he could sell ice to an Eskimo,” laughs Shefali, who is readying to move with her husband and two children (boys, aged six and five) to their newly-purchased home in Andheri.
Kapadia, who wrote plays with Shah in college and translated two of them for celluloid (Aankhen and Waqt), says, “Vipul’s very motivating as a friend. Professionally, he is a fantastic blend of a producer and director.” Mathijia agrees, “He’s always been an entrepreneur. Even in college, he was always a couple of steps ahead of us.” Shah, on his part, feels he tasted failure early in life, which is why he continues to remain grounded.
“My first Gujarati play as a producer, for which I raised Rs 3 lakh after selling my father’s bike and taking a loan at 4 per cent per month, flopped miserably. I remember the agitated crowds screaming, demanding their money back. It was terrible,” he rues. Shefali adds, “Yes, but despite setbacks, I’ve never seen him flustered.” Actor Neha Dhupia, who worked in Singh is Kinng, says, “He’s not a stingy producer, always looking after us and our minutest needs.”
For Shah, the goodwill he’s earned is a humbling experience. “I haven’t done anything extraordinary with Singh is Kinng,” he says, setting out for Oxford Street to shop for a new pair of shoes. “It’s because my films have continued to succeed that I’m getting noticed.” That’s why he needs those shoes — after all, he’s still sprinting towards success.
Along with his wife, who flew in from Mumbai to join him at short notice, he has joined in the revelries, clicked photographs, and made videos of Europe’s biggest street party with a security spend of £6 million according to the city’s Metropolitan Police.
For Vipul Amrutlal Shah, producer of 2008’s biggest Bollywood blockbuster Singh is Kinng, the Rs 48 crore spent on the Notting Hill Carnival security is like loose change, considering his current profits could burst a couple of bank lockers. “So far,” he grins, “the film has grossed Rs 126 crore worldwide.” For a film made on a budget of Rs 55 crore (it was produced by Shah and directed by Aneez Bazmee), that’s a lot of money.
So what if its storyline, at least on paper, looked like a dud: A young Sikh goes to Australia to bring back a bunch of goons, his village mates, whose wayward ways are giving his humble Punjab village a bad name. During the course of events he raises their conscience, lectures them on the virtues of being a good Sikh, and brings them back home. End . Oh, the hero makes a mistake, flying out to Egypt instead of Australia, where he sings a couple of songs with the love of his life.
“The first time I heard the story of Singh is Kinng, I had a good laugh about it with Vipul,” says J D Mathijia of Hats Off, a well-known Indian television production company. Shah and Mathijia (whose families have been friends) were together in the Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics, which Shah joined “because the dramatics society there was very strong”.
Mathijia remembers Shah as a risk-taker: “A major difference between him and me: I think and move, he moves and then thinks.” A case in point is Singh is Kinng which he couldn’t relate to but on which Shah had cast his bet. “It’s certainly not a superlative film, it’s no piece of art, but Vipul knew what he was doing. The fact that audiences have lapped it obviously means that he has succeeded beyond all expectations,” says Mathijia.
He’s right, Singh is Kinng is an out-and-out commercial success. “Its first weekend collection was Rs 25 crore and its all-India opening stood at a bumper 95 per cent,” says film trade analyst Komal Nahta. The film’s second week domestic net collection alone stood at Rs 64 crore. What’s more, even before the film’s release, the music rights were sold to Junglee Music, an arm of Times Music, for Rs 13.5 crore, the highest-ever in the Indian film industry.
But Nahta makes a point: “Some distributors who bought the film from Indian Films, to whom Vipul Shah had sold it, have posted losses. However, that’s nothing compared to the success that Singh is Kinng has seen.” Sources say that Ramesh Sippy Productions, which acquired the film’s distribution rights for the Mumbai territory for Rs 9.5 crore, has lost Rs 1.5 crore. “But Singh is Kinng,” adds Nahta, “is a clear winner.”
Years ago, Shah couldn’t have even dreamed of such numbers in his kitty. “But then, I don’t dream, I’ve never done that. I’ve just kept doing my work — happily and passionately,” he says, busy scouting for locations for his forthcoming London Dreams. Interestingly, like his Singh is Kinng and Namastey London, the new film too will be distributed by Indian Films. Reportedly, at over Rs 100 crore, London Dreams has commanded the highest sale figure for any Indian film though, as film trade analyst Taran Adarsh points out, the deal is yet to be signed on paper.
For someone whose father forced him to take charge of the family business 20 years ago — he ran Parle Book Depot, one of the oldest bookshops in Mumbai — Shah has come a long, long way. With no one from his family in films (his brother publishes educational books and his sister is married and settled), Shah likes to think that his creative genes came from his mother, who is a terrific singer. His entire training ground was Gujarati theatre, where he acted, produced and even directed plays (he was 19 when he started acting and 21 when he directed his first play) before he moved on to making Gujarati TV programmes.
His biggest hit was Ek Mahal Ho Sapno Ka (inspired by one of his own Gujarati plays) on Sony TV which completed 1,000 episodes before he switched to films. His first film Aankhen (“I hate the second half of that film,” confesses Shah), produced by Gaurang Doshi, had a budget of Rs 18 crore and collected Rs 23 crore at the box office. His second, Waqt, produced by Adlabs, garnered Rs 4 crore in the overseas territories alone and Rs 7.5 crore from Mumbai territory. His third, Namastey London, made for Rs 25 crore, has collected Rs 110 crore so far.
It was through college theatre that he met his group of friends who would later become successful TV producers (Mathijia), writers (Aatish Kapadia) and actors (Deven Bhojani and Paresh Ganatra). “I remember sitting at my father’s bookshop, waiting for him to take phone calls or attend to clients so I could slip away,” says Shah. “I would gallivant,” he shrugs, “turn up home at 3:00-4:00 am to find my father sometimes glaring from the balcony.”
Akshay Kumar, who has worked in four films with Shah, says, “While doing Namastey London with him, I saw how intelligent he was not just as a director but also as a producer. I actually suggested to him then that he should make a film where he would have a role only as producer, and I’m glad Singh is Kinng became that example.” But another friend, not wishing to be named, fears that Shah might be beginning to drift away into the world of out-and-out commercial films.
Adarsh interjects, “Vipul’s films are contemporary but still very desi at heart, and that’s why he’s in the big league.” In his view, Shah’s films are a perfect marriage of form and technique, vital ingredients for any film to succeed. “His goodwill and success are reasons why his forthcoming films, before they’ve even begun, are already in the news,” he adds.
In what will be a big challenge to prove himself, Shah will start shooting for London Dreams next month with Ajay Devgan, Salman Khan and south Indian actress Asin. No Akshay Kumar-Katrina Kaif? “I need to be flexible, I have to work with other actors,” says Shah, agreeing that with his success graph expectations from London Dreams are huge. When he had decided to cast Katrina Kaif and Akshay Kumar in Namastey London, friends had warned him of potential disaster. “I had immense faith in my actors, and it proved a success,” says Shah.
Already, his production team in Mumbai is working on shot sequences, drawing up lists of locations, jotting minute details of costumes and songs, even the number of extra crew that would be needed from London. “We work very systematically, but unlike many directors I never use a storyboard. I like working shots on the sets, that’s the only thing I don’t plan,” says Shah.
The Gujarati lad, born and bred in Mumbai, whose father worried about his son’s future, is ironically booked for the next two years with projects that include London Dreams and an as-yet untitled film, work on which will begin by February 2009, with — who else? — Akshay Kumar. “Vipul sat me down and had a long chat with me some days ago and said, ‘You have to support me, I’m going to be busy for the next two years’,” says Shefali, his wife, who worked with him in Waqt, that starred Amitabh Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra and Akshay Kumar.
Their first meeting was for a Gujarati film, one in which Shah wanted Shefali to act, and which she wanted to refuse. “He has tremendous power to convince, he could sell ice to an Eskimo,” laughs Shefali, who is readying to move with her husband and two children (boys, aged six and five) to their newly-purchased home in Andheri.
Kapadia, who wrote plays with Shah in college and translated two of them for celluloid (Aankhen and Waqt), says, “Vipul’s very motivating as a friend. Professionally, he is a fantastic blend of a producer and director.” Mathijia agrees, “He’s always been an entrepreneur. Even in college, he was always a couple of steps ahead of us.” Shah, on his part, feels he tasted failure early in life, which is why he continues to remain grounded.
“My first Gujarati play as a producer, for which I raised Rs 3 lakh after selling my father’s bike and taking a loan at 4 per cent per month, flopped miserably. I remember the agitated crowds screaming, demanding their money back. It was terrible,” he rues. Shefali adds, “Yes, but despite setbacks, I’ve never seen him flustered.” Actor Neha Dhupia, who worked in Singh is Kinng, says, “He’s not a stingy producer, always looking after us and our minutest needs.”
For Shah, the goodwill he’s earned is a humbling experience. “I haven’t done anything extraordinary with Singh is Kinng,” he says, setting out for Oxford Street to shop for a new pair of shoes. “It’s because my films have continued to succeed that I’m getting noticed.” That’s why he needs those shoes — after all, he’s still sprinting towards success.
Lifestyle - Kitchen Kills
You may be using your kitchen sponge and the dishrag for the maximum cleaning work. However, these two are also in fact the hub for majority of germs and hence, it's even more important to disinfect them. If not paid adequate attention , you may only end up transferring germs from one part of the kitchen to another. Cleaning the sponge or the cloth solely with water is not enough. Make sure you also throw the same into the microwave for a couple of minutes. It helps kill germs in the crevices that are often left untouched. Consciously try and replace the rag every week. Keep it dry when it's not in use.
The tap faucet and the handles of the refrigerator doors are also high on the germ count. Use a disinfectant regularly to wipe these areas. In fact, do it several times a day. The cutting board Since your cutting board comes in frequent contact with raw vegetables and meat, it is extremely susceptible to germs and other bacteria. What makes it worse is that most people don't even consider it necessary to disinfect the cutting board. As a rule of thumb, never use the same cutting board for vegetables and meat without disinfecting it. Even better; use separate boards. Key areas such as the refrigerator and the microwave that frequently come in contact with food must be kept clean.
Take an old toothbrush, put baking soda on it and clean the drain of your kitchen sink thoroughly. There's a high risk of germs from this area being passed on to other parts of the house as well. Don’t mix glasses At home, it can get extremely difficult to keep track of who drinks from which glass. When taking precautions becomes all the more important (for example during monsoon and flu season), opt for paper cups. To make sure that the cups don't get mixed, you can go for a colour code method and assign a specific colour to each family member.
The tap faucet and the handles of the refrigerator doors are also high on the germ count. Use a disinfectant regularly to wipe these areas. In fact, do it several times a day. The cutting board Since your cutting board comes in frequent contact with raw vegetables and meat, it is extremely susceptible to germs and other bacteria. What makes it worse is that most people don't even consider it necessary to disinfect the cutting board. As a rule of thumb, never use the same cutting board for vegetables and meat without disinfecting it. Even better; use separate boards. Key areas such as the refrigerator and the microwave that frequently come in contact with food must be kept clean.
Take an old toothbrush, put baking soda on it and clean the drain of your kitchen sink thoroughly. There's a high risk of germs from this area being passed on to other parts of the house as well. Don’t mix glasses At home, it can get extremely difficult to keep track of who drinks from which glass. When taking precautions becomes all the more important (for example during monsoon and flu season), opt for paper cups. To make sure that the cups don't get mixed, you can go for a colour code method and assign a specific colour to each family member.
India - Every second indian to be mobile by 2012
NEW DELHI: With India now adding 8 to 10 million mobile subscribers every month, as much as half the nation's population or one in every two citizens will own a mobile phone in India by the middle of 2012. According to Business Monitor International, a renowned London-based research firm, 612 million mobile subscribers by 2012 will help India clock a mobile teledensity of roughly 51% by 2012. This scorching pace of growth is unlikely to falter unless the sector faces unforeseen policy disasters or if India's operators fail to roll out their networks. International Telecom Union's (ITU) projections are in the same range. India is already the world's second largest mobile market, behind China's 500 plus million mobile subscriber base. Increasing incomes, changing lifestyles and lower cost of technology are allowing more and more Indians to ride the telecom wave. The new numbers overtake earlier estimates, including from UBS, Citigroup and Credit Suisse predicting a mobile population of between 400 to 450 million by March 2010. Merrill Lynch and Lehman Brothers have been more even conservative, betting on a base of just 400 million by 2010. However, India will reach this milestone in 2009 itself. India's mobile revolution has been a huge social leveler, with the growing number of users tying a diverse nation in a manner rarely seen before. Its youth are expected to contribute significantly to these surging numbers. Sir Richard Branson, founder, Virgin Group, which tied up with Tata Teleservices to launch branded services in India recently said, "An exciting market, with more than 215 million Indians aged between 14 and 25 years. Over the next three years we expect to be adding 50 million new youth subscribers". While companies like Virgin are focused on urban market, it is clear that next set of growth will come from B and C category cities and rural India. Mobile penetration of this magnitude has the ability to revolutionalize long distance learning and health care reaching some of the most far flung terrains. Where content is concerned most analysts agree that, largely on the back of India's film industry, music services will grow fast, even if other content related revenue lags behind. Given that a reasonable part of the population by 2010 will be children below 14 and senior citizens, it seems mobile access amongst the youth and working classes will be more in the range of 70% - 80%.
World - Steve Jobs back from the dead
NEW DELHI: Apple fans, tech aficionados, corporate trackers and Internet readers all over the world were crestfallen when they read about an obituary of tech czar Steve Jobs which was fired by financial newswire Bloomberg to its subscribers. ( Watch ) Had the man who reinvented himself, a moribund Apple Inc, and just about every rule in the game of personal electronics with iPod, and then in telecom with iPhone, finally lost his battle with pancreatic cancer? No, the man was alive and kicking even as a red-faced Bloomberg -- usually sharpshooters when it comes to financial news -- had missed the mark by miles. The gaffe happened when the American agency decided to update its 17-page stock obituary on Steve Jobs, and someone accidentally published it in the process. The story, which was meant to be sent to Bloomberg's internal wire, accidentally slipped out to its subscribers. And all hell broke loose! The story that ran 'Hold for release' - 'Do not use' couldn't actually have been stopped as it was simply too big for global financial markets. The jitters subsided later when the agency promptly retracted it. The story was titled “Steve Jobs, Apple Co-Founder, Arbitrator of Cool Technology, XXXX” and had a byline of editor Connie Guglielmo. The obituary had marked blank spaces for Jobs's age and cause of death to be filled in. It traced his life, achievements and surprisingly had quotes from rivals like Microsoft's ex-chairman Bill Gates. As it transpired, Jobs was clearly hale and hearty, even though he has previously battled pancreatic cancer, raising inevitable concerns over his health
Gossip website, Gawker.com was one of those which picked up the obituary and published it, from where it was picked up by many blogging sites. Later, it also printed the retraction by Bloomberg, including the original notes, which was quick to come by. Bloomberg editors Joe Winski and Cesca Antonelli sent out an apology of an apology: "An incomplete story referencing Apple Inc was inadvertently published by Bloomberg News. The item was never meant for publication and has been retracted.” Though no major harm was done: Few people recoiled in horror, fewer still gasped as the mainstream media seemed to have missed the little ‘devil’ of a news. And no, Apple stock did not crash! But the Internet media was quick to lap up the gaffe, and announce tongue in cheek, that Apple's iconic CEO had clearly come back from the "virtual jaws of death", an euphemism that succinctly outlines the harsh competition permeating modern journalism. Though common journalistic practices involve preparing obituaries of famous personalities, celebrities and politicians, but this has been the biggest goof-up of its kind in the annals of world journalism. The incident did serve as a reminder about people’s worries over Jobs' health in the past few years.
Gossip website, Gawker.com was one of those which picked up the obituary and published it, from where it was picked up by many blogging sites. Later, it also printed the retraction by Bloomberg, including the original notes, which was quick to come by. Bloomberg editors Joe Winski and Cesca Antonelli sent out an apology of an apology: "An incomplete story referencing Apple Inc was inadvertently published by Bloomberg News. The item was never meant for publication and has been retracted.” Though no major harm was done: Few people recoiled in horror, fewer still gasped as the mainstream media seemed to have missed the little ‘devil’ of a news. And no, Apple stock did not crash! But the Internet media was quick to lap up the gaffe, and announce tongue in cheek, that Apple's iconic CEO had clearly come back from the "virtual jaws of death", an euphemism that succinctly outlines the harsh competition permeating modern journalism. Though common journalistic practices involve preparing obituaries of famous personalities, celebrities and politicians, but this has been the biggest goof-up of its kind in the annals of world journalism. The incident did serve as a reminder about people’s worries over Jobs' health in the past few years.
India - Gandhis revisit Jiddu Legacy
CHENNAI: It's an association that goes back several decades — all three prime ministers, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, have sought private audiences with thinker-philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti. It's been said that after Mahatma Gandhi's assassination, Nehru turned to Krishnamurti, in secret, to pour out his “solitary anguish”. Krishnamurti himself has confirmed the deep affection he had for Nehru. And this week, when Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra paid a visit to the Krishnamurti Foundation India's Rishi Valley School established by Krishnamurti in Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh, they were merely carrying forward traditional ties with the philosopher. Confirming that Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra visited the school on August 26, Radhika Herzberger, director of Rishi Valley School, told The Times Of India, “They were here on Tuesday between 12.30 pm and 4 pm. They wanted to understand our education system, it's quite a complex system we have here and they were very interested in learning more about it.” There has also been speculation that Priyanka would like to admit her children, Raihan and Mairaya, in the school. However, other sources said the idea behind the visit was to learn more about Rishi Valley's system as the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation is planning to open its own schools across the country. Gandhis take time to look around school Radhika Herzberger, the school's director, who incidentally is the daughter of Pupul Jayakar, one of Indira Gandhi's closest friends and her biographer, said the brother and sister spent about four hours in the school, walking around, meeting students and learning more about its functioning and philosophy. Jayakar had also written a biography of the philosopher and maintained close ties with him. Rahul and Priyanka were accompanied to Rishi Valley School by Gyanendra Badgaiyan, secretary of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, which works on programmes relating to national development. Both Rahul and Priyanka, as well as their mother Sonia Gandhi, prime minister Manmohan Singh, finance minister P Chidambaram, and planning commission deputy chairperson Montek Singh Ahluwalia are trustees of the foundation. Herzberger told the Times of India that Badgaiyan visited the school about a fortnight earlier and informed them that Priyanka and Rahul would like to visit. “It was like a reconnaissance mission,” she said.
Lifestyle - Don't Twitter,just punch & forget
The rabble, from L mobile vulgus, the fickle crowd. Origin of ‘mob’ and ‘flashmob’. As adjective, denotes wandering state of a traditionally fixed object, such as a hospital, post office or telephone.
These days, Kapil Sibal is jetting all over to release his maiden volume of poetry. It’s not exactly Jejuri, but it’s doing well in the shops. It is accessible and besides, it has curiosity value. Why’s a lawyer and minister writing poetry? And why is he punching it out on his mobile phone? Sibal even reads from his phone, rather than his book.
But he isn’t the first mobile poet. There is this Bengali SMS poem involving Mamata Banerjee, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and the Nano. Obscenity law bars its reproduction here but essentially, it says that size matters. Earlier, in 2001, the Guardian launched an SMS poetry contest. More than 7,000 people sent in seriously terse verse.
Like haiku, which must contain 17 syllables, text poetry is limited to 160 characters, the maximum length of an SMS. ‘it splits my @oms/ wen he :-)s @ me,’ ended an entry noted for SMS shorthand innovation. The winning entry began: ‘txtin iz messin,/ mi headn’me englis,/ try2rite essays,/ they all come out txtis.’
Last year, the Irish State Examination Commission complained that students, accustomed to mangling language in SMSes, were losing the power to communicate. Whatever they write “comes out txtis”. Something similar must be happening in India, thanks to the mobile revolution.
Resistance is useless, because we’ve already lost the power to communicate. Airline cabin crews are now inarticulate in all languages. The safety instructions before take-off are couched in some inhuman pidgin. The stewardess’s mime routine is easier to follow.
However, we should be cautious. Indians ride every wave of mobile fashion, changing phones more frequently than trouser style. Mumbai saw a flashmob just months after a Harper’s editor invented the phenomenon in Manhattan in 2001. A mob at the Crossroads mall played strung-out stockbrokers and did the garba. Then Martin Waelde, director of the Kolkata Max Mueller Bhavan, launched the world’s first mobile theatre.
He invited people for a ‘performance’ at the historic Star Theatre, handed them cellphones and ushered them to the exit instead of a seat. Guided by a voice on the phone, they became protagonists of a journey through Kolkata, seeing it anew. Maybe, Waelde should have misguided them, too. Take a wrong turn in Kolkata and you could easily step through a wormhole into an alternate reality.
Now, who knows what great things the 3G iPhone will bring, and Google’s awesome Android system is still in the offing. So hang on a second while I Twitter this developing story. L8r, g8r, im bzy.
(Pratik Kanjilal is publisher of The Little Magazine)
These days, Kapil Sibal is jetting all over to release his maiden volume of poetry. It’s not exactly Jejuri, but it’s doing well in the shops. It is accessible and besides, it has curiosity value. Why’s a lawyer and minister writing poetry? And why is he punching it out on his mobile phone? Sibal even reads from his phone, rather than his book.
But he isn’t the first mobile poet. There is this Bengali SMS poem involving Mamata Banerjee, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and the Nano. Obscenity law bars its reproduction here but essentially, it says that size matters. Earlier, in 2001, the Guardian launched an SMS poetry contest. More than 7,000 people sent in seriously terse verse.
Like haiku, which must contain 17 syllables, text poetry is limited to 160 characters, the maximum length of an SMS. ‘it splits my @oms/ wen he :-)s @ me,’ ended an entry noted for SMS shorthand innovation. The winning entry began: ‘txtin iz messin,/ mi headn’me englis,/ try2rite essays,/ they all come out txtis.’
Last year, the Irish State Examination Commission complained that students, accustomed to mangling language in SMSes, were losing the power to communicate. Whatever they write “comes out txtis”. Something similar must be happening in India, thanks to the mobile revolution.
Resistance is useless, because we’ve already lost the power to communicate. Airline cabin crews are now inarticulate in all languages. The safety instructions before take-off are couched in some inhuman pidgin. The stewardess’s mime routine is easier to follow.
However, we should be cautious. Indians ride every wave of mobile fashion, changing phones more frequently than trouser style. Mumbai saw a flashmob just months after a Harper’s editor invented the phenomenon in Manhattan in 2001. A mob at the Crossroads mall played strung-out stockbrokers and did the garba. Then Martin Waelde, director of the Kolkata Max Mueller Bhavan, launched the world’s first mobile theatre.
He invited people for a ‘performance’ at the historic Star Theatre, handed them cellphones and ushered them to the exit instead of a seat. Guided by a voice on the phone, they became protagonists of a journey through Kolkata, seeing it anew. Maybe, Waelde should have misguided them, too. Take a wrong turn in Kolkata and you could easily step through a wormhole into an alternate reality.
Now, who knows what great things the 3G iPhone will bring, and Google’s awesome Android system is still in the offing. So hang on a second while I Twitter this developing story. L8r, g8r, im bzy.
(Pratik Kanjilal is publisher of The Little Magazine)
Travel - Land of Bitter Honey;Nagaland
No one messes with Mireuding, the guard- ian spirit of Nagaland’s Benreu village. Janile, his flesh-and-blood sister, found it out the hard way. “Mireuding would fling her from wall to wall if she failed to obey his command,” says Janile’s granddaughter Azeu Thou, 30.
Janile ceased to be the medium for her supernatural brother Mireuding. He apparently vanished from his mother’s womb, streaking out like a fading star after she died in 1989. But that has not stopped him from watching over some 100 Zeme Naga families — both Christians and so-called ‘animists’ — of Benreu. And keeping a leash on malevolent spirits from his perch atop Mount Pauna, Nagaland’s third largest peak overlooking the village sited 4500 ft above sea level.
One of Mireuding’s mysterious herbs, villagers say, is Cailihei found on the Pauna range. But the herb, purportedly potent enough to bring the dead back to life, can only be found accidentally. The hard-to-get Cailihei, featuring extensively in Naga folk tales, was precisely the reason why locals believe Hanuman uprooted Mount Pauna to ensure he had the right herb to revive Lakshman.
Acerbic honeyCailihei has remained as elusive as Mireuding. Benreu, though, has had a cure-all alternative for ages: Telianedui, or the bitter-sour honey, from the hive of the tiny, stingless bee called Teliane. “They don’t bite, but an agitated swarm will snip off your hair,” says my host Vatsu Meru. “Maybe, Benreu is the only place where you can get your hair styled by angry bees.” He adds that the honey gets stronger and sourer with age, and takes care of every ailment, even snakebite.
Meru’s house is barely 500 metres from the eight-cottage Mount Pauna Tourist Village beyond Benreu’s community playground where three ornate totems stand for the three Zeme ‘khels’ or clans. The house provides a stunning view of the high, cloud-covered hills around and the plains of Assam yonder. And way down is the Teipuiki river serving as Nagaland’s boundary with Manipur, where more than half the Zeliangs, Zemes and Liangmais together, live.
Like all villagers, Meru has a colony of resident Telianes, which make their hives inside barks of trees with a waxy, funnel-like entrance that’s too toxic for other insects. He also rears hornets, whose nutrient-rich larvae or Kuidine are a delicacy. “They are costly at Rs 500 per 250 grams,” says fellow-villager Ikiesappe. Hornets are scared of the Telianes, I am told, for the little ones nibble off their antennae if attacked.
Kuidines are no longer the common Naga’s power food, but something’s that dirt cheap at Benreu is Nembeipok or ginseng, as the rest of the world calls it. Villagers trekking up or down to their paddy fields collect the aphrodisiac herb from rocky outgrowths. At Rs 120 a kg, you can have it by the quintals. But the back-breaking ‘single’ road to Benreu, the 120 km stretch from Dimapur or the 67 km landslide-prone track from Nagaland’s capital Kohima, won’t let you have that many.
The road, perhaps the only downside in this unfrequented paradise, serves a conservation purpose though. Eight years ago, villagers had banned hunting of wild animals and birds in forests above the road, allowing ‘checks-and-balances’ hunting below. Besides giving a fresh lease of life to the Blythe’s tragopan, the ban has placed Benreu among the most biologically vibrant areas in Nagaland, otherwise infamous for eating ‘anything that moves’. “A piece of ginseng dipped in Telianedui can work wonders for your health,” says Meru. Villagers are known to use ginseng as well as some no-name medicinal leaves to elevate their dishes from the mundane. The herb-enriched Tangnengkwa (snail) curry, for instance, is a heady — and healthy, asserts Meru — companion for Nrizau, the local rice beer.
Oldest morung There’s nothing like feasting and getting high in a morung, the traditional dormitory where khel-specific male Nagas gather for community bonding. The Benreu tourist village offers a recreational morung, but it’s not a patch on the oldest one in the village below. The wooden benches and beds within, and skulls of bears, boars and deer hanging overhead, add a touch of eeriness to the morung’s dark interior.
Benreu, villagers claim, also has one of the highest concentrations of the highly-prized, semi-wild mithun. The wealth of a villager is gauged by the number of mithuns he or she owns. The animal, marked for special feasts, roams the wilderness unless it’s time to come home for addictive salt. “Anyone can offer salt to the mithuns, but only the owner has the right to sell/kill them for food,” says Meru.
Each mithun has one of its ears nicked at one or more points to identify its owner. The mithun’s trails have turned into trek routes for adventure enthusiasts. Along these routes are Tancuhebung, a natural curative bathing pond, Tingkaiki, a mysterious cave with an air hole that blows hot air throughout the year and Hetia Kerelibe, the echo-producing boulder. Oodles of pure oxygen won’t let you feel tired. But if you do, there’s Nembeipok and Telianedui to fall back upon.
Janile ceased to be the medium for her supernatural brother Mireuding. He apparently vanished from his mother’s womb, streaking out like a fading star after she died in 1989. But that has not stopped him from watching over some 100 Zeme Naga families — both Christians and so-called ‘animists’ — of Benreu. And keeping a leash on malevolent spirits from his perch atop Mount Pauna, Nagaland’s third largest peak overlooking the village sited 4500 ft above sea level.
One of Mireuding’s mysterious herbs, villagers say, is Cailihei found on the Pauna range. But the herb, purportedly potent enough to bring the dead back to life, can only be found accidentally. The hard-to-get Cailihei, featuring extensively in Naga folk tales, was precisely the reason why locals believe Hanuman uprooted Mount Pauna to ensure he had the right herb to revive Lakshman.
Acerbic honeyCailihei has remained as elusive as Mireuding. Benreu, though, has had a cure-all alternative for ages: Telianedui, or the bitter-sour honey, from the hive of the tiny, stingless bee called Teliane. “They don’t bite, but an agitated swarm will snip off your hair,” says my host Vatsu Meru. “Maybe, Benreu is the only place where you can get your hair styled by angry bees.” He adds that the honey gets stronger and sourer with age, and takes care of every ailment, even snakebite.
Meru’s house is barely 500 metres from the eight-cottage Mount Pauna Tourist Village beyond Benreu’s community playground where three ornate totems stand for the three Zeme ‘khels’ or clans. The house provides a stunning view of the high, cloud-covered hills around and the plains of Assam yonder. And way down is the Teipuiki river serving as Nagaland’s boundary with Manipur, where more than half the Zeliangs, Zemes and Liangmais together, live.
Like all villagers, Meru has a colony of resident Telianes, which make their hives inside barks of trees with a waxy, funnel-like entrance that’s too toxic for other insects. He also rears hornets, whose nutrient-rich larvae or Kuidine are a delicacy. “They are costly at Rs 500 per 250 grams,” says fellow-villager Ikiesappe. Hornets are scared of the Telianes, I am told, for the little ones nibble off their antennae if attacked.
Kuidines are no longer the common Naga’s power food, but something’s that dirt cheap at Benreu is Nembeipok or ginseng, as the rest of the world calls it. Villagers trekking up or down to their paddy fields collect the aphrodisiac herb from rocky outgrowths. At Rs 120 a kg, you can have it by the quintals. But the back-breaking ‘single’ road to Benreu, the 120 km stretch from Dimapur or the 67 km landslide-prone track from Nagaland’s capital Kohima, won’t let you have that many.
The road, perhaps the only downside in this unfrequented paradise, serves a conservation purpose though. Eight years ago, villagers had banned hunting of wild animals and birds in forests above the road, allowing ‘checks-and-balances’ hunting below. Besides giving a fresh lease of life to the Blythe’s tragopan, the ban has placed Benreu among the most biologically vibrant areas in Nagaland, otherwise infamous for eating ‘anything that moves’. “A piece of ginseng dipped in Telianedui can work wonders for your health,” says Meru. Villagers are known to use ginseng as well as some no-name medicinal leaves to elevate their dishes from the mundane. The herb-enriched Tangnengkwa (snail) curry, for instance, is a heady — and healthy, asserts Meru — companion for Nrizau, the local rice beer.
Oldest morung There’s nothing like feasting and getting high in a morung, the traditional dormitory where khel-specific male Nagas gather for community bonding. The Benreu tourist village offers a recreational morung, but it’s not a patch on the oldest one in the village below. The wooden benches and beds within, and skulls of bears, boars and deer hanging overhead, add a touch of eeriness to the morung’s dark interior.
Benreu, villagers claim, also has one of the highest concentrations of the highly-prized, semi-wild mithun. The wealth of a villager is gauged by the number of mithuns he or she owns. The animal, marked for special feasts, roams the wilderness unless it’s time to come home for addictive salt. “Anyone can offer salt to the mithuns, but only the owner has the right to sell/kill them for food,” says Meru.
Each mithun has one of its ears nicked at one or more points to identify its owner. The mithun’s trails have turned into trek routes for adventure enthusiasts. Along these routes are Tancuhebung, a natural curative bathing pond, Tingkaiki, a mysterious cave with an air hole that blows hot air throughout the year and Hetia Kerelibe, the echo-producing boulder. Oodles of pure oxygen won’t let you feel tired. But if you do, there’s Nembeipok and Telianedui to fall back upon.
Columnists - Barkha Dutt
These days, many Indians sneer at the idea that a strong, stable Pakistan is what the doctor would prescribe for our better health as well.
The very concept is often dismissed as a tired old cliché propounded by foreign policy wonks and candle-wavers at Wagah.
Instead, popular commentary now suggests that a divisive, chaotic and Taliban-ridden Pakistan has reduced it from being a dreaded enemy to a pathetic irrelevance. India, or so goes the argument, is too pre-occupied with her own aspirations on the global stage to care about a pesky, unstable neigbbour.
In fact, right through the pro-azaadi protests in the Kashmir valley, many liberals lamented that India had failed to ‘sell’ itself better as the obvious option for those who had to choose between a flourishing, secular democracy and a country in deep economic and social meltdown.
It may be true that the old schizophrenic mix of love and hate that marked our response to Pakistan for years has now vanished. We no longer vacillate between congenital sentimentalism and automatic suspicion about our northern neighbour.
The intensity of our cricket confrontations has long faded. And the Punjabi obsession with Pakistan has slowly given way to indifference, even ennui, with what goes on across the border. Interestingly, on my several trips to Pakistan, I find a similar indifference on the other side.
Even the Kashmir violence did not grip public imagination or define drawing-room debates in Lahore and Islamabad. Instead, like us, Pakistan’s people are entirely consumed by their own issues. And while we may still hyperventilate over Musharraf’s exit, India rarely, if ever, makes it to the front pages of their newspapers these days.
But, I think it is naïve, misplaced and ignorant to get too complacent or to gloat about the turmoil within Pakistan.
Lazy snobbery may push us to mock Islamabad’s tortured tryst with democracy. But our scornful one-upmanship is really beside the point. As I watched the dramatic midnight footage of a dead body dangling from the house stormed by militants in Jammu, I wondered, who could India complain to? Would we pin the blame on the army, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) or the Pakistan People’s Party? Now that bombs go off in Pakistan’s northern areas with almost the same frequency as they do in Iraq, we have to ask ourselves what meaning the joint anti-terror mechanism set up two years ago can possibly have?
The ISI, often described as a ‘state within a state’, is so menacingly autonomous that President George W. Bush had to turn around and ask the new Pakistan Prime Minister who controlled the agency. The civilian government’s feeble and clumsy attempt to bring the ISI under its control had to be abandoned overnight after a terse intervention from the military.
Asif Ali Zardari, the man almost certain to be the next President of Pakistan, may now retain the controversial powers to dissolve the country’s Parliament. Yes, Pervez Musharraf had the same overweening authority, except for one crucial difference he was, in the end, the army’s own man. If Zardari becomes President, he will also be the most powerful ‘civilian’ leader the country has had in 61 years. He was never the army’s favourite and you can be sure that Pakistan’s military will not step back and allow him grand, unchecked authority.
For India this means we may have to keep parallel channels of influence open — both with the civilian coalition and with the military. But with entirely apolitical troops on our side and authoritarian soldiers on theirs, direct contact between our militaries doesn’t work well for foreign policy either.
Perhaps, it is this messy uncertainty of Pakistan that makes policy-makers in the Indian government nostalgic about a deeply unpopular dictator. Right now, platitudes aside, they have no idea how to engage with the multiple power centres in Pakistan. In other words, Pakistan’s mess, in many ways, is also our headache.
And for those who believe that a weakened Pakistan means India gets to have the upper hand in tackling terrorism, well, think again. The shadowy, unidentified terrorists, who held little children at gunpoint in Jammu, are symptomatic of the ambivalent power structures on the other side. Did the ISI order them across? Did the Pakistan rangers provide them covering fire? Were they rogue elements who authorised themselves in their pursuit of a personal jehad? In Pakistan, all of these options are possible.
To get a sense of the ominous and lethal shadow boxing that is driving and destroying Pakistan, you only have to read Ahmed Rashid, the brilliant Pakistani scholar, in his book, Descent into Chaos. Rashid’s first international bestseller on the Taliban was written well ahead of the curve, before the world — especially America — gave a toss about Afghanistan or Islamic fundamentalism. It really became a bible only after the 9/11 attacks. His second book could be chillingly prophetic as well.
He meticulously documents how for seven long and violent years, America, Pakistan and Afghanistan have double-crossed each other with a fatal outcome: the Taliban is stronger than ever before. Rashid is scathing about the military’s two-faced policy on Taliban terror under Pervez Musharraf, offering hard evidence on how both Taliban and al-Qaeda guerrillas were aided by the ISI. The White House comes under equal attack for being so fearful about the manufactured war in Iraq that it declared the battle in Afghanistan over before it had truly even begun. The result is there for the world to see, as Rashid writes in the introduction to his book — “a nuclear armed military and an intelligence service that have sponsored Islamic extremism as an intrinsic part of their foreign policy”.
And, while Pakistan’s people are very worried, so should we be.
(Barkha Dutt is Group Editor, English News, NDTV)
The very concept is often dismissed as a tired old cliché propounded by foreign policy wonks and candle-wavers at Wagah.
Instead, popular commentary now suggests that a divisive, chaotic and Taliban-ridden Pakistan has reduced it from being a dreaded enemy to a pathetic irrelevance. India, or so goes the argument, is too pre-occupied with her own aspirations on the global stage to care about a pesky, unstable neigbbour.
In fact, right through the pro-azaadi protests in the Kashmir valley, many liberals lamented that India had failed to ‘sell’ itself better as the obvious option for those who had to choose between a flourishing, secular democracy and a country in deep economic and social meltdown.
It may be true that the old schizophrenic mix of love and hate that marked our response to Pakistan for years has now vanished. We no longer vacillate between congenital sentimentalism and automatic suspicion about our northern neighbour.
The intensity of our cricket confrontations has long faded. And the Punjabi obsession with Pakistan has slowly given way to indifference, even ennui, with what goes on across the border. Interestingly, on my several trips to Pakistan, I find a similar indifference on the other side.
Even the Kashmir violence did not grip public imagination or define drawing-room debates in Lahore and Islamabad. Instead, like us, Pakistan’s people are entirely consumed by their own issues. And while we may still hyperventilate over Musharraf’s exit, India rarely, if ever, makes it to the front pages of their newspapers these days.
But, I think it is naïve, misplaced and ignorant to get too complacent or to gloat about the turmoil within Pakistan.
Lazy snobbery may push us to mock Islamabad’s tortured tryst with democracy. But our scornful one-upmanship is really beside the point. As I watched the dramatic midnight footage of a dead body dangling from the house stormed by militants in Jammu, I wondered, who could India complain to? Would we pin the blame on the army, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) or the Pakistan People’s Party? Now that bombs go off in Pakistan’s northern areas with almost the same frequency as they do in Iraq, we have to ask ourselves what meaning the joint anti-terror mechanism set up two years ago can possibly have?
The ISI, often described as a ‘state within a state’, is so menacingly autonomous that President George W. Bush had to turn around and ask the new Pakistan Prime Minister who controlled the agency. The civilian government’s feeble and clumsy attempt to bring the ISI under its control had to be abandoned overnight after a terse intervention from the military.
Asif Ali Zardari, the man almost certain to be the next President of Pakistan, may now retain the controversial powers to dissolve the country’s Parliament. Yes, Pervez Musharraf had the same overweening authority, except for one crucial difference he was, in the end, the army’s own man. If Zardari becomes President, he will also be the most powerful ‘civilian’ leader the country has had in 61 years. He was never the army’s favourite and you can be sure that Pakistan’s military will not step back and allow him grand, unchecked authority.
For India this means we may have to keep parallel channels of influence open — both with the civilian coalition and with the military. But with entirely apolitical troops on our side and authoritarian soldiers on theirs, direct contact between our militaries doesn’t work well for foreign policy either.
Perhaps, it is this messy uncertainty of Pakistan that makes policy-makers in the Indian government nostalgic about a deeply unpopular dictator. Right now, platitudes aside, they have no idea how to engage with the multiple power centres in Pakistan. In other words, Pakistan’s mess, in many ways, is also our headache.
And for those who believe that a weakened Pakistan means India gets to have the upper hand in tackling terrorism, well, think again. The shadowy, unidentified terrorists, who held little children at gunpoint in Jammu, are symptomatic of the ambivalent power structures on the other side. Did the ISI order them across? Did the Pakistan rangers provide them covering fire? Were they rogue elements who authorised themselves in their pursuit of a personal jehad? In Pakistan, all of these options are possible.
To get a sense of the ominous and lethal shadow boxing that is driving and destroying Pakistan, you only have to read Ahmed Rashid, the brilliant Pakistani scholar, in his book, Descent into Chaos. Rashid’s first international bestseller on the Taliban was written well ahead of the curve, before the world — especially America — gave a toss about Afghanistan or Islamic fundamentalism. It really became a bible only after the 9/11 attacks. His second book could be chillingly prophetic as well.
He meticulously documents how for seven long and violent years, America, Pakistan and Afghanistan have double-crossed each other with a fatal outcome: the Taliban is stronger than ever before. Rashid is scathing about the military’s two-faced policy on Taliban terror under Pervez Musharraf, offering hard evidence on how both Taliban and al-Qaeda guerrillas were aided by the ISI. The White House comes under equal attack for being so fearful about the manufactured war in Iraq that it declared the battle in Afghanistan over before it had truly even begun. The result is there for the world to see, as Rashid writes in the introduction to his book — “a nuclear armed military and an intelligence service that have sponsored Islamic extremism as an intrinsic part of their foreign policy”.
And, while Pakistan’s people are very worried, so should we be.
(Barkha Dutt is Group Editor, English News, NDTV)
India - Work stop at Nano Unit,staff evacuated
Work at the Tata Motors factory in Singur finally came to a complete halt on Friday. All those inside were evacuated on Thursday night, and none of its 850 odd employees reported for duty in the morning.
"No decision has been taken on when work will be resumed," said a company official, insisting on anonymity. "Some of our employees were afraid. Our top priority is to ensure their safety."
Although the Mamata Bannerjee-led agitation outside the gates of the plant, demanding that 400 acres of the land acquired for the project be returned to farmers who had never wanted to sell, began last Sunday, the plant continued to function. Bannerjee had pledged that her struggle would remain 'a peaceful satyagraha'.
But from Thursday evening, some of the radical groups supporting Mamata began obstructing people from entering or leaving the plant, prompting the Tatas to take this decision.
Sapoorji-Pallonji, the firm entrusted with the civil construction of the plant, similarly decided that its 150 engineers deputed at Singur would stop work as well, leading to a complete shutdown.
Insiders revealed that the likelihood of Tata Motors pulling out of Singur altogether, as Ratan Tata had threatened at a press conference last week, was growing increasingly strong, and that an announcement is likely next week. Company officials have prepared estimates to show that though the company had so far invested around Rs 1500 crore in the Nano, the loss it would incur, in case it pulled out, would not be more than Rs 400 crore.
"We have received offers to set up the Nano plant not only from other Indian states, but also from foreign countries," a top official told HT over telephone from Mumbai. "We are considering them all."
"No decision has been taken on when work will be resumed," said a company official, insisting on anonymity. "Some of our employees were afraid. Our top priority is to ensure their safety."
Although the Mamata Bannerjee-led agitation outside the gates of the plant, demanding that 400 acres of the land acquired for the project be returned to farmers who had never wanted to sell, began last Sunday, the plant continued to function. Bannerjee had pledged that her struggle would remain 'a peaceful satyagraha'.
But from Thursday evening, some of the radical groups supporting Mamata began obstructing people from entering or leaving the plant, prompting the Tatas to take this decision.
Sapoorji-Pallonji, the firm entrusted with the civil construction of the plant, similarly decided that its 150 engineers deputed at Singur would stop work as well, leading to a complete shutdown.
Insiders revealed that the likelihood of Tata Motors pulling out of Singur altogether, as Ratan Tata had threatened at a press conference last week, was growing increasingly strong, and that an announcement is likely next week. Company officials have prepared estimates to show that though the company had so far invested around Rs 1500 crore in the Nano, the loss it would incur, in case it pulled out, would not be more than Rs 400 crore.
"We have received offers to set up the Nano plant not only from other Indian states, but also from foreign countries," a top official told HT over telephone from Mumbai. "We are considering them all."
Entertainment - Ek Khiladi,Ek Haseena
"Sush was, is and will always be the best," is how Wasim Akram compliments his favourite star in Bollywood. And now he will share screen space with her. The Pakistani bowler will co-host or judge the reality show Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena on Colors with Sushmita Sen.
The show will see the pairing of a cricketer and a haseena who will burn up the dance floor. Some of stars tipped to participate on the show include Shama Sikander, Mona Singh, Sreesanth and Harbhajan Singh.
This isn’t the first time Akram will make an appearance on the small screen. He is a commentator on sports channels and has hosted the cricket show Shaz and Waz — but it’s his first time on a non-sports channel.
“It was wonderful,” says Akram on working with Sush. “She’s talented, very professional… and extremely pretty. I have learned so much from her.”
The hunky bowler says he has never nursed any Bollywood aspirations: “No way. Being an actor is as tough as being a cricketer. Let the actors do the acting.”
But the former left arm fast bowler admits to being a Bollywood buff. “I’m as much as a Hindi movie buff as anyone else. The last movie I watched was Singh is Kinng, and all I did was laugh for two hours.”
It’s not only Bollywood films that he enjoys, but the dashing 6’2”-cricketer is also hooked on Indian fashion. “I really like the Indian designers,” says a brand-savvy Akram.
Akram was in the Capital to attend a DDCA camp for budding pacers. As cricketers battle doping charges, Akram — who has battled diabetes since 1997 — stands testimony to the rewards of hard work and dedication. “You need to love yourself and put in a lot of effort,” he says.
He is unhappy that the Champions Trophy has had to be called off due to the political unrest in Pakistan. “It’s sad. I understand the concern about players’ safety, but the situation is not that bad.”
The show will see the pairing of a cricketer and a haseena who will burn up the dance floor. Some of stars tipped to participate on the show include Shama Sikander, Mona Singh, Sreesanth and Harbhajan Singh.
This isn’t the first time Akram will make an appearance on the small screen. He is a commentator on sports channels and has hosted the cricket show Shaz and Waz — but it’s his first time on a non-sports channel.
“It was wonderful,” says Akram on working with Sush. “She’s talented, very professional… and extremely pretty. I have learned so much from her.”
The hunky bowler says he has never nursed any Bollywood aspirations: “No way. Being an actor is as tough as being a cricketer. Let the actors do the acting.”
But the former left arm fast bowler admits to being a Bollywood buff. “I’m as much as a Hindi movie buff as anyone else. The last movie I watched was Singh is Kinng, and all I did was laugh for two hours.”
It’s not only Bollywood films that he enjoys, but the dashing 6’2”-cricketer is also hooked on Indian fashion. “I really like the Indian designers,” says a brand-savvy Akram.
Akram was in the Capital to attend a DDCA camp for budding pacers. As cricketers battle doping charges, Akram — who has battled diabetes since 1997 — stands testimony to the rewards of hard work and dedication. “You need to love yourself and put in a lot of effort,” he says.
He is unhappy that the Champions Trophy has had to be called off due to the political unrest in Pakistan. “It’s sad. I understand the concern about players’ safety, but the situation is not that bad.”
World - New crisis as Somali refugees flee to Kenya
The Dadaab settlement now hosts more than 210,000 people, making it the world’s biggest refugee camp. With at least 200 new arrivals every day, aid workers are struggling to cope.
“We are already at bursting point,” said Maeve Murphy, field officer with the U.N. Refugee Agency in Dadaab, over 95 kilometres south of border with Somalia. “And more refugees are on their way.”
The refugees are fleeing the worst fighting in Somalia since the early 90s, when the country’s descent into anarchy began. On one side is the internationally recognised but weak Transitional Federal Government (TFG), supported by thousands of Ethiopian troops. Waging an increasingly effective guerrilla war against them is a broad-based, Islamist-led opposition, whose hardline wing last week took over the strategic port city of Kismayo.
More than 8,000 civilians have been killed in Somalia since the beginning of last year, while nearly one million people have been internally displaced since September 2007. Drought, hyperinflation and year-on-year food prices increases of up to 700 per cent have compounded the humanitarian crisis. The U.N.’s Food Security Analysis Unit on Wednesday described the situation as “alarming and profound.” Some 3.2 million people — nearly half the population — needed emergency assistance, it said, up from 1.8 million people in January. One in six children under the age of five is acutely malnourished.
But aid delivery is more difficult than anywhere in the world, with the possible exception of Afghanistan, humanitarian workers say. Pirates prevent food relief arriving by sea, while ambushes, roadblocks and targeted assassinations have severely impacted field operations. All of south and central Somalia and large parts of the northern Puntland region are almost completely off-limits to international staff.
The capital, Mogadishu remains the epicentre of the insurgency and it is there that many of Dadaab’s new arrivals start their journeys. Paying £50 for a seat in a truck or minibus, they make the journey south to the Kenyan border, which has been officially closed since early 2007 but remains porous enough for the refugees to sneak through.
Abdullahi Shimoy Mukhtar, 40, who arrived in Dadaab with his family on August 1, said that the insecurity had made it impossible to earn a living in Mogadishu.
“If the government soldiers or Ethiopians suspect that you support Al-Shabaab [fighters from the Islamist militant wing], they will kill you in the street, and vice-versa.”
Dadaab, where temperatures often touch 104{+0}C, consists of three neighbouring camps, though a fourth may soon have to be built. The newcomers’ shelters are desert igloos; bent branches covered with plastic sheeting and blankets. But Mukhtar’s brother Muhammad, said: “Even if we have nothing else here, we have security. There is a dark future for Somalia.”
Few Somali watchers would disagree, at least for the short term. The TFG’s president, the former warlord Abdullahi Yusuf, whom most observers now regard as serious obstacle to progress, is locked in a power-struggle with his Prime Minister, Nur Hassan Hussein. The political arm of Islamist opposition, known as the Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia (ARS), is also deeply divided.
Desperate for some sort of peace deal, the U.N. and western diplomats have been pushing the “Djibouti Agreement,” which creates deadlines for a ceasefire, the deployment of international peacekeepers and the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops. On August 18, the TFG finally signed the deal with the moderate ARS faction headed by Sheik Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.
But though some Islamist military commanders strongly support the agreement, the more militant arm of the ARS, headed by the Eritrea-based cleric Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, remains opposed to it. Aweys, who has his own field commanders, also has close ties to Al-Shabaab, and to Hassan al-Turki, another veteran Somali radical with his own militias. All three are on the terrorist list drawn up by the U.S., which strongly backed Ethiopia’s invasion in late 2006. Some European countries believe the alleged links to Al-Qaeda are exaggerated and unhelpful to the peace process.
Various Islamist militias from the hardline ARS faction helped win the two-day battle for Kismayo from last week, assisted by local clan militias opposed to Barre Hirale, a warlord and MP who controlled the town.
One western diplomat described the victory as “photocopy” of what had occurred in September 2006, when Islamist forces captured Kismayo from Hirale before Ethiopia’s intervention.
If they keep hold of the port, the Islamists will net millions of dollars in annual revenues, can easily ship in weapons, and will effectively control the coastline all the way south to Kenya.
“Ethiopia and the U.S. have to think quickly about how they want to respond,” said a Somalia analyst in Nairobi. “It’s a pretty bold move by the Islamists.” — © Guardian Newspapers Limited, 2008
“We are already at bursting point,” said Maeve Murphy, field officer with the U.N. Refugee Agency in Dadaab, over 95 kilometres south of border with Somalia. “And more refugees are on their way.”
The refugees are fleeing the worst fighting in Somalia since the early 90s, when the country’s descent into anarchy began. On one side is the internationally recognised but weak Transitional Federal Government (TFG), supported by thousands of Ethiopian troops. Waging an increasingly effective guerrilla war against them is a broad-based, Islamist-led opposition, whose hardline wing last week took over the strategic port city of Kismayo.
More than 8,000 civilians have been killed in Somalia since the beginning of last year, while nearly one million people have been internally displaced since September 2007. Drought, hyperinflation and year-on-year food prices increases of up to 700 per cent have compounded the humanitarian crisis. The U.N.’s Food Security Analysis Unit on Wednesday described the situation as “alarming and profound.” Some 3.2 million people — nearly half the population — needed emergency assistance, it said, up from 1.8 million people in January. One in six children under the age of five is acutely malnourished.
But aid delivery is more difficult than anywhere in the world, with the possible exception of Afghanistan, humanitarian workers say. Pirates prevent food relief arriving by sea, while ambushes, roadblocks and targeted assassinations have severely impacted field operations. All of south and central Somalia and large parts of the northern Puntland region are almost completely off-limits to international staff.
The capital, Mogadishu remains the epicentre of the insurgency and it is there that many of Dadaab’s new arrivals start their journeys. Paying £50 for a seat in a truck or minibus, they make the journey south to the Kenyan border, which has been officially closed since early 2007 but remains porous enough for the refugees to sneak through.
Abdullahi Shimoy Mukhtar, 40, who arrived in Dadaab with his family on August 1, said that the insecurity had made it impossible to earn a living in Mogadishu.
“If the government soldiers or Ethiopians suspect that you support Al-Shabaab [fighters from the Islamist militant wing], they will kill you in the street, and vice-versa.”
Dadaab, where temperatures often touch 104{+0}C, consists of three neighbouring camps, though a fourth may soon have to be built. The newcomers’ shelters are desert igloos; bent branches covered with plastic sheeting and blankets. But Mukhtar’s brother Muhammad, said: “Even if we have nothing else here, we have security. There is a dark future for Somalia.”
Few Somali watchers would disagree, at least for the short term. The TFG’s president, the former warlord Abdullahi Yusuf, whom most observers now regard as serious obstacle to progress, is locked in a power-struggle with his Prime Minister, Nur Hassan Hussein. The political arm of Islamist opposition, known as the Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia (ARS), is also deeply divided.
Desperate for some sort of peace deal, the U.N. and western diplomats have been pushing the “Djibouti Agreement,” which creates deadlines for a ceasefire, the deployment of international peacekeepers and the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops. On August 18, the TFG finally signed the deal with the moderate ARS faction headed by Sheik Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.
But though some Islamist military commanders strongly support the agreement, the more militant arm of the ARS, headed by the Eritrea-based cleric Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, remains opposed to it. Aweys, who has his own field commanders, also has close ties to Al-Shabaab, and to Hassan al-Turki, another veteran Somali radical with his own militias. All three are on the terrorist list drawn up by the U.S., which strongly backed Ethiopia’s invasion in late 2006. Some European countries believe the alleged links to Al-Qaeda are exaggerated and unhelpful to the peace process.
Various Islamist militias from the hardline ARS faction helped win the two-day battle for Kismayo from last week, assisted by local clan militias opposed to Barre Hirale, a warlord and MP who controlled the town.
One western diplomat described the victory as “photocopy” of what had occurred in September 2006, when Islamist forces captured Kismayo from Hirale before Ethiopia’s intervention.
If they keep hold of the port, the Islamists will net millions of dollars in annual revenues, can easily ship in weapons, and will effectively control the coastline all the way south to Kenya.
“Ethiopia and the U.S. have to think quickly about how they want to respond,” said a Somalia analyst in Nairobi. “It’s a pretty bold move by the Islamists.” — © Guardian Newspapers Limited, 2008
World - Resolving Asia' contradictions;growth versus inequities
Inequity at birth, intra-generational inequity in adult life and inter-generational inequity pose a serious threat to sustainable human security and well-being.
Asia was for a long time known as a “sleeping giant” because of the dichotomy prevailing in most Asian countries between the prosperity of nature and the poverty of the people. The colonial powers came to the Asian countries because of the rich natural and mineral resource endowments of the countries of this vast continent. Asian countries are also rich in spiritual, cultural and culinary heritage. Beginning with the Industrial Revolution in Europe, technology divide has been an important factor in the North-South economic divide. Japan was the earliest country to master new technologies and to bring about a paradigm shift from unskilled to skilled work among its hard-working population. From 1980 onwards, China has mastered new technologies in every sphere of human endeavour, as was evident from the spectacular Olympic Games held in Beijing recently. Many Asian nations have also been making impressive progress in GDP growth in the post-colonial era. Asia is also the home of the Green Revolution in agriculture.3 major groups of inequities
In spite of impressive economic growth and technological capability, the Asian growth story is characterised by serious social inequities. The continent is witnessing many divides: urban-rural, digital, genetic, gender, social, economic and technological divides. The Asian identity is therefore one of ecstasy and agony. We can be proud of our ancient cultural heritage, and the more recent technological and athletic achievements. On the other hand, we are confronted with three major groups of inequities.Under-nutrition and malnutrition
The first and the cruellest form of inequity is the prevalence of widespread maternal and foetal under-nutrition and malnutrition, resulting in the birth of babies with low birth weight (LBW), of about 2.5 kg and below. Such children are disadvantaged at birth in relation to cognitive abilities and brain development. Thus a child, for no fault other than being born in a poor family, is denied an opportunity for the realisation of his or her innate genetic potential for physical and mental development. This situation is serious in several South Asian countries, where almost one out of every four newborn children is characterised by low birth weight. Denial of opportunities for intellectual development in the Knowledge Age in which we live, is inexcusable. Hence, there must be a serious effort to ensure that all pregnant women have access to an adequate and balanced diet, clean drinking water and environmental hygiene. Elimination of malnutrition-induced inequity at birth should receive the first priority in the struggle for growth with equity.
The second aspect of inclusive economic growth covers all forms of intra-generational equity. These include the goals of literacy, health, nutrition and work for all. Unfortunately, in all these basic minimum needs, inequity prevails to varying extents in different countries of Asia. Many Asian nations, with some notable exceptions like China and Vietnam, are yet to achieve a proportionate reduction in the number of malnourished children, women and men in order for them to achieve the first among the U.N. Millennium Development Goals, namely, reduction in the number of persons going to bed hungry and the number of persons suffering from poverty and destitution to half, by 2015. Priorities in development strategies and resource allocation decisions must therefore go to promoting equity in access to nutrition, healthcare, education, sanitation and livelihood opportunities.Inter-generational inequity
A third form of inequity relates to the harm the present generation inflicts on the well-being of the generations yet to be born. Such inter-generational inequity can do greater harm in population-rich countries like China, India and Bangladesh. The most serious among the different categories of inter-generational inequity is anthropogenically induced climate change. Climate change could result in adverse changes in temperature, precipitation, and sea level, leading to serious droughts, floods and coastal sea water inundation. Sea level rise could lead to the submergence of coastal areas, and islands like the Maldives. Other forms of environmental damage, such as loss of biodiversity and pollution of water, have equally serious repercussions.
Thus, inequity at birth, intra-generational inequity in adult life and inter-generational inequity pose a serious threat to sustainable human security and well-being. The poor nations and the poor in all nations will be the worst sufferers since they have limited coping capacity to face the challenges of global warming and environmental degradation. Both unsustainable lifestyles on the part of the rich, and unacceptable poverty on the part of large sections of the population, are threats to peace and security. Remarkable advances in many areas of technology like information communication technology (ICT) and eco-technology have opened up uncommon opportunities to usher in an era where there can be harmony between humankind and nature and also harmony among members of the human family. Let Asia, with a rich repository of traditional knowledge and modern science, show the way. Let the nucleus of the movement for harmony start with the partnership and fellowship promoted at this gathering by the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation.
(This is the text of the keynote address delivered by Professor M.S. Swaminathan in Manila on August 29 at an event held to mark the 50th anniversary of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation. Dr. Swaminathan was himself the 1971 Magsaysay awardee for Community Leadership.)
Asia was for a long time known as a “sleeping giant” because of the dichotomy prevailing in most Asian countries between the prosperity of nature and the poverty of the people. The colonial powers came to the Asian countries because of the rich natural and mineral resource endowments of the countries of this vast continent. Asian countries are also rich in spiritual, cultural and culinary heritage. Beginning with the Industrial Revolution in Europe, technology divide has been an important factor in the North-South economic divide. Japan was the earliest country to master new technologies and to bring about a paradigm shift from unskilled to skilled work among its hard-working population. From 1980 onwards, China has mastered new technologies in every sphere of human endeavour, as was evident from the spectacular Olympic Games held in Beijing recently. Many Asian nations have also been making impressive progress in GDP growth in the post-colonial era. Asia is also the home of the Green Revolution in agriculture.3 major groups of inequities
In spite of impressive economic growth and technological capability, the Asian growth story is characterised by serious social inequities. The continent is witnessing many divides: urban-rural, digital, genetic, gender, social, economic and technological divides. The Asian identity is therefore one of ecstasy and agony. We can be proud of our ancient cultural heritage, and the more recent technological and athletic achievements. On the other hand, we are confronted with three major groups of inequities.Under-nutrition and malnutrition
The first and the cruellest form of inequity is the prevalence of widespread maternal and foetal under-nutrition and malnutrition, resulting in the birth of babies with low birth weight (LBW), of about 2.5 kg and below. Such children are disadvantaged at birth in relation to cognitive abilities and brain development. Thus a child, for no fault other than being born in a poor family, is denied an opportunity for the realisation of his or her innate genetic potential for physical and mental development. This situation is serious in several South Asian countries, where almost one out of every four newborn children is characterised by low birth weight. Denial of opportunities for intellectual development in the Knowledge Age in which we live, is inexcusable. Hence, there must be a serious effort to ensure that all pregnant women have access to an adequate and balanced diet, clean drinking water and environmental hygiene. Elimination of malnutrition-induced inequity at birth should receive the first priority in the struggle for growth with equity.
The second aspect of inclusive economic growth covers all forms of intra-generational equity. These include the goals of literacy, health, nutrition and work for all. Unfortunately, in all these basic minimum needs, inequity prevails to varying extents in different countries of Asia. Many Asian nations, with some notable exceptions like China and Vietnam, are yet to achieve a proportionate reduction in the number of malnourished children, women and men in order for them to achieve the first among the U.N. Millennium Development Goals, namely, reduction in the number of persons going to bed hungry and the number of persons suffering from poverty and destitution to half, by 2015. Priorities in development strategies and resource allocation decisions must therefore go to promoting equity in access to nutrition, healthcare, education, sanitation and livelihood opportunities.Inter-generational inequity
A third form of inequity relates to the harm the present generation inflicts on the well-being of the generations yet to be born. Such inter-generational inequity can do greater harm in population-rich countries like China, India and Bangladesh. The most serious among the different categories of inter-generational inequity is anthropogenically induced climate change. Climate change could result in adverse changes in temperature, precipitation, and sea level, leading to serious droughts, floods and coastal sea water inundation. Sea level rise could lead to the submergence of coastal areas, and islands like the Maldives. Other forms of environmental damage, such as loss of biodiversity and pollution of water, have equally serious repercussions.
Thus, inequity at birth, intra-generational inequity in adult life and inter-generational inequity pose a serious threat to sustainable human security and well-being. The poor nations and the poor in all nations will be the worst sufferers since they have limited coping capacity to face the challenges of global warming and environmental degradation. Both unsustainable lifestyles on the part of the rich, and unacceptable poverty on the part of large sections of the population, are threats to peace and security. Remarkable advances in many areas of technology like information communication technology (ICT) and eco-technology have opened up uncommon opportunities to usher in an era where there can be harmony between humankind and nature and also harmony among members of the human family. Let Asia, with a rich repository of traditional knowledge and modern science, show the way. Let the nucleus of the movement for harmony start with the partnership and fellowship promoted at this gathering by the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation.
(This is the text of the keynote address delivered by Professor M.S. Swaminathan in Manila on August 29 at an event held to mark the 50th anniversary of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation. Dr. Swaminathan was himself the 1971 Magsaysay awardee for Community Leadership.)
World - Social injustice is killig on a grand scale around the world
The report from a World Health Organisation commission headed by a British professor, Sir Michael Marmot, says a toxic combination of bad policies, economics and politics is in large measure responsible for the majority of the world’s people not enjoying the good health that is biologically possible.
The consequences of social injustice are most marked in developing countries, where the poorest struggle even to survive. Average life expectancy in some African countries is below 50 years. But the underlying issues are similar all over the world.
“In rich countries, low socioeconomic position means poor education, lack of amenities, unemployment and job insecurity, poor working conditions and unsafe neighbourhoods, with their consequent impact on family life. These all apply to the socially disadvantaged in low-income countries in addition to the considerable burden of material deprivation and vulnerability to natural disasters,” the report says.
Rapid change is possible, it says. Greece and Portugal had child mortality of 50 per 1,000 40 years ago. Now they are not far behind Iceland, Japan and Sweden, which have the longest life spans in the world. In the same period, Egypt has gone from 235 to 35 per 1,000.
But change in the other direction can be equally rapid. Adult mortality in the Russian Federation since the political, social and economic upheaval of 1992 has risen.
The commission wants every government policy and programme to be assessed for its impact on health. Above all, it says, governments should invest in high quality education with a focus on intervening in the earliest years, from womb to age eight. — © Guardian Newspapers Limited, 2008
The consequences of social injustice are most marked in developing countries, where the poorest struggle even to survive. Average life expectancy in some African countries is below 50 years. But the underlying issues are similar all over the world.
“In rich countries, low socioeconomic position means poor education, lack of amenities, unemployment and job insecurity, poor working conditions and unsafe neighbourhoods, with their consequent impact on family life. These all apply to the socially disadvantaged in low-income countries in addition to the considerable burden of material deprivation and vulnerability to natural disasters,” the report says.
Rapid change is possible, it says. Greece and Portugal had child mortality of 50 per 1,000 40 years ago. Now they are not far behind Iceland, Japan and Sweden, which have the longest life spans in the world. In the same period, Egypt has gone from 235 to 35 per 1,000.
But change in the other direction can be equally rapid. Adult mortality in the Russian Federation since the political, social and economic upheaval of 1992 has risen.
The commission wants every government policy and programme to be assessed for its impact on health. Above all, it says, governments should invest in high quality education with a focus on intervening in the earliest years, from womb to age eight. — © Guardian Newspapers Limited, 2008
World - Is there life after Doha ?
As the WTO reassembles and reconsiders its options, should countries in the developing world stay put and give up on efforts to otherwise move forward or should they try to make the most of a difficult situation?
The end of the Doha Round, the first such multilateral trade round to fail since World War Two, has brought to the fore the issue of what to do to move forward in trade liberalisation. This has coincided with the publication of an important book by one of the world’s leading economists, Columbia University’s Jagdish Bhagwati, Termites in the Trading System (Oxford University Press), which makes the case against Free Trade Agreements (FTAs).
Over the past decade and a half or so, countries impatient with the slow pace of multilateral trade negotiations decided to “take the bull by the horns” and move on their own, going for FTAs, that is, bilateral agreements that eliminate (or almost do so) tariffs and other barriers to trade between nations. Many economists since David Ricardo have been leery of them, as allegedly inefficient and suboptimal solutions leading to a “spaghetti bowl” of treaties, difficult to monitor and enact, a form of protectionism in disguise that distracts from the real task of either unilateral tariff lowering or a massive multilateral trade agreement that will effect it. Bhagwati’s work is in that tradition.
Yet, the issue is not as clear-cut. As the WTO reassembles and reconsiders its options, which may include the start of a new round in the not too distant future, should countries in the developing world stay put and give up on efforts to otherwise move forward, or should they try to make the most of a difficult situation and go the bilateral and plurilateral route? At least in theory, everybody is in favour of a more open and liberalised trade regime, one with lower subsidies and lower tariffs. The real question is how to get there; there are, as they say, many ways to skin a cat. Are FTAs such a bad idea that we would be better off without them even after the death of Doha?
The issue is an especially critical one for India as it continues to open up its economy and its industry aims at gaining a foothold in foreign markets. With a $1.2 trillion economy, the fourth largest in the world in PPP terms, exports of $150 billion in 2007 and a growth rate of 9.3 per cent, more than twice the growth of the world economy, projections indicate it will reach 5.6 per cent of the world product by 2013, up from 4.4 per cent in 2006.
India has been slowly getting into FTAs. It has signed them with Sri Lanka in 1998 and with Thailand in 2003, as well as PTAs with Afghanistan, Chile and MERCOSUR. It has reached agreement on one with ASEAN this month, and it is negotiating one with the European Union since July 2007, as well as one with Japan.
The one country in the world at the forefront of FTA-signing has been Chile, with 54; it is presently negotiating four more — with Australia, Malaysia, Turkey and Ecuador. Many attribute the enormous success of the Chilean economy — the best performing in the world outside Asia since 1990, and now invited to join the OECD, which it is expected to do in 2009 — to the market access these FTAs have gained for Chilean exports. In 2007, Chile exported $67 billion and projections indicate this year it will be $75 billion, half of what India exports. This has been critical for Chile’s export-led development model, whose 5.6 per cent average annual growth since 1990 needs export growth of 8 or 9 per cent a year to keep going.
To rely on export-driven growth is like riding a bike. The moment your exports stop growing, you fall. This entails a constant search for new markets — expanding current ones and adding new ones. It also means export promotion policies at home, raising productivity to stay competitive, aggressive phytosanitary policies to protect your agricultural environment, and an export-oriented culture and mentality even among medium and small size enterprises. But the foundational stone of it all is access to foreign markets. Without it, all the rest is for naught.
India has a huge internal market and much of its remarkable growth over the past two decades has been driven by internal demand. But as India’s industry starts to take on the world, as it attracts more FDI and as the country makes its weight felt around the globe, access to foreign markets becomes imperative. The growth of the volumes of international trade in goods and services continues to be higher than that of the global product. The IMF projects a 5.6 per cent growth of global trade in 2008, and 5.8 per cent in 2009, versus 3.8 per cent of the world product in 2008 and 3.9 per cent in 2009. FTAs are one way to go forward and be part of the action. To look with a magnifying glass at one particular case allows us to see its contours in more fine-grained detail.
One year after the PTA between Chile and India came into effect (in August 2007) and given that last April in Santiago, President Michelle Bachelet mooted to President Pratibha Patil a possible expansion of it into a full-fledged FTA, what is the balance of that agreement between these two unequal and distant partners ?
Remarkably, despite this distance (no country in the world is farther away from India) Indo-Chilean trade is thriving. In the first year of the PTA (that is, the second half of 2007 and the first half of 2008), Indian exports to Chile reached $315 million, an increase of 82 per cent over the previous period. This is six times what they were in 1999 ($55 million), and the growth rate of exports was much higher than what it was from 1999 to 2006 — 17 per cent. In fact, during the first half of 2008, Indian exports to Chile grew 129 per cent.
Chilean exports to India, on the other hand, had a slight decline of 2 per cent, (though from a very high 2006 base of $1.6 billion, when they had tripled), to $1.99 billion, due to a slight decline in copper orders, the main item India buys from Chile. Though copper makes the bulk of Chilean exports (94 per cent), agricultural and industrial goods are also going up — for a total of some 155 products. On the other hand, in terms of India’s exports to Chile, the second most significant item is cars — in which the Mahindra Scorpio has been at the most visible and making quite an impact among Chilean consumers — but also tractors, motorcycles and other such high-value consumer goods. As Latin America’s strongest economy, Chile is a trailblazer in consumption patterns. Foreign products that do well in Chile get immediate attention in the rest of the region and many doors open. Doing well in Chile is an excellent visiting card. Thus, though Chile runs a huge surplus in its balance of trade with India, it is not something that worries the Indian government or Indian business. Chile is providing India with something it sorely needs (mostly commodities like copper but also other raw materials) and is in turn buying Indian capital goods and high-end consumer goods like cars.Win-win deal
Contrary to what many sceptics thought, then, the Chile-India PTA has been a win-win deal. Its limited reach, though (only 178 Chilean products got tariff reductions and only 296 Indian ones) means that its expansion into a full-fledged FTA would be a welcome step. If a PTA triggered an 82 per cent growth of Indian exports, one can imagine what an FTA would do.
For economists, who look at the world through the lenses of abstract models, based on assumptions that have often very little to do with actual reality, FTAs are messy, confusing, suboptimal solutions, far inferior to a situation in which all 220 countries, or at least the 150 WTO members, would lower their tariffs in one fell swoop to zero. Not surprisingly, many of them don’t like FTAs. My argument as a political scientist is that, for better or for worse, the world itself is messy and imperfect, and we might as well deal with it as it is rather than the way we would like it to be. An incrementalist, iterative approach like the one followed by Chile in terms of FTAs, with the results mentioned above, has shown to be a fruitful way of gaining market access and fostering domestic growth, whatever its theoretical shortcomings.
(Jorge Heine is CIGI Professor of Global Governance at Wilfrid Laurier University and a Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation, in Waterloo, Ontario. He serves currently as vice-president of the International Political Science Association, and was Chile’s Ambassador to India from 2003 to 2007.)
The end of the Doha Round, the first such multilateral trade round to fail since World War Two, has brought to the fore the issue of what to do to move forward in trade liberalisation. This has coincided with the publication of an important book by one of the world’s leading economists, Columbia University’s Jagdish Bhagwati, Termites in the Trading System (Oxford University Press), which makes the case against Free Trade Agreements (FTAs).
Over the past decade and a half or so, countries impatient with the slow pace of multilateral trade negotiations decided to “take the bull by the horns” and move on their own, going for FTAs, that is, bilateral agreements that eliminate (or almost do so) tariffs and other barriers to trade between nations. Many economists since David Ricardo have been leery of them, as allegedly inefficient and suboptimal solutions leading to a “spaghetti bowl” of treaties, difficult to monitor and enact, a form of protectionism in disguise that distracts from the real task of either unilateral tariff lowering or a massive multilateral trade agreement that will effect it. Bhagwati’s work is in that tradition.
Yet, the issue is not as clear-cut. As the WTO reassembles and reconsiders its options, which may include the start of a new round in the not too distant future, should countries in the developing world stay put and give up on efforts to otherwise move forward, or should they try to make the most of a difficult situation and go the bilateral and plurilateral route? At least in theory, everybody is in favour of a more open and liberalised trade regime, one with lower subsidies and lower tariffs. The real question is how to get there; there are, as they say, many ways to skin a cat. Are FTAs such a bad idea that we would be better off without them even after the death of Doha?
The issue is an especially critical one for India as it continues to open up its economy and its industry aims at gaining a foothold in foreign markets. With a $1.2 trillion economy, the fourth largest in the world in PPP terms, exports of $150 billion in 2007 and a growth rate of 9.3 per cent, more than twice the growth of the world economy, projections indicate it will reach 5.6 per cent of the world product by 2013, up from 4.4 per cent in 2006.
India has been slowly getting into FTAs. It has signed them with Sri Lanka in 1998 and with Thailand in 2003, as well as PTAs with Afghanistan, Chile and MERCOSUR. It has reached agreement on one with ASEAN this month, and it is negotiating one with the European Union since July 2007, as well as one with Japan.
The one country in the world at the forefront of FTA-signing has been Chile, with 54; it is presently negotiating four more — with Australia, Malaysia, Turkey and Ecuador. Many attribute the enormous success of the Chilean economy — the best performing in the world outside Asia since 1990, and now invited to join the OECD, which it is expected to do in 2009 — to the market access these FTAs have gained for Chilean exports. In 2007, Chile exported $67 billion and projections indicate this year it will be $75 billion, half of what India exports. This has been critical for Chile’s export-led development model, whose 5.6 per cent average annual growth since 1990 needs export growth of 8 or 9 per cent a year to keep going.
To rely on export-driven growth is like riding a bike. The moment your exports stop growing, you fall. This entails a constant search for new markets — expanding current ones and adding new ones. It also means export promotion policies at home, raising productivity to stay competitive, aggressive phytosanitary policies to protect your agricultural environment, and an export-oriented culture and mentality even among medium and small size enterprises. But the foundational stone of it all is access to foreign markets. Without it, all the rest is for naught.
India has a huge internal market and much of its remarkable growth over the past two decades has been driven by internal demand. But as India’s industry starts to take on the world, as it attracts more FDI and as the country makes its weight felt around the globe, access to foreign markets becomes imperative. The growth of the volumes of international trade in goods and services continues to be higher than that of the global product. The IMF projects a 5.6 per cent growth of global trade in 2008, and 5.8 per cent in 2009, versus 3.8 per cent of the world product in 2008 and 3.9 per cent in 2009. FTAs are one way to go forward and be part of the action. To look with a magnifying glass at one particular case allows us to see its contours in more fine-grained detail.
One year after the PTA between Chile and India came into effect (in August 2007) and given that last April in Santiago, President Michelle Bachelet mooted to President Pratibha Patil a possible expansion of it into a full-fledged FTA, what is the balance of that agreement between these two unequal and distant partners ?
Remarkably, despite this distance (no country in the world is farther away from India) Indo-Chilean trade is thriving. In the first year of the PTA (that is, the second half of 2007 and the first half of 2008), Indian exports to Chile reached $315 million, an increase of 82 per cent over the previous period. This is six times what they were in 1999 ($55 million), and the growth rate of exports was much higher than what it was from 1999 to 2006 — 17 per cent. In fact, during the first half of 2008, Indian exports to Chile grew 129 per cent.
Chilean exports to India, on the other hand, had a slight decline of 2 per cent, (though from a very high 2006 base of $1.6 billion, when they had tripled), to $1.99 billion, due to a slight decline in copper orders, the main item India buys from Chile. Though copper makes the bulk of Chilean exports (94 per cent), agricultural and industrial goods are also going up — for a total of some 155 products. On the other hand, in terms of India’s exports to Chile, the second most significant item is cars — in which the Mahindra Scorpio has been at the most visible and making quite an impact among Chilean consumers — but also tractors, motorcycles and other such high-value consumer goods. As Latin America’s strongest economy, Chile is a trailblazer in consumption patterns. Foreign products that do well in Chile get immediate attention in the rest of the region and many doors open. Doing well in Chile is an excellent visiting card. Thus, though Chile runs a huge surplus in its balance of trade with India, it is not something that worries the Indian government or Indian business. Chile is providing India with something it sorely needs (mostly commodities like copper but also other raw materials) and is in turn buying Indian capital goods and high-end consumer goods like cars.Win-win deal
Contrary to what many sceptics thought, then, the Chile-India PTA has been a win-win deal. Its limited reach, though (only 178 Chilean products got tariff reductions and only 296 Indian ones) means that its expansion into a full-fledged FTA would be a welcome step. If a PTA triggered an 82 per cent growth of Indian exports, one can imagine what an FTA would do.
For economists, who look at the world through the lenses of abstract models, based on assumptions that have often very little to do with actual reality, FTAs are messy, confusing, suboptimal solutions, far inferior to a situation in which all 220 countries, or at least the 150 WTO members, would lower their tariffs in one fell swoop to zero. Not surprisingly, many of them don’t like FTAs. My argument as a political scientist is that, for better or for worse, the world itself is messy and imperfect, and we might as well deal with it as it is rather than the way we would like it to be. An incrementalist, iterative approach like the one followed by Chile in terms of FTAs, with the results mentioned above, has shown to be a fruitful way of gaining market access and fostering domestic growth, whatever its theoretical shortcomings.
(Jorge Heine is CIGI Professor of Global Governance at Wilfrid Laurier University and a Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation, in Waterloo, Ontario. He serves currently as vice-president of the International Political Science Association, and was Chile’s Ambassador to India from 2003 to 2007.)
World - Indian team tops astronomy Olympiad
Mumbai: India was ranked first, two gold, two silver and one bronze medals, at the second International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA) held in Bandung, Indonesia from August 19 to 27.
“India ranked first in the official team rankings and was awarded the best team trophy,” said team leader Mayank Vahia of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. Special prize
Delhi student Nitin Jain scored overall highest marks and was awarded a special prize and trophy. The two Indian gold medallists were Akshay Subramaniam from Hyderabad and Nitin Jain from Delhi. The silver medal went to Anant Jain from Delhi and Tushar Shrotriya from Pune. Uttam Bhat from Manipal won the bronze. Nodal centre
The Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE) of the TIFR is the nodal centre for training and selecting Indian teams for Olympiads.
A total of 89 students participated from 21 countries. They included Azarbajan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, China, Greece, Indonesia, Iran, Cambodia, Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar, Poland, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Ukraine.
Overall, 10 gold medals, 11 silver medals and 18 bronze medals were won. — PTI
“India ranked first in the official team rankings and was awarded the best team trophy,” said team leader Mayank Vahia of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. Special prize
Delhi student Nitin Jain scored overall highest marks and was awarded a special prize and trophy. The two Indian gold medallists were Akshay Subramaniam from Hyderabad and Nitin Jain from Delhi. The silver medal went to Anant Jain from Delhi and Tushar Shrotriya from Pune. Uttam Bhat from Manipal won the bronze. Nodal centre
The Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE) of the TIFR is the nodal centre for training and selecting Indian teams for Olympiads.
A total of 89 students participated from 21 countries. They included Azarbajan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, China, Greece, Indonesia, Iran, Cambodia, Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar, Poland, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Ukraine.
Overall, 10 gold medals, 11 silver medals and 18 bronze medals were won. — PTI
World - China's tallest building opens its doors
SHANGHAI: China’s tallest building, the 101-floor, 1,614-feet Shanghai World Financial Centre, opens its doors to the public on Saturday, more than 14 years after construction began.
The building’s Japanese developers, the Mori Building Company, pumped in more than 8 billion yuan ($ 1.2 billion) into the project, hoping to make it the world’s tallest building. But delays in the course of construction, including those following a fire on the 40th floor last August, enabled two newer projects to surpass it – the Burj in Dubai, which is still under construction and now stands at 1,800 feet (its final height is being kept secret), and the Taipei 101 in Taiwan.
The newest addition to Shanghai’s skyline may only be the third tallest building in the world, but boasts other records. One of these is a swimming pool at the highest elevation, way up on the 85th floor. Then there is the highest point in the world where a person can stand – an observation deck on the 100th floor that provides a stunning view of the city. The building will house the world’s highest hotel – the Park Hyatt, located between the 79th and 93rd floors.
Shanghai’s skyline is not short of distinctive skyscrapers. The Oriental Pearl Tower, the home of China’s state television channel CCTV, has for many years been the symbol of Shanghai’s economic resurgence and prosperity, with its futuristic rocket-ship design and gleaming spheres.
The World Financial Centre will now give it a run for its money. Standing a stone’s throw away from it, the new building dwarfs the Pearl. Located in Shanghai’s high-end and rapidly developing financial district of Pudong, it is across the Huangpu river from the old city.
The building’s construction has had its share of controversy. Many Shanghainese initially objected to the contract being awarded to Japanese developers — there is still significant hostility to Japan in many parts of eastern China that dates back to the Japanese occupation during the Second World War. In 2005, thousands of demonstrators gave vent to their anger in Shanghai, torching cars and Japanese businesses to protest against Japanese textbooks that they believed underplayed Japanese excesses during the occupation.
Mori did not help its cause by deciding to design the building with a circular hole at the top. Locals said it resembled a Japanese flag. The outrage reached a crescendo in 2005 when anti-Japanese sentiment in the city was already high. The builders quickly redesigned the structure: the hole at the top was reshaped into a rectangular one, giving the building the shape – and the locally popular epithet for it – of a ‘bottle-opener.’
Renting office space at the bottle-opener will not come cheap. Offices will cost as much as $3 a square metre – the highest rate in a city with exorbitant real estate prices.
Minoru Mori, chairman of Mori, told reporters on Friday he was confident that with demand for office space increasing, the rent rate would not keep businesses away. “Taking into account the business potential of the city, the total office space in Shanghai is not so large,” he said. “If you supply good space, the demand will follow.”
Judging by the initial demand, Mr. Mori appears to be right. As of Friday, 45 per cent of the space had been rented out, largely to financial sector firms.
The building’s Japanese developers, the Mori Building Company, pumped in more than 8 billion yuan ($ 1.2 billion) into the project, hoping to make it the world’s tallest building. But delays in the course of construction, including those following a fire on the 40th floor last August, enabled two newer projects to surpass it – the Burj in Dubai, which is still under construction and now stands at 1,800 feet (its final height is being kept secret), and the Taipei 101 in Taiwan.
The newest addition to Shanghai’s skyline may only be the third tallest building in the world, but boasts other records. One of these is a swimming pool at the highest elevation, way up on the 85th floor. Then there is the highest point in the world where a person can stand – an observation deck on the 100th floor that provides a stunning view of the city. The building will house the world’s highest hotel – the Park Hyatt, located between the 79th and 93rd floors.
Shanghai’s skyline is not short of distinctive skyscrapers. The Oriental Pearl Tower, the home of China’s state television channel CCTV, has for many years been the symbol of Shanghai’s economic resurgence and prosperity, with its futuristic rocket-ship design and gleaming spheres.
The World Financial Centre will now give it a run for its money. Standing a stone’s throw away from it, the new building dwarfs the Pearl. Located in Shanghai’s high-end and rapidly developing financial district of Pudong, it is across the Huangpu river from the old city.
The building’s construction has had its share of controversy. Many Shanghainese initially objected to the contract being awarded to Japanese developers — there is still significant hostility to Japan in many parts of eastern China that dates back to the Japanese occupation during the Second World War. In 2005, thousands of demonstrators gave vent to their anger in Shanghai, torching cars and Japanese businesses to protest against Japanese textbooks that they believed underplayed Japanese excesses during the occupation.
Mori did not help its cause by deciding to design the building with a circular hole at the top. Locals said it resembled a Japanese flag. The outrage reached a crescendo in 2005 when anti-Japanese sentiment in the city was already high. The builders quickly redesigned the structure: the hole at the top was reshaped into a rectangular one, giving the building the shape – and the locally popular epithet for it – of a ‘bottle-opener.’
Renting office space at the bottle-opener will not come cheap. Offices will cost as much as $3 a square metre – the highest rate in a city with exorbitant real estate prices.
Minoru Mori, chairman of Mori, told reporters on Friday he was confident that with demand for office space increasing, the rent rate would not keep businesses away. “Taking into account the business potential of the city, the total office space in Shanghai is not so large,” he said. “If you supply good space, the demand will follow.”
Judging by the initial demand, Mr. Mori appears to be right. As of Friday, 45 per cent of the space had been rented out, largely to financial sector firms.
World - Oxygen bottle did it on the Qantas Flight
CANBERRA: Air safety investigators confirmed on Friday that an exploding oxygen cylinder ripped a gaping hole in a Qantas jet’s fuselage midflight last month, but said they were no closer to solving the mystery of why the tank failed.
Julian Walsh, acting executive director of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, released an interim report on an ongoing investigation of the emergency aboard a Boeing 747-438 aircraft, carrying 365 people, over the South China Sea on July 25 almost an hour after takeoff from Hong Kong.
The crew quickly descended to an altitude of 3,000 m, where oxygen masks were no longer needed, and safely landed at the Philippine capital’s airport despite the loss of crucial flight instruments. No one was injured.
The jet remains in Manila, where a physical examination for clues to the cause of the near-disaster has been completed.
Friday’s report confirmed early findings that one of seven emergency oxygen cylinders below the cabin floor had exploded, causing the emergency. Walsh said the investigation is now focussed on pinpointing the cause.
He said the investigation will likely continue for months and declined to say whether finding the cause was possible. The 12-kg steel cylinder, pressurised to 1,850 pounds per square inch (12,755 kilopascals), “sustained a failure that allowed a sudden and complete release of the pressurised contents,” Mr. Walsh said.
The explosion blew a hole in the fuselage 202 cm wide and 152 cm high, the report said. Mr. Walsh said the cylinder had undergone its regulation three-yearly safety inspection shortly before it was installed in the jet six weeks before it exploded.
Since the emergency, Qantas had completed its fleet-wide inspection of oxygen cylinders without identifying any problems, he said.
Qantas released a statement, backing the preliminary report’s findings. — AP
Julian Walsh, acting executive director of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, released an interim report on an ongoing investigation of the emergency aboard a Boeing 747-438 aircraft, carrying 365 people, over the South China Sea on July 25 almost an hour after takeoff from Hong Kong.
The crew quickly descended to an altitude of 3,000 m, where oxygen masks were no longer needed, and safely landed at the Philippine capital’s airport despite the loss of crucial flight instruments. No one was injured.
The jet remains in Manila, where a physical examination for clues to the cause of the near-disaster has been completed.
Friday’s report confirmed early findings that one of seven emergency oxygen cylinders below the cabin floor had exploded, causing the emergency. Walsh said the investigation is now focussed on pinpointing the cause.
He said the investigation will likely continue for months and declined to say whether finding the cause was possible. The 12-kg steel cylinder, pressurised to 1,850 pounds per square inch (12,755 kilopascals), “sustained a failure that allowed a sudden and complete release of the pressurised contents,” Mr. Walsh said.
The explosion blew a hole in the fuselage 202 cm wide and 152 cm high, the report said. Mr. Walsh said the cylinder had undergone its regulation three-yearly safety inspection shortly before it was installed in the jet six weeks before it exploded.
Since the emergency, Qantas had completed its fleet-wide inspection of oxygen cylinders without identifying any problems, he said.
Qantas released a statement, backing the preliminary report’s findings. — AP
Sport - Cricket;Time for Bold Decisions
India faces a choice between evolution and revolution. Over the next few weeks the selectors must complete their plans for the forthcoming Australian series.
Is it to be a last hurrah for the great figures that have adorned the game for 15 years? Should they be given one more opportunity to nail the Australians? After all they only lost by a whisker in the previous series, and that in contentious circumstances. Or should the selectors start dismantling the side veteran by veteran? In short should changes be made before or afterwards?
It is not a straightforward matter. Although several batsmen are past their peak they are not hobbling around on walking sticks. And the sight of an Australian cricketer might have much the same effect on them as dawn has upon roosters. Nor have the younger brigade been pressing hard.Trapped midway
Chances have been given to various contenders and none has imposed himself. Mohammed Kaif and Yuvraj Singh, especially, have been trapped midway between promise and deed. As a result the selectors lack compelling alternatives.
Accordingly a case can be made for waiting. Apart from anything else it would placate crowds inclined to identifying strongly with their heroes. But it will not do. India cannot twiddle its thumbs until it is proven beyond reasonable doubt that the fine batsmen of the aging generation are over the hill.
Competitors of this calibre do not lose their powers overnight. Deterioration is gradual but irreversible as eyes slow, motivation fades and feet stop dancing. Certainly the middle order could serve a little longer but selectors are obliged to anticipate not respond. Moreover India has already leapt forwards in one-day cricket. Against the wishes of an abrasive coach, the old guard was given a last dash for glory in the World Cup. Early elimination meant the team could be dismantled without upsetting anyone.Winds of change
Mahendra Singh Dhoni was put in charge and several old-timers were put out to pasture. An immediate change came over the side. India was faster between wickets, sharper in the field and fresher of spirit. In any form of the game it is an effective formula. India won the 50-over tournament in Australia and has also prevailed in Sri Lanka.
It is not so much that the players are better but they are eager and less tarnished by time.
Now India must bring the same audacity to its Test selection. It is not sensible to wait upon events. Nor is it discreet to drop all the senior players in one fell swoop. Much better to give the newcomers a chance to play alongside Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid and to learn from them. Not that the other elders have nothing to impart. Just that these players have records telling of high durability.
India can make changes gradually, bringing in Suresh Raina, let us say, to face the Australians with another novice on standby.
It is cowardly to advocate the inclusion of one player without naming a man to give way. Whilst bowing to no-one in admiration for Sourav Ganguly and admitting that he batted superbly against South Africa, I think he must be first on the scaffold.The Australian method
Over the years Australian cricket has been characterised by its ruthlessness. Other nations were shocked by the way in which players like Ian Healy and Steve Waugh were unsentimentally discarded. But in retirement players are treated with the greatest respect. After all they know a thing or two. It’s the right way around.
Cricket belongs not to the individual but the team, not to the past but the future, not to caution but to boldness.
Is it to be a last hurrah for the great figures that have adorned the game for 15 years? Should they be given one more opportunity to nail the Australians? After all they only lost by a whisker in the previous series, and that in contentious circumstances. Or should the selectors start dismantling the side veteran by veteran? In short should changes be made before or afterwards?
It is not a straightforward matter. Although several batsmen are past their peak they are not hobbling around on walking sticks. And the sight of an Australian cricketer might have much the same effect on them as dawn has upon roosters. Nor have the younger brigade been pressing hard.Trapped midway
Chances have been given to various contenders and none has imposed himself. Mohammed Kaif and Yuvraj Singh, especially, have been trapped midway between promise and deed. As a result the selectors lack compelling alternatives.
Accordingly a case can be made for waiting. Apart from anything else it would placate crowds inclined to identifying strongly with their heroes. But it will not do. India cannot twiddle its thumbs until it is proven beyond reasonable doubt that the fine batsmen of the aging generation are over the hill.
Competitors of this calibre do not lose their powers overnight. Deterioration is gradual but irreversible as eyes slow, motivation fades and feet stop dancing. Certainly the middle order could serve a little longer but selectors are obliged to anticipate not respond. Moreover India has already leapt forwards in one-day cricket. Against the wishes of an abrasive coach, the old guard was given a last dash for glory in the World Cup. Early elimination meant the team could be dismantled without upsetting anyone.Winds of change
Mahendra Singh Dhoni was put in charge and several old-timers were put out to pasture. An immediate change came over the side. India was faster between wickets, sharper in the field and fresher of spirit. In any form of the game it is an effective formula. India won the 50-over tournament in Australia and has also prevailed in Sri Lanka.
It is not so much that the players are better but they are eager and less tarnished by time.
Now India must bring the same audacity to its Test selection. It is not sensible to wait upon events. Nor is it discreet to drop all the senior players in one fell swoop. Much better to give the newcomers a chance to play alongside Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid and to learn from them. Not that the other elders have nothing to impart. Just that these players have records telling of high durability.
India can make changes gradually, bringing in Suresh Raina, let us say, to face the Australians with another novice on standby.
It is cowardly to advocate the inclusion of one player without naming a man to give way. Whilst bowing to no-one in admiration for Sourav Ganguly and admitting that he batted superbly against South Africa, I think he must be first on the scaffold.The Australian method
Over the years Australian cricket has been characterised by its ruthlessness. Other nations were shocked by the way in which players like Ian Healy and Steve Waugh were unsentimentally discarded. But in retirement players are treated with the greatest respect. After all they know a thing or two. It’s the right way around.
Cricket belongs not to the individual but the team, not to the past but the future, not to caution but to boldness.
India - Tobacco warning from Nov.30
NEW DELHI: The Centre late on Thursday night issued a notification making pictorial health warnings on all tobacco products mandatory from November 30.
Describing it as an achievement, Union Health and Family Minister Anbumani Ramadoss told The Hindu that the manufacturers have been given three months to switch over to the new packaging. According to the notification, 40 per cent of the packaging space will carry the pictorial warning on all tobacco products, including cigarettes and beedis. Cigarette and beedi packs will carry the message “Smoking Kills” in white font on a red background; the chewing tobacco products will say “Tobacco Kills”. The message will be in English and a regional language, should be clearly visible and no part of it covered or hidden when the packet is sealed. No tobacco product will be sold unless it carries the health warning.
Describing it as an achievement, Union Health and Family Minister Anbumani Ramadoss told The Hindu that the manufacturers have been given three months to switch over to the new packaging. According to the notification, 40 per cent of the packaging space will carry the pictorial warning on all tobacco products, including cigarettes and beedis. Cigarette and beedi packs will carry the message “Smoking Kills” in white font on a red background; the chewing tobacco products will say “Tobacco Kills”. The message will be in English and a regional language, should be clearly visible and no part of it covered or hidden when the packet is sealed. No tobacco product will be sold unless it carries the health warning.
Entertainment - RockOn Rocks (Do Read)
The Movie you should watch this weekend - Rockon
Absolutely Rocks
Aug 29, 2008
Me - Hello
Hello ,
Iam keeping my word of writing a few words once in a while.This week is been good.We for the first time crossed 300 posts in a single week.That is an average of over 50 posts a day.Iam hoping people who read here are liking the articles posted.Please do feel free to comment on the articles posted.Any suggestions/changes,anything you want to comment on,please do.
Life/work is the same..Iam off for a movie called - Rock On.It is the only hindi movie i have been looking forward to watch this year.So will let you people know how it shaped up.Btw bro got some visitors from here.He says "Thank you".
Keep visiting.
I kinda like his funny take on things around.My colleague/friend shyam fell off the chair reading his Chinese farmer strays onto walk & wins bronze article.
Hope all of you have a fun-filled weekend.We work on saturdays :-( ,so will be posting a few more tommorrow.The time here is 1906 hrs IST.
So till next time , Happy Readin
Sri
Iam keeping my word of writing a few words once in a while.This week is been good.We for the first time crossed 300 posts in a single week.That is an average of over 50 posts a day.Iam hoping people who read here are liking the articles posted.Please do feel free to comment on the articles posted.Any suggestions/changes,anything you want to comment on,please do.
Life/work is the same..Iam off for a movie called - Rock On.It is the only hindi movie i have been looking forward to watch this year.So will let you people know how it shaped up.Btw bro got some visitors from here.He says "Thank you".
Keep visiting.
I kinda like his funny take on things around.My colleague/friend shyam fell off the chair reading his Chinese farmer strays onto walk & wins bronze article.
Hope all of you have a fun-filled weekend.We work on saturdays :-( ,so will be posting a few more tommorrow.The time here is 1906 hrs IST.
So till next time , Happy Readin
Sri
World - The folly of a trans-fat tax
Fat people and over-eaters are taking money that rightfully belongs to their svelte fellow citizens, or so it is argued. A figure commonly bandied about in the UK is that this excess fat costs the economy £7bn in obesity-related medical costs and lost productivity. Sentiment is spreading in bureaucratic circles that governments not only can but also should do something about it. In recent days California passed a ban, to come into effect in 2010, on so-called “trans fats” (partially hydrogenated vegetable oils), which have been shown to increase the risk of heart attacks dramatically. While such cities as Baltimore, Boston, Philadelphia and Seattle already ban trans fats (as does Denmark on a national level), California is the first US state to do so.
Meanwhile, a report from the French budget ministry laid out several ways to tax le snacking, and in the UK, which already has special taxes for fatty and salty foods, the Department of Health announced a new programme to notify and counsel the parents of children who are “very overweight”. We have come a long way from September 1993, when Hillary Clinton responded to a House committee member who had asked her, incredulously, if she proposed taxing caffeine, cholesterol and salt. “If there is a way that you can ever come up with to tax substances like the ones you just named, we’ll be glad to look at it,” she said.
Complaints that regulating fat ought to be none of government’s business now fall on deaf ears. But this is not because officials have given much rigorous thought to the matter. The stated goals of food regulators tend to shift – sometimes they involve consumer protection, sometimes economic policy (whether to recover lost productivity or improve the government’s finances through food taxes), sometimes another consideration (such as animal rights, in the case of Chicago’s notorious ban on foie gras). The goals of such regulation are vague because the philosophical grounds for it are unclear. Is regulating fatty food akin to regulating dioxins, pesticides and other hazardous chemicals? Or is it akin to the US experiment in prohibiting alcohol in the 1920s?
At first glance, banning trans fats is more like banning whisky than banning DDT. People choose to eat, say, fried dough or ice cream (the Dutch even eat them together, in the form of poffertjes!), so they should be responsible for the consequences. But there are mitigating circumstances that make the regulation of trans fats less objectionable. First, trans fats are not detectable in any rough-and-ready way outside the laboratory. No one has to ask whether bourbon has alcohol in it. But a doughnut free of trans fats tastes similar to one loaded with them.
This indistinguishability, in fact, is central to the argument for regulating trans fats. Their benefits in convenience and taste are negligible. Their benefits in profitability are shrinking as alternative products come on the market. But the price they exact on consumer health is vast. Eliminating trans fats could reduce heart attack deaths in the US by up to 19 per cent, according to the New England Journal of Medicine. The more you know about trans fats, the less important seems the choice of which consumers are being deprived.
In any health-conscious country, consumer knowledge about trans fats will create a stampede away from them. So why is regulation necessary? Partly because this stampede could favour big companies over small ones. Consider Dunkin’ Donuts, the Massachusetts-based chain, which for almost half a century has been making doughnuts so delicious that you close your eyes when you eat them. With its 7,000 outlets, Dunkin’ can run, and has run, trials to assure that replacing trans fats with safer oils will not affect taste. It can publicise – and, for almost a year now, has publicised – its freedom from trans fats.
A one or two-shop doughnut maker cannot afford to do that. Consumers might decide that, when in doubt, the wiser course is to avoid independent doughnut-makers altogether. So the public’s growing unease about the hazards of trans fats creates a disadvantage for companies without big PR budgets. Outright bans are not the only way to keep the market competitive. San Francisco, for example, has a programme allowing restaurants to pay a $250 fee which entitles them to place a “trans-fat-free” sign in their window. Once trans fats are identified as a hazard, there is a role for the state in vouching for companies that do not use them.
A ban on trans fats poses fewer practical problems than a complex policy of taxing junk foods. Food taxes are a time-honoured way of raising revenue, but they are an unreliable way of modifying behaviour. The elasticity of junk food prices is not very well understood. Defining junk food is also hard. In the UK a 17.5 per cent tax imposed on ice cream, salted nuts and “potato crisps, potato sticks, potato puffs and similar products” led to a big case in July when the High Court overruled a value added tax tribunal. It held that Pringles crisps should not be liable to this tax since they were only 42 per cent potato.
In France, an interministerial communiqué published in Les Echos this week laid out further logistical difficulties with “nutritional taxes”. Eric Woerth, France’s budget minister, made clear that raising VAT on le snacking – pizzas and sandwiches and the like – was “out of the question” for this autumn’s legislative session.
His circumspection is understandable. The appeal of fat taxes is the same as that of cigarette taxes and lotteries aimed at boosting educational spending – they open the way to a regressive fiscal policy that is otherwise unavowable. The pitfalls of regulating junk food are thus more political than economic. One man’s poison is another man’s meat – usually a poor man’s.
The writer is a senior editor at The Weekly Standard
Meanwhile, a report from the French budget ministry laid out several ways to tax le snacking, and in the UK, which already has special taxes for fatty and salty foods, the Department of Health announced a new programme to notify and counsel the parents of children who are “very overweight”. We have come a long way from September 1993, when Hillary Clinton responded to a House committee member who had asked her, incredulously, if she proposed taxing caffeine, cholesterol and salt. “If there is a way that you can ever come up with to tax substances like the ones you just named, we’ll be glad to look at it,” she said.
Complaints that regulating fat ought to be none of government’s business now fall on deaf ears. But this is not because officials have given much rigorous thought to the matter. The stated goals of food regulators tend to shift – sometimes they involve consumer protection, sometimes economic policy (whether to recover lost productivity or improve the government’s finances through food taxes), sometimes another consideration (such as animal rights, in the case of Chicago’s notorious ban on foie gras). The goals of such regulation are vague because the philosophical grounds for it are unclear. Is regulating fatty food akin to regulating dioxins, pesticides and other hazardous chemicals? Or is it akin to the US experiment in prohibiting alcohol in the 1920s?
At first glance, banning trans fats is more like banning whisky than banning DDT. People choose to eat, say, fried dough or ice cream (the Dutch even eat them together, in the form of poffertjes!), so they should be responsible for the consequences. But there are mitigating circumstances that make the regulation of trans fats less objectionable. First, trans fats are not detectable in any rough-and-ready way outside the laboratory. No one has to ask whether bourbon has alcohol in it. But a doughnut free of trans fats tastes similar to one loaded with them.
This indistinguishability, in fact, is central to the argument for regulating trans fats. Their benefits in convenience and taste are negligible. Their benefits in profitability are shrinking as alternative products come on the market. But the price they exact on consumer health is vast. Eliminating trans fats could reduce heart attack deaths in the US by up to 19 per cent, according to the New England Journal of Medicine. The more you know about trans fats, the less important seems the choice of which consumers are being deprived.
In any health-conscious country, consumer knowledge about trans fats will create a stampede away from them. So why is regulation necessary? Partly because this stampede could favour big companies over small ones. Consider Dunkin’ Donuts, the Massachusetts-based chain, which for almost half a century has been making doughnuts so delicious that you close your eyes when you eat them. With its 7,000 outlets, Dunkin’ can run, and has run, trials to assure that replacing trans fats with safer oils will not affect taste. It can publicise – and, for almost a year now, has publicised – its freedom from trans fats.
A one or two-shop doughnut maker cannot afford to do that. Consumers might decide that, when in doubt, the wiser course is to avoid independent doughnut-makers altogether. So the public’s growing unease about the hazards of trans fats creates a disadvantage for companies without big PR budgets. Outright bans are not the only way to keep the market competitive. San Francisco, for example, has a programme allowing restaurants to pay a $250 fee which entitles them to place a “trans-fat-free” sign in their window. Once trans fats are identified as a hazard, there is a role for the state in vouching for companies that do not use them.
A ban on trans fats poses fewer practical problems than a complex policy of taxing junk foods. Food taxes are a time-honoured way of raising revenue, but they are an unreliable way of modifying behaviour. The elasticity of junk food prices is not very well understood. Defining junk food is also hard. In the UK a 17.5 per cent tax imposed on ice cream, salted nuts and “potato crisps, potato sticks, potato puffs and similar products” led to a big case in July when the High Court overruled a value added tax tribunal. It held that Pringles crisps should not be liable to this tax since they were only 42 per cent potato.
In France, an interministerial communiqué published in Les Echos this week laid out further logistical difficulties with “nutritional taxes”. Eric Woerth, France’s budget minister, made clear that raising VAT on le snacking – pizzas and sandwiches and the like – was “out of the question” for this autumn’s legislative session.
His circumspection is understandable. The appeal of fat taxes is the same as that of cigarette taxes and lotteries aimed at boosting educational spending – they open the way to a regressive fiscal policy that is otherwise unavowable. The pitfalls of regulating junk food are thus more political than economic. One man’s poison is another man’s meat – usually a poor man’s.
The writer is a senior editor at The Weekly Standard
World - Caught in the Human Traffic
It is easy to see why a book about traffic would become a bestseller. Congestion on the roads robs people of time. A book that promises to explain it has the same potential appeal as one that tells people how the Internal Revenue Service robs them of money or cholesterol robs them of longevity. But it is for different reasons that Traffic, by the science journalist Tom Vanderbilt, has become the big succès d’estime of the US summer publishing season. Critics have treated it almost as a work of philosophy. The book is intensely researched and quite readable, albeit in that bantering, overly personal, hey-what-the-heck style of much US pop economics writing. Traffic is not just about slow commutes. It is about the way things flow through networks more generally, and the hazards and opportunities that result. For Mr Vanderbilt, the highway is “a living laboratory of human interaction, a place thriving with subtle displays of implied power”.
Automobile traffic is one of the most studied phenomena in advanced societies. Managing it is a main function of government. Private institutions study traffic, too – Disney World must shuttle visitors efficiently between its attractions and Wal-Mart needs to estimate its parking needs for each new store. The result is a mountain of university research, government policy documents, consultant reports and industry journalism. Mr Vanderbilt has mastered all of it. Arresting facts appear on every page: three-car households outnumber one-car households in the US, iPods are more dangerous to adjust while driving than car radios and cyclists who use proper hand signals cause more accidents than those who do not signal at all.
When you analyse such data, as Mr Vanderbilt does, with the help of sociobiology, Nash equilibriums, Poisson distributions and Pigovian welfare economics, you get something like a treatise on human nature. People who have just been going at 70 miles per hour run through 30mph zones at up to 15mph faster than people who have not, Mr Vanderbilt notes. People honk less at high-status cars than they do at low-status ones and more at women than at men. Since gauging whether a fellow driver is paying attention is so vitally important, drivers can immobilise other drivers by withholding eye-contact. Hence the games of chicken that get played at intersections.
Mr Vanderbilt sees that traffic engineering is social engineering. Simply expanding infrastructure solves few problems. Intersections, for instance, become less efficient as they become larger. Building a second left-turn lane will allow more turns, but not twice as many. Meanwhile, it will slow down everything else in the vicinity. It is now well known that building more roads can sometimes induce people to drive. Mr Vanderbilt shows that building more parking spaces does the same. Copenhagen cut congestion by eliminating parking spaces. Donald Shoup, a Californian economist, found that in one 15-block section of Brentwood, cars drove 3,600 miles a day looking for parking.
What is most valuable about Traffic is its power to generate metaphors. Roads are the physical antecedents of the more ethereal networks that have turned our world upside down in the past two decades. They are centrally planned passageways through which autonomous individuals pursue their whims and ambitions. But the relationship between the person and the structures is unclear. Is the heavily subsidised US road system best thought of as transport for a country of individualists? Or is it a de facto public transport system that is (at almost one driver per passenger) ludicrously overstaffed and ecologically unsound? Similar questions can be asked of other structures: are high credit-card debts best thought of as family choices or privately held pieces of a larger national debt?
In this metaphorical light, one consideration will disturb thinking readers: the more technologically efficient a network becomes, the harder it is to tell people the whole truth about it. We are on the eve of a “revolution in traffic”, Mr Vanderbilt writes, thanks to global positioning systems. Once everyone gets the same reliable, real-time information about traffic, everyone mobs the same routes. When Chicago authorities announced the closure of eight lanes of the Dan Ryan Expressway in 2006, the recommended detours moved slower than the expressway. Predictions about traffic become “self-destroying”. The scattering of traffic that used to result from imperfect information and personal idiosyncrasy is no longer the norm. It must be artificially recreated. How do you recreate it? Either by coercing drivers (assigning them to routes, in which case the car ceases to be private transport) or by lying to them. “You have to structure the information,” the German physicist and traffic expert, Michael Schreckenberg, says to Mr Vanderbilt. “Telling them the whole truth is not the best way.”
We do well to study driving for the same reason that captains of mechanised steamships, until well into the last century, studied sailing. Of this custom, Richard Hughes wrote in his 1938 novel, In Hazard: “Landsmen are inclined to smile, as at a piece of foolish conservatism as if London bus-drivers were required to serve for seven years as stable boys and grooms, before they were allowed to handle motor-buses. With so much technical knowledge to acquire anyhow, why waste the man’s time in learning a useless and outmoded technique as well? The answer is a matter of Virtue, really ... Every common action in the working of a sailing-vessel, all the time, partakes of something of the nature of an emergency.”
So it is with traffic. Funny no one ever noticed that before Mr Vanderbilt.
Automobile traffic is one of the most studied phenomena in advanced societies. Managing it is a main function of government. Private institutions study traffic, too – Disney World must shuttle visitors efficiently between its attractions and Wal-Mart needs to estimate its parking needs for each new store. The result is a mountain of university research, government policy documents, consultant reports and industry journalism. Mr Vanderbilt has mastered all of it. Arresting facts appear on every page: three-car households outnumber one-car households in the US, iPods are more dangerous to adjust while driving than car radios and cyclists who use proper hand signals cause more accidents than those who do not signal at all.
When you analyse such data, as Mr Vanderbilt does, with the help of sociobiology, Nash equilibriums, Poisson distributions and Pigovian welfare economics, you get something like a treatise on human nature. People who have just been going at 70 miles per hour run through 30mph zones at up to 15mph faster than people who have not, Mr Vanderbilt notes. People honk less at high-status cars than they do at low-status ones and more at women than at men. Since gauging whether a fellow driver is paying attention is so vitally important, drivers can immobilise other drivers by withholding eye-contact. Hence the games of chicken that get played at intersections.
Mr Vanderbilt sees that traffic engineering is social engineering. Simply expanding infrastructure solves few problems. Intersections, for instance, become less efficient as they become larger. Building a second left-turn lane will allow more turns, but not twice as many. Meanwhile, it will slow down everything else in the vicinity. It is now well known that building more roads can sometimes induce people to drive. Mr Vanderbilt shows that building more parking spaces does the same. Copenhagen cut congestion by eliminating parking spaces. Donald Shoup, a Californian economist, found that in one 15-block section of Brentwood, cars drove 3,600 miles a day looking for parking.
What is most valuable about Traffic is its power to generate metaphors. Roads are the physical antecedents of the more ethereal networks that have turned our world upside down in the past two decades. They are centrally planned passageways through which autonomous individuals pursue their whims and ambitions. But the relationship between the person and the structures is unclear. Is the heavily subsidised US road system best thought of as transport for a country of individualists? Or is it a de facto public transport system that is (at almost one driver per passenger) ludicrously overstaffed and ecologically unsound? Similar questions can be asked of other structures: are high credit-card debts best thought of as family choices or privately held pieces of a larger national debt?
In this metaphorical light, one consideration will disturb thinking readers: the more technologically efficient a network becomes, the harder it is to tell people the whole truth about it. We are on the eve of a “revolution in traffic”, Mr Vanderbilt writes, thanks to global positioning systems. Once everyone gets the same reliable, real-time information about traffic, everyone mobs the same routes. When Chicago authorities announced the closure of eight lanes of the Dan Ryan Expressway in 2006, the recommended detours moved slower than the expressway. Predictions about traffic become “self-destroying”. The scattering of traffic that used to result from imperfect information and personal idiosyncrasy is no longer the norm. It must be artificially recreated. How do you recreate it? Either by coercing drivers (assigning them to routes, in which case the car ceases to be private transport) or by lying to them. “You have to structure the information,” the German physicist and traffic expert, Michael Schreckenberg, says to Mr Vanderbilt. “Telling them the whole truth is not the best way.”
We do well to study driving for the same reason that captains of mechanised steamships, until well into the last century, studied sailing. Of this custom, Richard Hughes wrote in his 1938 novel, In Hazard: “Landsmen are inclined to smile, as at a piece of foolish conservatism as if London bus-drivers were required to serve for seven years as stable boys and grooms, before they were allowed to handle motor-buses. With so much technical knowledge to acquire anyhow, why waste the man’s time in learning a useless and outmoded technique as well? The answer is a matter of Virtue, really ... Every common action in the working of a sailing-vessel, all the time, partakes of something of the nature of an emergency.”
So it is with traffic. Funny no one ever noticed that before Mr Vanderbilt.
World - Bill & Hillary grandstand their way into history
For nearly three full days, Bill and Hillary Clinton owned the Democratic National Convention – an extraordinary act of domination by the losers. But late on Wednesday night Barack Obama walked on stage to join Joe Biden, the vice-presidential nominee, and the mood changed with a snap. Mr Obama was tomorrow’s man, the first African-American nominated for America’s highest office by a major party. The Clintons and all their dramas suddenly seemed the stuff of history.
With their own goals in mind, the Clintons played their assigned roles – to heal the divisions they had helped to create. The Obama camp let them stay centre stage for what seemed like an eternity, but it was a Faustian pact. In return, they had to make peace and give him their full support. As they smoothed the way for him, they created a downward political arc for themselves. And, as almost always happens with the Clintons, they gave another intriguing glimpse of their unconventional marriage. In this final act, they were implicit rivals – for the applause of delegates, approval of television viewers and verdict of historians.
The suspense of the convention turned on the aggrieved Mrs Clinton supporters who threatened to sit on the sidelines in November or vote for Republican John McCain out of spite. In the last months of the primaries, Mrs Clinton had campaigned overtly as a feminist, finding common cause with women who felt passed over, sweeping in working-class men and older voters. When she lost, Mrs Clinton insisted that her supporters needed “catharsis”, prompting conspiratorial mutterings about a possible coup, floor fight or roll-call vote that would irretrievably damage Mr Obama.
As it turned out, she found her own catharsis in her prime-time speech, preceded by a glowing filmed tribute. Cool and correct, she hit all the requisite points, vowing support for Mr Obama and warning her “sisterhood of the travelling pant-suits” against voting for Mr McCain. But the speech was all about her, appliquéd with Obama stickers at various intervals. Most strikingly, she made only one glancing reference to “President Clinton”.
Even more important was the film produced by her longtime friend, Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, a guest during the Clintons’ last days in the White House, who left a short note on the pillow in her room saying, “I’ll be back.” Beyond the montage of testimonials and greatest hits from her campaign, the film reinforced Mrs Clinton as a feminist icon, with a narration by her daughter, Chelsea – pictured more than a dozen times – and with dewy paeans to her mother. Bill Clinton rated just three fleeting glimpses, identified as “Hillary’s husband”.
The price of that adulation was Mrs Clinton’s pivotal role the following day to unify the party: a tightly choreographed manoeuvre when she asked the convention to suspend its roll-call vote and nominate Mr Obama by acclamation. It was the first time a losing candidate in effect crowned the winner, and she spoke her prepared lines – “With eyes firmly fixed on the future in the spirit of unity ... ” – with conviction. Her customary artifice subsided, her natural combativeness ebbed and the “Good Hillary” yielded to the historic significance of the moment. In a burst of singing and dancing, even her diehards rode the emotional wave.
Mr Clinton had his own goal for his speech: to restore his reputation as a loyal Democrat and burnish his legacy. “I love this,” he beamed, after three minutes of a standing ovation. With his special political genius he recognised that he stood at a turning point. Rather than resist it he embraced it, powerfully making the case for Mr Obama by filling in the blanks left by his wife. The former high-school drum major twirled his political baton effortlessly, connecting himself to Mr Obama for the first time, outshining his wife and even marginalising her, as she had sidelined him the night before.
Each Clinton set the stage for the changing of the guard. If Mr Obama loses in November, Mrs Clinton will be the early favourite for 2012. But the party is stingy with second chances. In 2012, she will be 65 and her baby-boomer generation will have surrendered its primacy to Generation X. Television documentaries will still show the Clintons alighting on their barnstorming bus tour after he won the nomination for the first time. But the film clips of yesteryear will seem grainy next to the digitised images of today. And justly so: by then, 20 years will have passed since the Clintons made American politics their own.
The writer is author of For Love of Politics: Inside the Clinton White House
With their own goals in mind, the Clintons played their assigned roles – to heal the divisions they had helped to create. The Obama camp let them stay centre stage for what seemed like an eternity, but it was a Faustian pact. In return, they had to make peace and give him their full support. As they smoothed the way for him, they created a downward political arc for themselves. And, as almost always happens with the Clintons, they gave another intriguing glimpse of their unconventional marriage. In this final act, they were implicit rivals – for the applause of delegates, approval of television viewers and verdict of historians.
The suspense of the convention turned on the aggrieved Mrs Clinton supporters who threatened to sit on the sidelines in November or vote for Republican John McCain out of spite. In the last months of the primaries, Mrs Clinton had campaigned overtly as a feminist, finding common cause with women who felt passed over, sweeping in working-class men and older voters. When she lost, Mrs Clinton insisted that her supporters needed “catharsis”, prompting conspiratorial mutterings about a possible coup, floor fight or roll-call vote that would irretrievably damage Mr Obama.
As it turned out, she found her own catharsis in her prime-time speech, preceded by a glowing filmed tribute. Cool and correct, she hit all the requisite points, vowing support for Mr Obama and warning her “sisterhood of the travelling pant-suits” against voting for Mr McCain. But the speech was all about her, appliquéd with Obama stickers at various intervals. Most strikingly, she made only one glancing reference to “President Clinton”.
Even more important was the film produced by her longtime friend, Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, a guest during the Clintons’ last days in the White House, who left a short note on the pillow in her room saying, “I’ll be back.” Beyond the montage of testimonials and greatest hits from her campaign, the film reinforced Mrs Clinton as a feminist icon, with a narration by her daughter, Chelsea – pictured more than a dozen times – and with dewy paeans to her mother. Bill Clinton rated just three fleeting glimpses, identified as “Hillary’s husband”.
The price of that adulation was Mrs Clinton’s pivotal role the following day to unify the party: a tightly choreographed manoeuvre when she asked the convention to suspend its roll-call vote and nominate Mr Obama by acclamation. It was the first time a losing candidate in effect crowned the winner, and she spoke her prepared lines – “With eyes firmly fixed on the future in the spirit of unity ... ” – with conviction. Her customary artifice subsided, her natural combativeness ebbed and the “Good Hillary” yielded to the historic significance of the moment. In a burst of singing and dancing, even her diehards rode the emotional wave.
Mr Clinton had his own goal for his speech: to restore his reputation as a loyal Democrat and burnish his legacy. “I love this,” he beamed, after three minutes of a standing ovation. With his special political genius he recognised that he stood at a turning point. Rather than resist it he embraced it, powerfully making the case for Mr Obama by filling in the blanks left by his wife. The former high-school drum major twirled his political baton effortlessly, connecting himself to Mr Obama for the first time, outshining his wife and even marginalising her, as she had sidelined him the night before.
Each Clinton set the stage for the changing of the guard. If Mr Obama loses in November, Mrs Clinton will be the early favourite for 2012. But the party is stingy with second chances. In 2012, she will be 65 and her baby-boomer generation will have surrendered its primacy to Generation X. Television documentaries will still show the Clintons alighting on their barnstorming bus tour after he won the nomination for the first time. But the film clips of yesteryear will seem grainy next to the digitised images of today. And justly so: by then, 20 years will have passed since the Clintons made American politics their own.
The writer is author of For Love of Politics: Inside the Clinton White House
India - Economy growth slowest in 3 years
India’s economy grew at it slowest rate in three years, as it struggles to control record high inflation and tight credit conditions.
Annual growth slowed to 7.9 per cent in the first fiscal quarter of 2008 ended on June 30, significantly lower than the 8.8 per cent rate reported in March.
“Growth momentum has been slowing down on tighter monetary policy and adverse global environment. Higher interest rates, slower bank credit growth and higher oil and commodity prices are acting to curb activity levels in the economy,” said Gaurav Kapur, senior economist at ABN Amro.
In spite of the slowdown, the growth rate of Asia’s third largest economy remains strong, showing signs of resilience in the face of the global economic slowdown. China’s economic growth in the second quarter grew 10.1 per cent, down from 10.6 per cent.
The Bombay Stock Exchange’s benchmark Sensex index closed up closed up 3.7 per cent at 14564.53 points, with analysts saying the market had factored in the slower growth data. Sentiment was also boosted by lower inflation figures released on Thursday.
Several analysts said that they expect the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to maintain a tight policy stance as it aims to bring inflation down, from double to single digits. Inflation fell in mid-August but economist expect it grow further later in the year.
”The RBI needs to maintain a tight stance to ensure that the effects of past tightening percolate through the economy,” said A Prasanna at ICICI Securities.
D.K. Joshi, chief economist at Crisil, the domestic ratings agency owned by Standard & Poor’s, said that he expected the RBI to go for “another round of monetary tightening this fiscal year”.
Growth in the services sector, which includes banking, transport and leisure, and the construction sector remained strong at 10 and 11.4 per cent respectively. The manufacturing sector suffered the sharpest fall as it grew only 5.8 per cent compared to 10.9 per cent in the same period in 2007.
Palaniappan Chidambaram, India’s finance minister, said that the economy should grow close to 8 per cent in the fiscal year ending March 2009.
Annual growth slowed to 7.9 per cent in the first fiscal quarter of 2008 ended on June 30, significantly lower than the 8.8 per cent rate reported in March.
“Growth momentum has been slowing down on tighter monetary policy and adverse global environment. Higher interest rates, slower bank credit growth and higher oil and commodity prices are acting to curb activity levels in the economy,” said Gaurav Kapur, senior economist at ABN Amro.
In spite of the slowdown, the growth rate of Asia’s third largest economy remains strong, showing signs of resilience in the face of the global economic slowdown. China’s economic growth in the second quarter grew 10.1 per cent, down from 10.6 per cent.
The Bombay Stock Exchange’s benchmark Sensex index closed up closed up 3.7 per cent at 14564.53 points, with analysts saying the market had factored in the slower growth data. Sentiment was also boosted by lower inflation figures released on Thursday.
Several analysts said that they expect the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to maintain a tight policy stance as it aims to bring inflation down, from double to single digits. Inflation fell in mid-August but economist expect it grow further later in the year.
”The RBI needs to maintain a tight stance to ensure that the effects of past tightening percolate through the economy,” said A Prasanna at ICICI Securities.
D.K. Joshi, chief economist at Crisil, the domestic ratings agency owned by Standard & Poor’s, said that he expected the RBI to go for “another round of monetary tightening this fiscal year”.
Growth in the services sector, which includes banking, transport and leisure, and the construction sector remained strong at 10 and 11.4 per cent respectively. The manufacturing sector suffered the sharpest fall as it grew only 5.8 per cent compared to 10.9 per cent in the same period in 2007.
Palaniappan Chidambaram, India’s finance minister, said that the economy should grow close to 8 per cent in the fiscal year ending March 2009.
Business - Videogaming enters third dimension
SAN JOSE, California (Reuters) - Videogamers, your glasses to transport you into three dimensional space.
Visual computing technology company Nvidia (NVDA.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) has unveiled the first mainstream 3D gaming technology at the inaugural NVISION 08 conference in San Jose, which focused on the convergence of technology with Hollywood, games and business.
With Hollywood migrating to 3D for event movies like "Journey to the Center of the Earth" and next year's "Avatar" from James Cameron, the electronics and gaming industries have created new technology that lets home systems and PCs also deliver true 3D.
This technology uses clear 3D glasses similar to those used at an IMAX theater.
On the show floor, games like upcoming Spore and Call of Duty: World at War and recent releases like Race Driver Grid, Devil May Cry 4, and Unreal Tournament 3 were playable on 73-inch Mitsubishi 3D Ready 1080p DLP TVs and Viewsonic 3D Ready 120Hz LCD displays.
Publishers like Ubisoft (UBIP.PA: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), which is developing the game based on "Avatar," are already taking advantage of this new technology for new gameplay experiences to be released next year.
"Stereoscopic technology will have gamers going back two or three years and playing older games just to see how they look in 3D," said Jen-Hsun Huang, CEO of Nvidia.
A packed theater of thousands of engineers, designers, developers, gamers and business professionals from around the world put on 3D glasses and watched a spectacular castle siege in Microsoft's 2005 PC strategy game, Age of Empires III.
Huang also focused on the future of massively multiplayer online (MMO) games. There are currently over 100 million active global gamers playing MMO games like World of Warcraft, EverQuest II and Pirates of the Caribbean Online.
"We believe the notion of an MMO and a social network will converge and create a new type of virtual world where people can meet and hang out and just chat with their friends," said Huang.
Korean developer Nurien showed off its Nurien Social Network, a hybrid game world that allows players to create and dress their avatar and then design their home.
This home serves as a 3D homepage for web browsing, watching videos and playing games like a dancing competition.
Tricia Helfer, who starred virtually last year as General Kilian Qatar in Electronic Arts' Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars game, showed how 3D technology is influencing Hollywood and her Sci-Fi Channel show, "Battlestar Galactica."
"What they're doing with visual computing is transforming a lot of industries," said Helfer. "I see on the set in Hollywood every day what computer technology is doing for entertainment."
Acclaimed game creator Lorne Lanning told the conference how game technology is opening up new opportunities for filmmakers.
"Videogame engines provide an entirely different logic to how we're thinking about making films," said Lanning.
"The game design industry grasps this easily. The filmmakers are taking some time to figure this out, but eventually they're going to get it. Hollywood loves it because using a game engine brings the budget down."
(Editing by Belinda Goldsmiht)
Visual computing technology company Nvidia (NVDA.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) has unveiled the first mainstream 3D gaming technology at the inaugural NVISION 08 conference in San Jose, which focused on the convergence of technology with Hollywood, games and business.
With Hollywood migrating to 3D for event movies like "Journey to the Center of the Earth" and next year's "Avatar" from James Cameron, the electronics and gaming industries have created new technology that lets home systems and PCs also deliver true 3D.
This technology uses clear 3D glasses similar to those used at an IMAX theater.
On the show floor, games like upcoming Spore and Call of Duty: World at War and recent releases like Race Driver Grid, Devil May Cry 4, and Unreal Tournament 3 were playable on 73-inch Mitsubishi 3D Ready 1080p DLP TVs and Viewsonic 3D Ready 120Hz LCD displays.
Publishers like Ubisoft (UBIP.PA: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), which is developing the game based on "Avatar," are already taking advantage of this new technology for new gameplay experiences to be released next year.
"Stereoscopic technology will have gamers going back two or three years and playing older games just to see how they look in 3D," said Jen-Hsun Huang, CEO of Nvidia.
A packed theater of thousands of engineers, designers, developers, gamers and business professionals from around the world put on 3D glasses and watched a spectacular castle siege in Microsoft's 2005 PC strategy game, Age of Empires III.
Huang also focused on the future of massively multiplayer online (MMO) games. There are currently over 100 million active global gamers playing MMO games like World of Warcraft, EverQuest II and Pirates of the Caribbean Online.
"We believe the notion of an MMO and a social network will converge and create a new type of virtual world where people can meet and hang out and just chat with their friends," said Huang.
Korean developer Nurien showed off its Nurien Social Network, a hybrid game world that allows players to create and dress their avatar and then design their home.
This home serves as a 3D homepage for web browsing, watching videos and playing games like a dancing competition.
Tricia Helfer, who starred virtually last year as General Kilian Qatar in Electronic Arts' Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars game, showed how 3D technology is influencing Hollywood and her Sci-Fi Channel show, "Battlestar Galactica."
"What they're doing with visual computing is transforming a lot of industries," said Helfer. "I see on the set in Hollywood every day what computer technology is doing for entertainment."
Acclaimed game creator Lorne Lanning told the conference how game technology is opening up new opportunities for filmmakers.
"Videogame engines provide an entirely different logic to how we're thinking about making films," said Lanning.
"The game design industry grasps this easily. The filmmakers are taking some time to figure this out, but eventually they're going to get it. Hollywood loves it because using a game engine brings the budget down."
(Editing by Belinda Goldsmiht)
Lifestyle - Phelps living the good life back in America
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Record-setting swimmer Michael Phelps has satisfied some of his hunger for Americana since returning to the United States from his Olympic triumphs in China but has one special rendezvous he is looking forward to.
Phelps, who touched down on Wednesday after winning an unparalleled eight gold medals in the pool in Beijing, has already chatted with Tiger Woods, done the rounds of morning TV chat shows and sampled some quintessential cuisine.
"It's a good feeling to be back on American soil," Phelps said on Thursday at a presentation of a grant to fund a Manhattan YMCA's second grade swimming program.
"I haven't been back 24 hours but it's funny. Today at lunchtime, I said 'I'm kind of hungry' and we passed a hot dog stand on the corner and some pretzels," he said.
"How much more American can you get? I grabbed a hot dog, a drink and a hot pretzel. It feels good to be back."
Phelps has already done some hobnobbing, had his photographic portrait hung in the National Gallery and has more of the celebrity life lined up.
"I was at the launch of Tiger's new (video golf) game last night. Being able to talk to him just for a little bit. He was saying how proud he was, congratulations," said Phelps, who joked about how he could use lessons to help his golf.
A week from Saturday he will host the season-opening edition of the Saturday Night Live TV comedy show.
"It's going to be interesting. I hope I'm literally not a fish out of water on that one," said Phelps. "I'm already getting a hard time from some of my friends about it."
Phelps said he was looking forward to getting home after the preparations and competition in Beijing, where he broke swimmer Mark Spitz's record for most gold medals at an Olympics to become one of the world's best-known sports figures.
"Once I get back to Baltimore I want to see my dog. I miss the little guy," Phelps said about his white and black English bulldog named Herman, who he has not seen in a few months.
"I'm just hoping he remembers me when I see him."
(Editing by John O'Callaghan)
Phelps, who touched down on Wednesday after winning an unparalleled eight gold medals in the pool in Beijing, has already chatted with Tiger Woods, done the rounds of morning TV chat shows and sampled some quintessential cuisine.
"It's a good feeling to be back on American soil," Phelps said on Thursday at a presentation of a grant to fund a Manhattan YMCA's second grade swimming program.
"I haven't been back 24 hours but it's funny. Today at lunchtime, I said 'I'm kind of hungry' and we passed a hot dog stand on the corner and some pretzels," he said.
"How much more American can you get? I grabbed a hot dog, a drink and a hot pretzel. It feels good to be back."
Phelps has already done some hobnobbing, had his photographic portrait hung in the National Gallery and has more of the celebrity life lined up.
"I was at the launch of Tiger's new (video golf) game last night. Being able to talk to him just for a little bit. He was saying how proud he was, congratulations," said Phelps, who joked about how he could use lessons to help his golf.
A week from Saturday he will host the season-opening edition of the Saturday Night Live TV comedy show.
"It's going to be interesting. I hope I'm literally not a fish out of water on that one," said Phelps. "I'm already getting a hard time from some of my friends about it."
Phelps said he was looking forward to getting home after the preparations and competition in Beijing, where he broke swimmer Mark Spitz's record for most gold medals at an Olympics to become one of the world's best-known sports figures.
"Once I get back to Baltimore I want to see my dog. I miss the little guy," Phelps said about his white and black English bulldog named Herman, who he has not seen in a few months.
"I'm just hoping he remembers me when I see him."
(Editing by John O'Callaghan)
Lifestyle - Why it's so hard to swat a fly
CHICAGO (Reuters) - The brains of flies are wired to avoid the swatter, U.S. researchers said on Thursday.
At the mere hint of a threat, the insects adjust their preflight stance to flee in the opposite direction, ensuring a clean getaway, they said in a finding that helps explain why flies so easily evade swipes from their human foes.
"These movements are made very rapidly, within about 200 milliseconds, but within that time the animal determines where the threat is coming from and activates an appropriate set of movements to position its legs and wings," Michael Dickinson of the California Institute of Technology said in a statement.
"This illustrates how rapidly the fly's brain can process sensory information into an appropriate motor response," said Dickinson, whose research appears in the journal Current Biology.
Dickinson's team studied this process in fruit flies using high-speed digital imaging equipment and a fancy fly swatter.
In response to a threat from the front, the fly moves its middle legs forward, leans back and raises its back legs for a backward takeoff. If the threat is from the side, the fly leans the other way before takeoff.
The findings offer new insight into the fly nervous system, and lends a few clues on how to outsmart a fly.
"It is best not to swat at the fly's starting position," Dickinson said. Instead, aim for the escape route.
Dickinson, a bioengineer, has devoted his life's work to the study of insect flight. He has built a tiny robotic fly called Robofly and a 3-D visual flight simulator called Fly-O-Vision.
(Reporting by Julie Steenhuysen, editing by Will Dunham and Xavier Briand)
At the mere hint of a threat, the insects adjust their preflight stance to flee in the opposite direction, ensuring a clean getaway, they said in a finding that helps explain why flies so easily evade swipes from their human foes.
"These movements are made very rapidly, within about 200 milliseconds, but within that time the animal determines where the threat is coming from and activates an appropriate set of movements to position its legs and wings," Michael Dickinson of the California Institute of Technology said in a statement.
"This illustrates how rapidly the fly's brain can process sensory information into an appropriate motor response," said Dickinson, whose research appears in the journal Current Biology.
Dickinson's team studied this process in fruit flies using high-speed digital imaging equipment and a fancy fly swatter.
In response to a threat from the front, the fly moves its middle legs forward, leans back and raises its back legs for a backward takeoff. If the threat is from the side, the fly leans the other way before takeoff.
The findings offer new insight into the fly nervous system, and lends a few clues on how to outsmart a fly.
"It is best not to swat at the fly's starting position," Dickinson said. Instead, aim for the escape route.
Dickinson, a bioengineer, has devoted his life's work to the study of insect flight. He has built a tiny robotic fly called Robofly and a 3-D visual flight simulator called Fly-O-Vision.
(Reporting by Julie Steenhuysen, editing by Will Dunham and Xavier Briand)
Lifestyle - Rat meat prices go over the roof in Cambodia
PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - The price of rat meat has quadrupled in Cambodia this year as inflation has put other meat beyond the reach of poor people, officials said on Wednesday.
With consumer price inflation at 37 percent according to the latest central bank estimate, demand has pushed a kilogram of rat meat up to around 5,000 riel ($1.28) from 1,200 riel last year.
Spicy field rat dishes with garlic thrown in have become particularly popular at a time when beef costs 20,000 riel a kg.
Officials said rats were fleeing to higher ground from flooded areas of the lower Mekong Delta, making it easier for villagers to catch them.
"Many children are happy making some money from selling the animals to the markets, but they keep some for their family," Ly Marong, an agriculture official, said by telephone from the Koh Thom district on the border with Vietnam.
"Not only are our poor eating it, but there is also demand from Vietnamese living on the border with us."
He estimated that Cambodia supplied more than a tonne of live rats a day to Vietnam.
Rats are also eaten widely in Thailand, while a state government in eastern India this month encouraged its people to eat rats in an effort to battle soaring food prices and save grain stocks.
($1 = 3,900 riel)
With consumer price inflation at 37 percent according to the latest central bank estimate, demand has pushed a kilogram of rat meat up to around 5,000 riel ($1.28) from 1,200 riel last year.
Spicy field rat dishes with garlic thrown in have become particularly popular at a time when beef costs 20,000 riel a kg.
Officials said rats were fleeing to higher ground from flooded areas of the lower Mekong Delta, making it easier for villagers to catch them.
"Many children are happy making some money from selling the animals to the markets, but they keep some for their family," Ly Marong, an agriculture official, said by telephone from the Koh Thom district on the border with Vietnam.
"Not only are our poor eating it, but there is also demand from Vietnamese living on the border with us."
He estimated that Cambodia supplied more than a tonne of live rats a day to Vietnam.
Rats are also eaten widely in Thailand, while a state government in eastern India this month encouraged its people to eat rats in an effort to battle soaring food prices and save grain stocks.
($1 = 3,900 riel)
Entertainment - David Duchovny in sex addiction treatment
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "X-Files" star David Duchovny, who currently plays a womanizing writer on the cable television series "Californication," said on Thursday he has entered a facility for treatment of sex addiction.
Duchovny, 48, sprang to fame starring as the conspiracy-minded FBI agent Fox Mulder on Fox network's paranormal thriller "The X-Files," which spawned two big-screen spinoffs, one of which ran in theaters this summer.
He has been married since 1997 to actress Tea Leoni, with whom he has a 9-year-old daughter and a 6-year-old son.
"I have voluntarily entered a facility for the treatment of sex addiction," he said in a statement released through his lawyer, Stanton "Larry" Stein. "I ask for respect and privacy for my wife and children as we deal with this situation as a family."
There were no further details in the statement, which was first reported on the Web site of People magazine, people.com.
In January, he won a Golden Globe Award as best comic actor for playing an oversexed single dad and novelist struggling with writer's block in the Showtime series "Californication."
Duchovny, 48, sprang to fame starring as the conspiracy-minded FBI agent Fox Mulder on Fox network's paranormal thriller "The X-Files," which spawned two big-screen spinoffs, one of which ran in theaters this summer.
He has been married since 1997 to actress Tea Leoni, with whom he has a 9-year-old daughter and a 6-year-old son.
"I have voluntarily entered a facility for the treatment of sex addiction," he said in a statement released through his lawyer, Stanton "Larry" Stein. "I ask for respect and privacy for my wife and children as we deal with this situation as a family."
There were no further details in the statement, which was first reported on the Web site of People magazine, people.com.
In January, he won a Golden Globe Award as best comic actor for playing an oversexed single dad and novelist struggling with writer's block in the Showtime series "Californication."
Mktg - Myspace overtakes Yahoo in ad views
Yahoo Inc has lost its lead of the US market for online display advertising to MySpace and its parent company News Corp's Fox Interactive Media and MySpace, new industry data shows.
Fox Interactive's collection of sites, led by MySpace, drew 56.8 billion advertising views in June, compared with Yahoo's group of sites which had 53.1 billion, according to data from Web audience measurement firm comScore this week.
But while the statistic marks the rapid growth of MySpace in terms of advertising viewership, analysts say the social network site has struggled to draw top-dollar ad rates relative to Yahoo, known for attracting premium advertising rates.
"Social media gets all these ad impressions but not necessarily get the dollars," said Colin Gillis, analyst at Canaccord Adams. MySpace's cost per thousand (CPM) page views are significantly lower than that of Yahoo, he said.
A MySpace executive said it is closing the gap with rivals such as Yahoo, Time Warner's AOL and Microsoft Corp's MSN after the revamp of its home page in June, which has drawn in big-name sponsors such as Sprint and Wendy's.
"Our CPMs have grown significantly," Jeff Berman, MySpace president of sales and marketing, said of June's growth spike. "Category by category, year over year, we're up double digits."
According to comScore data for advertising impressions, June was the first month that Fox Interactive has surpassed Yahoo, which saw ad views dip by around 12 per cent from May.
While it may be too soon to say that MySpace has overtaken Yahoo for good, comScore data shows that Yahoo's share of the display market has been trending down since July of 2007.
Yahoo questioned comScore's measurement methodology.
"We believe there could be issues with the measurement that could be misrepresenting Yahoo and we are reviewing comScore's methodology and working with them to resolve these issues," Spokesman Adam Grossberg said in a statement.
ComScore spokesman Andrew Lipsman countered that Yahoo's month-on-month drop in display ad view was an "organic decline" unrelated to any changes in the firm's measurement methods.
Yahoo has often championed its leadership in Web display advertising -- based on comScore data -- even as it lost ground to Google Inc's dominant lead in search advertising. Yahoo agreed in June for Google to supply it with ad services to run alongside Yahoo's own Web search system.
Richard Greenfield, analyst at Pali Research said the redesign of the MySpace home page earlier this summer created a more compelling advertising proposition for brand marketers such as Sprint and Wendy's.
"It shows how the redesign is allowing MySpace to reach far beyond the 'social media' advertising category and to target far larger portal advertising budgets," said Greenfield in a blog posting for investors. He said this was a negative omen for big portals like Yahoo as well as MSN and AOL.
Fox Interactive's collection of sites, led by MySpace, drew 56.8 billion advertising views in June, compared with Yahoo's group of sites which had 53.1 billion, according to data from Web audience measurement firm comScore this week.
But while the statistic marks the rapid growth of MySpace in terms of advertising viewership, analysts say the social network site has struggled to draw top-dollar ad rates relative to Yahoo, known for attracting premium advertising rates.
"Social media gets all these ad impressions but not necessarily get the dollars," said Colin Gillis, analyst at Canaccord Adams. MySpace's cost per thousand (CPM) page views are significantly lower than that of Yahoo, he said.
A MySpace executive said it is closing the gap with rivals such as Yahoo, Time Warner's AOL and Microsoft Corp's MSN after the revamp of its home page in June, which has drawn in big-name sponsors such as Sprint and Wendy's.
"Our CPMs have grown significantly," Jeff Berman, MySpace president of sales and marketing, said of June's growth spike. "Category by category, year over year, we're up double digits."
According to comScore data for advertising impressions, June was the first month that Fox Interactive has surpassed Yahoo, which saw ad views dip by around 12 per cent from May.
While it may be too soon to say that MySpace has overtaken Yahoo for good, comScore data shows that Yahoo's share of the display market has been trending down since July of 2007.
Yahoo questioned comScore's measurement methodology.
"We believe there could be issues with the measurement that could be misrepresenting Yahoo and we are reviewing comScore's methodology and working with them to resolve these issues," Spokesman Adam Grossberg said in a statement.
ComScore spokesman Andrew Lipsman countered that Yahoo's month-on-month drop in display ad view was an "organic decline" unrelated to any changes in the firm's measurement methods.
Yahoo has often championed its leadership in Web display advertising -- based on comScore data -- even as it lost ground to Google Inc's dominant lead in search advertising. Yahoo agreed in June for Google to supply it with ad services to run alongside Yahoo's own Web search system.
Richard Greenfield, analyst at Pali Research said the redesign of the MySpace home page earlier this summer created a more compelling advertising proposition for brand marketers such as Sprint and Wendy's.
"It shows how the redesign is allowing MySpace to reach far beyond the 'social media' advertising category and to target far larger portal advertising budgets," said Greenfield in a blog posting for investors. He said this was a negative omen for big portals like Yahoo as well as MSN and AOL.
India - Now get a life cover for 40% less
MUMBAI: Life protection has become far more affordable. The cost of life insurance has come down by up to 40%, with Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) reducing the capital that insurance companies need to sell term policies. For the second time since the liberalisation of the insurance industry in 2000, there has been a dramatic reduction in term-insurance rates, making life protection a great deal cheaper. Term policies are purely life covers as against endowment policies, which have a sizeable savings component. While the premium for endowment policies will also soften, the benefit will be more apparent on term covers. Among private life insurance companies, Kotak Life has announced new rates, while newcomer Aegon Religare has announced term rates, which, the company says, are the lowest in the industry. Largest private life insurance company ICICI Prudential Life Insurance is in the process of lodging new rates. The chief of Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), the largest insurer in the country, said the Corporation may review its term rates. Kotak Life Insurance managing director Gaurang Shah said: “Two developments have led us to reduce our rates. First, we had the opportunity to review our own claims experience, since we introduced preferred term for non-smokers six years ago. Also, the revised solvency margin requirement introduced by IRDA in March has brought down capital requirement by almost two-thirds, which has helped bring down rates.” Aegon Religare Life Insurance, which launched operations earlier this month, has decided to use competitive pricing on term rates as an edge. “We had decided to introduce a product with the lowest rate, which is also supported by our campaign. Given our pricing, it is possible for a 30-year old to get a Rs 10-lakh cover at only Rs 166 a month,” said Aegon Religare Life Insurance CEO Rajiv Jamkhedkar. When contacted, LIC chairman TS Vijayan said LIC was constantly reviewing its term rates to retain its competitive advantage and any improvement in mortality was always passed on in the form of lower term rates. In a statement issued here, Kotak Mahindra Old Mutual Life Insurance said the new rates were almost 40% lower than the old rates. “The rate reduction is partly as a result of the reduced solvency margin requirements laid down by IRDA. A key player in both the group term life and individual term life businesses, Kotak Life Insurance is among the first life insurance companies to pass on this benefit to the consumer,” the statement said. However, agents of insurance companies said it is not always possible to get the standard rates. It is very rare for a person to get standard rates above the age of 40 with a few private companies, since these companies have a very narrow range for various parameters defining good health. These parameters include weight, blood pressure and abdominal girth, among other things.
Business -Why Apple wants to fill the Indian Pie
Now that the iPhone frenzy has subsided a bit, both industry and users have thankfully moved on to the next logical discussion - that of the 3G ecosystem. Let's face the facts. By now, geeks have globally dissected the iPhone to be an unimpressive phone with unmatched browsing and touch-screen capabilities. But does Apple or, for that matter, any of its smart(phone) cousins, spare a care for voice traffic anymore?Be it Nokia, Sony Ericsson, HTC, RIM, Siemens, LG - you name it, they are all focused on the 'Indian panache' for data services. And as 3G becomes a reality, they would have moved way beyond data to the multimedia magic. The case is ditto for the carriers. Therefore, the telcos seem to have more than one reason to put most of their eggs in the non-voice services basket.
Sample this. India today has more users surfing the net with a mobile phone than with a computer. Indian mobile data revenue for operators is expected to outpace that of voice services and contribute to about a fifth of total revenues by 2011, doubling year-on-year, according to research firm Gartner.The total internet connections (whether dial-up or broadband) in India account for 9.22 million while 38 million users (nearly double the 16 million users almost a year ago) are connected to the web through mobile phones, as per the data furnished by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).And lastly, as per the research firm Bango, 9 per cent of all access to mobile websites globally comes from India and it has been growing rapidly.
Those seem to be good reasons for telecos - both handset companies, as well as, the service providers, to treat voice traffic as a lesser cousin and focus on creating a services ecosystem.But, when it comes to the ecosystem - there are other bits and pieces that are gradually falling into place."Globally the average pages visited by a surfer are 260 per month. But this average is substantially higher for Indian users. So, it is a no brainer to weave a revenue model around those potential users who are ready to jump on to the net from their mobiles, provided we enable them. It can be done with a solution that is either pre-installed into their high-end cellphones or downloadable for the low end ones. We have recognized the opportunity and presently India is the number three market for us globally," Opera Software CEO Jon von Tetzchner told the economictimes.com. Norway-based Opera Software operates in the niche of putting the web on any device.
Opera has tied up with Tata Teleservices to provide Opera Mini (mobile browser) on some of its BREW-enabled handsets. The bigger feat is that the carrier has empowered its customers to access internet in local languages as well with Opera supporting local language websites.According to Tetzchner, in July alone, 15.8 million Opera Mini users generated more than 53.8 million MB of data for operators worldwide. Since the data is compressed 90 per cent on an average, this would mean 538 million MB of data being generated.Even a small proportion of that usage coming from India obviously means big business for enablers like Opera.
content developers to aggregators and finally the marketers who can't wait to mint moolah through targeted promotions."So far, all promotional activity for companies is one-sided with companies pushing SMSs or worst still, making voice calls to sell. But, with the customers profiling that can be achieved by studying the browsing patterns of mobile users, a company can reach out bang to the target audience and initiate interactive campaigns," says Sanjit Chatterjee who is the Global Sales and Marketing head for Flytxt, a UK headquartered mobile marketing software firm. So an Armani can connect straight with the iPhone users in India instead of pushing messages to all and sundry.Clearly, post the great Indian mobile voice revolution, the services ecosystem is what telcos and supporting vendors have their eyes on. It's a space to watch over the next few months
Sample this. India today has more users surfing the net with a mobile phone than with a computer. Indian mobile data revenue for operators is expected to outpace that of voice services and contribute to about a fifth of total revenues by 2011, doubling year-on-year, according to research firm Gartner.The total internet connections (whether dial-up or broadband) in India account for 9.22 million while 38 million users (nearly double the 16 million users almost a year ago) are connected to the web through mobile phones, as per the data furnished by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).And lastly, as per the research firm Bango, 9 per cent of all access to mobile websites globally comes from India and it has been growing rapidly.
Those seem to be good reasons for telecos - both handset companies, as well as, the service providers, to treat voice traffic as a lesser cousin and focus on creating a services ecosystem.But, when it comes to the ecosystem - there are other bits and pieces that are gradually falling into place."Globally the average pages visited by a surfer are 260 per month. But this average is substantially higher for Indian users. So, it is a no brainer to weave a revenue model around those potential users who are ready to jump on to the net from their mobiles, provided we enable them. It can be done with a solution that is either pre-installed into their high-end cellphones or downloadable for the low end ones. We have recognized the opportunity and presently India is the number three market for us globally," Opera Software CEO Jon von Tetzchner told the economictimes.com. Norway-based Opera Software operates in the niche of putting the web on any device.
Opera has tied up with Tata Teleservices to provide Opera Mini (mobile browser) on some of its BREW-enabled handsets. The bigger feat is that the carrier has empowered its customers to access internet in local languages as well with Opera supporting local language websites.According to Tetzchner, in July alone, 15.8 million Opera Mini users generated more than 53.8 million MB of data for operators worldwide. Since the data is compressed 90 per cent on an average, this would mean 538 million MB of data being generated.Even a small proportion of that usage coming from India obviously means big business for enablers like Opera.
content developers to aggregators and finally the marketers who can't wait to mint moolah through targeted promotions."So far, all promotional activity for companies is one-sided with companies pushing SMSs or worst still, making voice calls to sell. But, with the customers profiling that can be achieved by studying the browsing patterns of mobile users, a company can reach out bang to the target audience and initiate interactive campaigns," says Sanjit Chatterjee who is the Global Sales and Marketing head for Flytxt, a UK headquartered mobile marketing software firm. So an Armani can connect straight with the iPhone users in India instead of pushing messages to all and sundry.Clearly, post the great Indian mobile voice revolution, the services ecosystem is what telcos and supporting vendors have their eyes on. It's a space to watch over the next few months
Lifestyle - Workers spend 600 hrs ogling at colleagues
London: A new survey of office-goers in Britain has thrown up stunning statistics.
Office workers in Britain spend around 600 hours ogling at a colleague they have a crush on, the survey has revealed.
According to the study, office staffs spend almost 60,000 hours sitting at their office desk during their career.
And they do a lot of things during the career to break monotony and to maintain some semblance of order.
During the entire period, they drink nearly 32,000 cups of tea or coffee and make about 110,000 phone calls, reports the Sun.
And two out of five employees end up in bed with their workmates, the study found. So much for mixing work with pleasure!
They will also write 50,000 lists of things to do over the years, receive more than 320,000 emails and have 13 job interviews. That is a lot of ambition and literary pursuit to have.
To reach the results, a total of 1,200 workers were polled.
Office workers in Britain spend around 600 hours ogling at a colleague they have a crush on, the survey has revealed.
According to the study, office staffs spend almost 60,000 hours sitting at their office desk during their career.
And they do a lot of things during the career to break monotony and to maintain some semblance of order.
During the entire period, they drink nearly 32,000 cups of tea or coffee and make about 110,000 phone calls, reports the Sun.
And two out of five employees end up in bed with their workmates, the study found. So much for mixing work with pleasure!
They will also write 50,000 lists of things to do over the years, receive more than 320,000 emails and have 13 job interviews. That is a lot of ambition and literary pursuit to have.
To reach the results, a total of 1,200 workers were polled.
Health - Your Chow,momos could be making you obese
Washington: People who use monosodium glutamate or MSG to spice up their food are more likely to be overweight than others, though their physical activity and calorie intake are similar.
Researchers at the University of North Carolina (UNC) and in China studied more than 750 Chinese men and women, aged between 40 and 59, in three villages in north and south China.
The majority of participants prepared their meals at home without commercially processed foods. About 82 percent of them used MSG. They were divided into three groups, based on the quantity of MSG they used. The third who used the most MSG were nearly three times more likely to be overweight than non-users.
"Animal studies have indicated for years that MSG might be associated with weight gain," said Ka He, assistant professor of nutrition and epidemiology at UNC School of Public Health. "Ours is the first study to show a link between MSG use and weight in humans."
Because MSG is used as a flavour enhancer in many processed foods, studying its potential effect on humans has been difficult. He and his colleagues chose participants living in Chinese villages because they used very little commercially processed food, but many regularly used MSG in food preparation.
"We found that prevalence of overweight was significantly higher in MSG users than in non-users," He said. "We saw this risk even when we controlled for physical activity, total calorie intake and other possible explanations for the difference in body mass. The positive associations between MSG intake and overweight were consistent with data from animal studies."
As the percentage of overweight and obese people around the world continues to increase, finding clues to the cause could be very important, he said.
"The US Food and Drug Administration and other health organisations around the world have concluded that MSG is safe," he said, "but the question remains - is it healthy?"
The study was published this month in the journal Obesity
Researchers at the University of North Carolina (UNC) and in China studied more than 750 Chinese men and women, aged between 40 and 59, in three villages in north and south China.
The majority of participants prepared their meals at home without commercially processed foods. About 82 percent of them used MSG. They were divided into three groups, based on the quantity of MSG they used. The third who used the most MSG were nearly three times more likely to be overweight than non-users.
"Animal studies have indicated for years that MSG might be associated with weight gain," said Ka He, assistant professor of nutrition and epidemiology at UNC School of Public Health. "Ours is the first study to show a link between MSG use and weight in humans."
Because MSG is used as a flavour enhancer in many processed foods, studying its potential effect on humans has been difficult. He and his colleagues chose participants living in Chinese villages because they used very little commercially processed food, but many regularly used MSG in food preparation.
"We found that prevalence of overweight was significantly higher in MSG users than in non-users," He said. "We saw this risk even when we controlled for physical activity, total calorie intake and other possible explanations for the difference in body mass. The positive associations between MSG intake and overweight were consistent with data from animal studies."
As the percentage of overweight and obese people around the world continues to increase, finding clues to the cause could be very important, he said.
"The US Food and Drug Administration and other health organisations around the world have concluded that MSG is safe," he said, "but the question remains - is it healthy?"
The study was published this month in the journal Obesity
Business - Save taxes;Make potato crisps that are not potato
London: Potato crisps that can save millions in taxes? Yes, but only if they contain less potato.
The next time you want potato crisps don't reach out for Pringles - a British court has ruled that the famous potato crisps are not really potato at all. As a result, Pringles are now exempt from value added tax (VAT), which can save its manufacturer Proctor & Gamble (P&G) millions of pounds. Customers will have to pay less too.
Facts that the crisps come in tube, that they have an unnatural shape and that the potato content in them is less than 50 percent helped the high court come to the conclusion.
P&G had gone to court to challenge a VAT and Duties Tribunal decision that Pringle was subject to the standard 17.5 percent rate of VAT because it was “a potato crisp product”, which are, unlike most food, subject to the tax.
Under law, a product “must be wholly, or substantially wholly, made from the potato” to attract VAT.
But the manufacturer had insisted their best-selling product was not similar to potato crisps, because of their “mouth melt” taste, “uniform colour” and “regular shape” which “is not found in nature”.
It also argued that potato crisps - unlike Pringles - did not contain non-potato flours, and were not packaged in tubes, reports the BBC.
This is not the first time that the shape or content of a vegetable has become a subject for debate. The Food and Agricultural Organisation and the World Health Organisation spent seven years before deciding what qualifies as a proper tomato.
Their ruling says tomatoes may be round, ribbed, oblong or elongated, or can be cherry tomatoes or cocktail tomatoes. Other characteristics include being clean, whole, fresh in appearance, and free from foreign smells and pests.
The next time you want potato crisps don't reach out for Pringles - a British court has ruled that the famous potato crisps are not really potato at all. As a result, Pringles are now exempt from value added tax (VAT), which can save its manufacturer Proctor & Gamble (P&G) millions of pounds. Customers will have to pay less too.
Facts that the crisps come in tube, that they have an unnatural shape and that the potato content in them is less than 50 percent helped the high court come to the conclusion.
P&G had gone to court to challenge a VAT and Duties Tribunal decision that Pringle was subject to the standard 17.5 percent rate of VAT because it was “a potato crisp product”, which are, unlike most food, subject to the tax.
Under law, a product “must be wholly, or substantially wholly, made from the potato” to attract VAT.
But the manufacturer had insisted their best-selling product was not similar to potato crisps, because of their “mouth melt” taste, “uniform colour” and “regular shape” which “is not found in nature”.
It also argued that potato crisps - unlike Pringles - did not contain non-potato flours, and were not packaged in tubes, reports the BBC.
This is not the first time that the shape or content of a vegetable has become a subject for debate. The Food and Agricultural Organisation and the World Health Organisation spent seven years before deciding what qualifies as a proper tomato.
Their ruling says tomatoes may be round, ribbed, oblong or elongated, or can be cherry tomatoes or cocktail tomatoes. Other characteristics include being clean, whole, fresh in appearance, and free from foreign smells and pests.
Entertainment - Mohanlal on Rajni,Jackie Chan & Nair Sans
Rajnikant may have drawn flak from critics for his cameo in box office dud Kuselan , but Malayalam star Mohanlal says that the Tamil superstar's stature is "beyond success and failure".
"Actors like Kamal Haasan and Rajnikant are larger than life. They cannot be accepted in guest roles. I can get away with small cameos, off-beat roles, walk-on parts, anything. I'm playing a 90-year-old man in a new film," says Mohanlal
"There're some actors in this country like Amitabh Bachchan, Chiranjeevi, Kamal Haasan and Rajnikant who are above success and failure. They're blessed people. If you say I'm one of them, then I too am blessed," he added.
The Malayalam moviedom maverick is currently busy with his Japanese film Nair San. After learning Japanese for his role, now he is gearing up to do a full-on action scene with Hollywood star Jackie Chan.
"Jackie Chan appears in a major action sequence with me. I'm trying to physically prepare for the role. I've already shot for about 150 days for 'Nair San' in Japan and Mongolia," he said.
"I'm the first actor from Malayalam cinema to feature in a Japanese film. I've to speak not only in Japanese but also in Chinese and Mongolian," he added.
The action scene with Jackie Chan will be shot in Mongolia.
Nair San, which is being made at a whopping cost of Rs.2 billion ($50 million), will be subtitled in English and released all over the world.
Directed by Albert, the film is about Aiyappan Pillai Madhavan Nair, who left Kerala at the age of 18 and settled in Japan. He fought against the British from Japan. Later, the Japanese government presented him with the title 'San'.
Mohanlal, who has worked in a couple of Hindi films too, says he doesn't regret doing Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag.
"People just pounced on Ramu. They forgot how much he has achieved in the past. Such things happen. In fact, Priyadarshan has just offered me a role in a Hindi film to be done in the middle of next year. I get a lot of Hindi films. But they don't interest me," he says
"But I'll do Priyan's film. It's a 12-13 day film. It isn't a conventional Hindi film. It has a message on AIDS. Priyan is returning to his roots. He recently did a fantastic Malayalam film called Kanjeevaram . I was supposed to do it. But I couldn't. Now I'm looking forward to working with him and to doing a Hindi film, " he adds.
"Actors like Kamal Haasan and Rajnikant are larger than life. They cannot be accepted in guest roles. I can get away with small cameos, off-beat roles, walk-on parts, anything. I'm playing a 90-year-old man in a new film," says Mohanlal
"There're some actors in this country like Amitabh Bachchan, Chiranjeevi, Kamal Haasan and Rajnikant who are above success and failure. They're blessed people. If you say I'm one of them, then I too am blessed," he added.
The Malayalam moviedom maverick is currently busy with his Japanese film Nair San. After learning Japanese for his role, now he is gearing up to do a full-on action scene with Hollywood star Jackie Chan.
"Jackie Chan appears in a major action sequence with me. I'm trying to physically prepare for the role. I've already shot for about 150 days for 'Nair San' in Japan and Mongolia," he said.
"I'm the first actor from Malayalam cinema to feature in a Japanese film. I've to speak not only in Japanese but also in Chinese and Mongolian," he added.
The action scene with Jackie Chan will be shot in Mongolia.
Nair San, which is being made at a whopping cost of Rs.2 billion ($50 million), will be subtitled in English and released all over the world.
Directed by Albert, the film is about Aiyappan Pillai Madhavan Nair, who left Kerala at the age of 18 and settled in Japan. He fought against the British from Japan. Later, the Japanese government presented him with the title 'San'.
Mohanlal, who has worked in a couple of Hindi films too, says he doesn't regret doing Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag.
"People just pounced on Ramu. They forgot how much he has achieved in the past. Such things happen. In fact, Priyadarshan has just offered me a role in a Hindi film to be done in the middle of next year. I get a lot of Hindi films. But they don't interest me," he says
"But I'll do Priyan's film. It's a 12-13 day film. It isn't a conventional Hindi film. It has a message on AIDS. Priyan is returning to his roots. He recently did a fantastic Malayalam film called Kanjeevaram . I was supposed to do it. But I couldn't. Now I'm looking forward to working with him and to doing a Hindi film, " he adds.
Mktg - Online ad spending to overtake radio advertising this year
Carat, Europe's biggest media buyer, has trimmed its growth forecasts for global spending on advertising for this year and the next, after revising its estimates in the United States, Britain, Spain and China.
Carat, part of the £9.3-billion UK-based marketing communications Aegis Group, predicted that online advertising will continue to grow this year - albeit at a slower rate than in 2007 - and will overtake radio as the world's third most popular advertising medium behind TV and newspapers and magazines in 2008.
Earlier in June, Publicis Group firm ZenithOptimedia too had forecast that online ad spending would overtake radio this year.
Carat now expects 4.9 per cent growth instead of 6 per cent for 2008 and 4.8 per cent for 2009, down from a previous estimate of 4.9 per cent.
This prediction comes after ZenithOptimedia, part of rival Publicis Group, made a similar forecast in June that spending on online advertising would overtake radio in 2008.
The new estimates from Carat will come as cold comfort to ITV, as Britain's largest commercial broadcaster struggles to turn its business around in the face of an advertising downturn, and newspaper groups who are already struggling with the switch in spending from print to online.
China's growth has been revised downwards by a percentage point for this year, given the impact of the May earthquake and uncertainty about post-Olympics ad spending.The UK's overall growth forecast has been cut from 4.3 per cent to 2.5 per cent, with a downward revision of 1.8 per cent.
Elsewhere, the majority of the developed economies are predicted to contribute less than 5 per cent growth, while emerging economies in Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia and Latin America continue to surge ahead and provide reason for optimism in the face of the downturn elsewhere.
In the US, growth is predicted to slow to 2.1 per cent from an earlier forecast of 3.8 per cent, with newspapers, magazines and radio all experiencing declines in 2008. US newspapers have been particularly hard hit with thousands losing their jobs as papers cut staff.
However, TV and the internet are expected to show gains, boosted by spending from the US presidential elections and the Beijing Olympics, which proved a boon for NBC.
In China, 2009 is forecast to see a more significant decline in growth, with forecasts down from 13.2 per cent to 10.9 per cent in what will become the world's third largest advertising market.
Despite this, Carat said growth in China is still well ahead of predictions for the developed world.
Overall, Carat yesterday dropped its estimate for global advertising spending growth to 4.9 per cent this year, from its original forecast of 6 per cent, and 4.8 per cent in 2009, slightly down on its initial estimate of 4.9 per cent. Last year global advertising spending increased by 5.1 per cent.
Globally all areas of advertising except newspapers are expected to see some increase in advertising spending this year. But rapid growth in online advertising - predicted to be up 23.7 per cent compared with 28.8 per cent last year - will mean its total share of all advertising spending will increase to 8.6 per cent this year, overtaking radio at 7.4 per cent.
Carat, part of the £9.3-billion UK-based marketing communications Aegis Group, predicted that online advertising will continue to grow this year - albeit at a slower rate than in 2007 - and will overtake radio as the world's third most popular advertising medium behind TV and newspapers and magazines in 2008.
Earlier in June, Publicis Group firm ZenithOptimedia too had forecast that online ad spending would overtake radio this year.
Carat now expects 4.9 per cent growth instead of 6 per cent for 2008 and 4.8 per cent for 2009, down from a previous estimate of 4.9 per cent.
This prediction comes after ZenithOptimedia, part of rival Publicis Group, made a similar forecast in June that spending on online advertising would overtake radio in 2008.
The new estimates from Carat will come as cold comfort to ITV, as Britain's largest commercial broadcaster struggles to turn its business around in the face of an advertising downturn, and newspaper groups who are already struggling with the switch in spending from print to online.
China's growth has been revised downwards by a percentage point for this year, given the impact of the May earthquake and uncertainty about post-Olympics ad spending.The UK's overall growth forecast has been cut from 4.3 per cent to 2.5 per cent, with a downward revision of 1.8 per cent.
Elsewhere, the majority of the developed economies are predicted to contribute less than 5 per cent growth, while emerging economies in Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia and Latin America continue to surge ahead and provide reason for optimism in the face of the downturn elsewhere.
In the US, growth is predicted to slow to 2.1 per cent from an earlier forecast of 3.8 per cent, with newspapers, magazines and radio all experiencing declines in 2008. US newspapers have been particularly hard hit with thousands losing their jobs as papers cut staff.
However, TV and the internet are expected to show gains, boosted by spending from the US presidential elections and the Beijing Olympics, which proved a boon for NBC.
In China, 2009 is forecast to see a more significant decline in growth, with forecasts down from 13.2 per cent to 10.9 per cent in what will become the world's third largest advertising market.
Despite this, Carat said growth in China is still well ahead of predictions for the developed world.
Overall, Carat yesterday dropped its estimate for global advertising spending growth to 4.9 per cent this year, from its original forecast of 6 per cent, and 4.8 per cent in 2009, slightly down on its initial estimate of 4.9 per cent. Last year global advertising spending increased by 5.1 per cent.
Globally all areas of advertising except newspapers are expected to see some increase in advertising spending this year. But rapid growth in online advertising - predicted to be up 23.7 per cent compared with 28.8 per cent last year - will mean its total share of all advertising spending will increase to 8.6 per cent this year, overtaking radio at 7.4 per cent.
Entertainment - Eva proud of her nipslip
Eva Mendes has said that she’s proud of her controversial Calvin Klein TV ad that has been banned because it showed too much of her nipple. The Hollywood star, who was recently in Sydney to launch the 30 Days of Fashion and Beauty event, has been causing a stir over the Calvin Klein perfume ads. "It makes me more proud," News.com.au quoted Eva, as saying about the ban. The Ghost Rider star , who has done a number of nude shoots over the years, said she was not worried the latest would overshadow her acting career. "I'm sure if it was for some kind of independent brand that wasn't as iconic as Calvin Klein I don't think I would have done it because that's too much of a risk," Mendes said. "But when its Calvin Klein and it's (fashion photographer) Steve Meisel shooting you and you get to be a part of this amazing iconic brand and their legacy you just kind of go for it,” she said. The ad, which shows Eva rolling around in a bed with a sheet wrapped around her, has been banned in the US, UK and Australia.
Business - Mobile Ad market to touch $12 billion by 2011
SINGAPORE: Telecom carriers around the world are turning their attention to advertising as a potential source of revenue, according to Gartner Inc.
Gartner forecasts that the worldwide mobile advertising market alone will be worth over $12 billion by 2011, but advised carriers that they will need to rise to some key challenges if they are to realise their advertising ambitions.
King-Yew Foong, research director at Gartner, said: "First and foremost, telecom carriers need to differentiate their approach to the advertising market. This is particularly important, given the fact that advertising money is being pursued by their immediate telecom competitors, consumer device manufacturers such as Nokia and Internet-related companies like Google, Yahoo, MySpace and Microsoft"
"Telecom carriers must take advantage of their access to multiple delivery channels, including short message service (SMS) multimedia messaging services (MMS) e-mail, fixed and mobile Internet search activities, location-based services and broadband/Internet protocol TV (IPTV) portals," he added..
"However, while doing so, they will have to strike a balance between their ambition to increase advertising revenue and the need to control spam and user privacy," he said.
If telecom carriers are to compete effectively for advertising revenue, they must convince advertisers and marketers of the effectiveness and value of their approach while distinguishing their value proposition from companies such as Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and traditional media such as television broadcasters and newspapers. By developing the skills to enable them to do these things, telecom carriers will also improve their understanding of the advertisers' perspective and how to meet advertisers' requirements, such as audience validation.
Although carriers are not credible players at present, they have inherent strengths that will enable them to fulfill their advertising ambitions. These strengths include their relationships with customers, knowledge of local markets, extensive customer databases, network control and multiple channel access.
"If a carrier can execute its advertising strategy well and overcome the key challenges, it could move quickly to reap the benefits. Carriers can expect to become an integral part of consumers' lifestyles when they can reliably deliver relevant advertisements to them. This will require closer cooperation and partnerships with other businesses, such as retailers, restaurants and cinemas," he added.
Gartner advised telecom carriers to be persistent in their efforts and take a long-term perspective if they are to seize the opportunities presented by the growing online and mobile advertising sectors. Carriers need to disrupt the current distribution of advertising money between competing media channels and convince advertisers and marketers that their various channels, customer knowledge, analytics and network control features can reach the intended audience more effectively than traditional channels.
Gartner forecasts that the worldwide mobile advertising market alone will be worth over $12 billion by 2011, but advised carriers that they will need to rise to some key challenges if they are to realise their advertising ambitions.
King-Yew Foong, research director at Gartner, said: "First and foremost, telecom carriers need to differentiate their approach to the advertising market. This is particularly important, given the fact that advertising money is being pursued by their immediate telecom competitors, consumer device manufacturers such as Nokia and Internet-related companies like Google, Yahoo, MySpace and Microsoft"
"Telecom carriers must take advantage of their access to multiple delivery channels, including short message service (SMS) multimedia messaging services (MMS) e-mail, fixed and mobile Internet search activities, location-based services and broadband/Internet protocol TV (IPTV) portals," he added..
"However, while doing so, they will have to strike a balance between their ambition to increase advertising revenue and the need to control spam and user privacy," he said.
If telecom carriers are to compete effectively for advertising revenue, they must convince advertisers and marketers of the effectiveness and value of their approach while distinguishing their value proposition from companies such as Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and traditional media such as television broadcasters and newspapers. By developing the skills to enable them to do these things, telecom carriers will also improve their understanding of the advertisers' perspective and how to meet advertisers' requirements, such as audience validation.
Although carriers are not credible players at present, they have inherent strengths that will enable them to fulfill their advertising ambitions. These strengths include their relationships with customers, knowledge of local markets, extensive customer databases, network control and multiple channel access.
"If a carrier can execute its advertising strategy well and overcome the key challenges, it could move quickly to reap the benefits. Carriers can expect to become an integral part of consumers' lifestyles when they can reliably deliver relevant advertisements to them. This will require closer cooperation and partnerships with other businesses, such as retailers, restaurants and cinemas," he added.
Gartner advised telecom carriers to be persistent in their efforts and take a long-term perspective if they are to seize the opportunities presented by the growing online and mobile advertising sectors. Carriers need to disrupt the current distribution of advertising money between competing media channels and convince advertisers and marketers that their various channels, customer knowledge, analytics and network control features can reach the intended audience more effectively than traditional channels.
India - Top 10 Open - Ended Equity Funds
Reliance Regular Savings Equity Fund, ICICI Prudential Infrastructure Inst I and IDFC Premier Equity Fund are among the top ten open ended - equity: diversified mutual funds in India. According to Value Research, the top ten funds have given returns ranging from 6.97 per cent to 16.98 per cent during the last one year, while the NAV of the top fund stood at 19.91 as on August 27, 2008.Here is a look at the top 10 funds' performance during the last one year:
Reliance Regulars Saving Equity Fund
This open ended - equity: diversified fund is at the No 1 position in the Value Research's Top 10 list and has given 16.98 per cent return during the last one year while its return since launch is even higher at 23.20 per cent.According to Value Research, the fund's return grade is above average, while its risk grade is below average. NAV of the fund stood at 19.91 as on August 27, 2008.The primary investment objective of this option is to seek capital appreciation and/or to generate consistent returns by actively investing in equity and equity-related securities. It will invest at least 80 per cent of its assets in equity and equity related securities. Up to 20 per cent of its assets will be invested in debt and money market instruments with an average maturity of 5 to10 years.Arpit Malaviya and OmPrakash Kuckien are the fund managers.
ICICI Pru Infrastructure Inst 1
This fund, which was launched in March 2006, is at the No 2 position and has given one-year return of 13.10 per cent while its return since launch is higher at 21.78 per cent. The fund's NAV as on August 27, 2008 stood at 13.04.The scheme aims to invest in equity/equity related securities of the companies belonging to infrastructure development and the balance in debt securities and money market instruments including call money.Sankaran Naren is the fund manager.
IDFC Premier Equity Fund
Launched in September 2005, this fund has given a return of 11.14 per cent during the last one year while its return since launch is higher at 23.82 per cent. The fund's NAV as on August 27, 2008 stood at 18.67.The fund invests in small and medium-sized businesses in emerging segments or markets. It is suitable for investors with a high-risk appetite.Kenneth Andrade is the fund manager.
Templeton India Growth Fund
This fund was launched more than a decade ago in August 1996. Since then it has performed well, with return since launch being at 19.91 per cent. During the last one year, however, the fund has given 9.10 per cent return and its NAV as on August 27, 2008 stood at 79.15.TIGF is an open-end equity fund that invests primarily in the equity market with the objective of providing long-term capital appreciation towards meeting your long-term financial needs like a comfortable retired life or children's education.J Mark Mobius is the fund manager since 1996.
DWS Investment Opportunity Fund
Launched in January 2004, the fund's return since launch has been 27.08 per cent. During the last one year, however, the fund has given 8.94 per cent return and its NAV as on August 27, 2008 stood at 29.97.The objective of this fund is to generate capital appreciation on the portfolio over a long term by actively investing in different asset classes as per market conditions.Aniket Inamdar is the fund manager.
Baroda Pioneer Growth Fund
With return grade currently being above average and the risk grade being low, the Baroda Pioneer Growth fund has given 29.66 per cent return since its launch in September 2003. The past one year return has been at 8.76 per cent and its NAV as on August 27, 2008 stood at 36.51.The scheme aims to provide long term capital appreciation through a well researched portfolio comprising of equity, equity related instruments, money market instruments and debt securities.Dipak Acharya is the fund manager.
Sundaram BNP Paribas Select Focus Reg
This fund has given 37.83 per cent return since launch in July 2002. Last one year return, however, is lower at 8.35 per cent. Its NAV as on August 27, 2008 stood at 71.07. Return grade is high and risk grade is average.The scheme aims to generate capital appreciation by investing in a very few select stocks. It will generally hold stocks of 10 to 30 companies each with a market capitalisation of not less than Rs 500 crore.Srividhya Rajesh is the fund manager
DBS Chola Opportunities Fund
This fund has given 25.39 per cent return since launch in December 2003. Last one year return, however, is lower at 8.06 per cent. Its NAV as on August 27, 2008 stood at 33.13. Return grade is high and risk grade is average.The scheme aims mainly to generate long-term capital appreciation by investing in a universe of stocks, which will be identified using the fundamental analysis. The fund will invest in a portfolio of both value and growth stocks. The strategy will be to build up diversified portfolio of quality stocks, with medium to long term potential.Bajrang Kumar Bafna is the fund manager.
ING Dividend Yield Fund
Launched in October 2005, this fund has given 10.07 per cent return since launch. Last one year return, however, is even lower at 6.97 per cent and its NAV as on August 27, 2008 stood at 13.2. The fund is not rated yet.The investment objective of the scheme is to provide medium-to-long-term capital appreciation and / or dividend distribution by investing predominantly in equity and equity related instruments, which offer high dividend yield.Manish Bhandari is the fund manager.
Reliance Regulars Saving Equity Fund
This open ended - equity: diversified fund is at the No 1 position in the Value Research's Top 10 list and has given 16.98 per cent return during the last one year while its return since launch is even higher at 23.20 per cent.According to Value Research, the fund's return grade is above average, while its risk grade is below average. NAV of the fund stood at 19.91 as on August 27, 2008.The primary investment objective of this option is to seek capital appreciation and/or to generate consistent returns by actively investing in equity and equity-related securities. It will invest at least 80 per cent of its assets in equity and equity related securities. Up to 20 per cent of its assets will be invested in debt and money market instruments with an average maturity of 5 to10 years.Arpit Malaviya and OmPrakash Kuckien are the fund managers.
ICICI Pru Infrastructure Inst 1
This fund, which was launched in March 2006, is at the No 2 position and has given one-year return of 13.10 per cent while its return since launch is higher at 21.78 per cent. The fund's NAV as on August 27, 2008 stood at 13.04.The scheme aims to invest in equity/equity related securities of the companies belonging to infrastructure development and the balance in debt securities and money market instruments including call money.Sankaran Naren is the fund manager.
IDFC Premier Equity Fund
Launched in September 2005, this fund has given a return of 11.14 per cent during the last one year while its return since launch is higher at 23.82 per cent. The fund's NAV as on August 27, 2008 stood at 18.67.The fund invests in small and medium-sized businesses in emerging segments or markets. It is suitable for investors with a high-risk appetite.Kenneth Andrade is the fund manager.
Templeton India Growth Fund
This fund was launched more than a decade ago in August 1996. Since then it has performed well, with return since launch being at 19.91 per cent. During the last one year, however, the fund has given 9.10 per cent return and its NAV as on August 27, 2008 stood at 79.15.TIGF is an open-end equity fund that invests primarily in the equity market with the objective of providing long-term capital appreciation towards meeting your long-term financial needs like a comfortable retired life or children's education.J Mark Mobius is the fund manager since 1996.
DWS Investment Opportunity Fund
Launched in January 2004, the fund's return since launch has been 27.08 per cent. During the last one year, however, the fund has given 8.94 per cent return and its NAV as on August 27, 2008 stood at 29.97.The objective of this fund is to generate capital appreciation on the portfolio over a long term by actively investing in different asset classes as per market conditions.Aniket Inamdar is the fund manager.
Baroda Pioneer Growth Fund
With return grade currently being above average and the risk grade being low, the Baroda Pioneer Growth fund has given 29.66 per cent return since its launch in September 2003. The past one year return has been at 8.76 per cent and its NAV as on August 27, 2008 stood at 36.51.The scheme aims to provide long term capital appreciation through a well researched portfolio comprising of equity, equity related instruments, money market instruments and debt securities.Dipak Acharya is the fund manager.
Sundaram BNP Paribas Select Focus Reg
This fund has given 37.83 per cent return since launch in July 2002. Last one year return, however, is lower at 8.35 per cent. Its NAV as on August 27, 2008 stood at 71.07. Return grade is high and risk grade is average.The scheme aims to generate capital appreciation by investing in a very few select stocks. It will generally hold stocks of 10 to 30 companies each with a market capitalisation of not less than Rs 500 crore.Srividhya Rajesh is the fund manager
DBS Chola Opportunities Fund
This fund has given 25.39 per cent return since launch in December 2003. Last one year return, however, is lower at 8.06 per cent. Its NAV as on August 27, 2008 stood at 33.13. Return grade is high and risk grade is average.The scheme aims mainly to generate long-term capital appreciation by investing in a universe of stocks, which will be identified using the fundamental analysis. The fund will invest in a portfolio of both value and growth stocks. The strategy will be to build up diversified portfolio of quality stocks, with medium to long term potential.Bajrang Kumar Bafna is the fund manager.
ING Dividend Yield Fund
Launched in October 2005, this fund has given 10.07 per cent return since launch. Last one year return, however, is even lower at 6.97 per cent and its NAV as on August 27, 2008 stood at 13.2. The fund is not rated yet.The investment objective of the scheme is to provide medium-to-long-term capital appreciation and / or dividend distribution by investing predominantly in equity and equity related instruments, which offer high dividend yield.Manish Bhandari is the fund manager.
India - Can a billion indians be connected ?
Intel India announced the launch of an industry-wide movement called the 'Connected Indians' where government, industry associations and private enterprise have come together for the common cause of connecting a billion Indians.
The movement is intended to mobilise people, resources and infrastructure to connect citizens to information, ideas, people, capital and services leading to overall development and future success.
R Sivakumar, managing director, Intel South Asia, said: "Intel recognises that the Internet is capable of transforming lives and the future of our country. Through the 'Connected Indians' movement we hope to achieve precisely that. This movement is privileged to be supported by the government, ecosystem partners as well as numerous other industry stalwarts. We expect to see the momentum for this initiative building up rapidly."
Thiru A Raja, Hon'ble Union Minister of Communications and Information Technology, said, "Earlier this year I outlined my digital vision for India at the World Congress of IT in Kuala Lumpur: 500 million Indians connected to the Internet and its unlimited opportunities, with more than l00 million broadband connections, and 100 million broadband enabled devices to drive this 'Connected Indian' milieu leading to the development and growth of a vibrant economy – all by 2012. Since then we have made much progress and my ministry is well on its way to executing this task."
BSNL, Google, Reliance Communications, Croma and Tata Indicom have also pledged their support to this cause.
Going forward the 'Connected Indians' movement will continue to build momentum with more and more partners joining the cause to accelerate broadband adoption, a series of public outreach activities and more affordable devices for the consumer.
The movement is intended to mobilise people, resources and infrastructure to connect citizens to information, ideas, people, capital and services leading to overall development and future success.
R Sivakumar, managing director, Intel South Asia, said: "Intel recognises that the Internet is capable of transforming lives and the future of our country. Through the 'Connected Indians' movement we hope to achieve precisely that. This movement is privileged to be supported by the government, ecosystem partners as well as numerous other industry stalwarts. We expect to see the momentum for this initiative building up rapidly."
Thiru A Raja, Hon'ble Union Minister of Communications and Information Technology, said, "Earlier this year I outlined my digital vision for India at the World Congress of IT in Kuala Lumpur: 500 million Indians connected to the Internet and its unlimited opportunities, with more than l00 million broadband connections, and 100 million broadband enabled devices to drive this 'Connected Indian' milieu leading to the development and growth of a vibrant economy – all by 2012. Since then we have made much progress and my ministry is well on its way to executing this task."
BSNL, Google, Reliance Communications, Croma and Tata Indicom have also pledged their support to this cause.
Going forward the 'Connected Indians' movement will continue to build momentum with more and more partners joining the cause to accelerate broadband adoption, a series of public outreach activities and more affordable devices for the consumer.
Business - In Conversation with Manoj Kohli;Airtel
With Reliance Communications and Tata Teleservices readying to launch their GSM cellular services within a few months and another five to six players also readying to enter the market, another tariff war is on the cards. While average revenues per user (ARPU) are falling in existing 2G-type mobile services, the market for 3G will be opened soon, unleashing another flood of competitive pressure. So though Bharti Airtel has a 25 per cent share in the mobile market, Manoj Kohli who has taken over as its joint managing director and CEO faces some tough challenges. He explains his company’s strategy to Surajeet Das Gupta and spells out why it is getting into the unchartered area of entertainment — through IPTV and DTH services — where it will face tough and established competitors. Excerpts:
With 12-13 players per circle, how will the market change and how will you retain market share?There’s a lot more growth ahead since, as compared to the current 300 million or so subscribers, the government’s estimate is the market will rise to 500 million by 2010 — we think it will be a tenth or so higher. In any case, our goal is not customer share but is to get more revenue. The new players face the danger of being unviable — with a 30 per cent penetration already, this means the best 30 per cent of customers have been taken. Tariffs are already down to 70 paise a minute, so the new players will start with serious viability issues. I’m told that bankers are hesitant to fund new players. Globally, just three or four players are viable but since our market is bigger, I think five players can survive. I don’t see any of the new players being able to beat even the number five player today.
Won’t new players drop tariffs and grab your customers?I travel and see customers all over India and I think they’re agnostic to tariffs. And I’m talking of customers who want to spend as little as Rs 50 a month on telecom. Whether the tariff falls to 65 paise doesn’t matter so much. The customer knows he’s got a certain amount to spend and wants to be with the leader who brings in new products, who has a good brand, a good distribution network next to his house. Service quality, innovations and new products are the drivers, not tariffs.
Customer service levels, though, are very poor.We are attacking major touch points to improve service - customers want connectivity in the first and second basement, so we have put together a basement strategy; customers want phones to work in elevators, so we are putting an elevator strategy. Our call centres are moving to international BPOs. And we are looking at giving quality assurance to customers as we reach certain standards.
How do you see the 3G market evolving?With equipment and handset costs falling, 3G is an important technology. In this case too, the top 4-5 players will do well and the stand-alone 3G players will find it difficult. 3G will increase our ability to carry voice calls by 40 per cent — and voice is still the killer application. Europe got 3G when the 2G penetration was 100 per cent, ours is just 30 per cent. So the first objective here is to use 3G to do full voice penetration. There will, of course, be an overlay of data services in the top 25 cities to begin with. We think that the top 5 per cent to 10 per cent customers in large metros will adapt 3G in the first couple of years. And internet penetration in rural India will take place through mobile phones and not through either the PC or the laptop.
Why are you getting into non-telecom areas like DTH and IPTV? Is it because your telecom ARPUs are falling?Our studies show that after the three needs of food, clothing and housing have been met, people want telephony and then television. We’re not looking for just customer numbers since, as mobile penetration takes place, the numbers will automatically come to us. We’re looking at wallet-share. If a customer spends Rs 200 on telephony and entertainment, how much can we get? That share will come from a portfolio of products that we will offer him in this space. So I will give him a fixed line and broadband at home, mobility, television through IPTV and DTH, control the three screens and given him a uniform and consistent experience. Of course, there are synergies in the businesses with telecom — we can leverage our brand, our in-depth distribution and also our shared services, which make the business very viable.
Is the falling ARPU a serious concern?We are agnostic to ARPU. What we look at is the cost per minute, the revenue per minute and the margin we make. We are a minute’s factory and even if ARPUs decline it does not worry us as long as we sell more minutes.
Has your rural foray turned out as expected?
Lot of myths have been broken. For instance, we expected that the sale of e-recharge coupons in rural India would be low. But 90 per cent of the recharges in Bihar and UP which have large rural subscribers are through e-recharges. The second myth was that rural India is not brand conscious. But the reality is that the biggest mobile brand in rural India is Airtel and the highest selling mobile phone brand is Nokia. Three, it is almost as easy to get a connection in a village as it is in a city — virtually every village in India has five retail shops selling a connection. You don’t have to go to the mandi to get one.
Fourth, rural customers are as demanding when it comes to customer service. Of course, they don’t want pre-recorded interactive customer services in the manner we offer them in the cities — so we’ve trained the over nine lakh retailers we have in rural areas to answer customer queries.
With 12-13 players per circle, how will the market change and how will you retain market share?There’s a lot more growth ahead since, as compared to the current 300 million or so subscribers, the government’s estimate is the market will rise to 500 million by 2010 — we think it will be a tenth or so higher. In any case, our goal is not customer share but is to get more revenue. The new players face the danger of being unviable — with a 30 per cent penetration already, this means the best 30 per cent of customers have been taken. Tariffs are already down to 70 paise a minute, so the new players will start with serious viability issues. I’m told that bankers are hesitant to fund new players. Globally, just three or four players are viable but since our market is bigger, I think five players can survive. I don’t see any of the new players being able to beat even the number five player today.
Won’t new players drop tariffs and grab your customers?I travel and see customers all over India and I think they’re agnostic to tariffs. And I’m talking of customers who want to spend as little as Rs 50 a month on telecom. Whether the tariff falls to 65 paise doesn’t matter so much. The customer knows he’s got a certain amount to spend and wants to be with the leader who brings in new products, who has a good brand, a good distribution network next to his house. Service quality, innovations and new products are the drivers, not tariffs.
Customer service levels, though, are very poor.We are attacking major touch points to improve service - customers want connectivity in the first and second basement, so we have put together a basement strategy; customers want phones to work in elevators, so we are putting an elevator strategy. Our call centres are moving to international BPOs. And we are looking at giving quality assurance to customers as we reach certain standards.
How do you see the 3G market evolving?With equipment and handset costs falling, 3G is an important technology. In this case too, the top 4-5 players will do well and the stand-alone 3G players will find it difficult. 3G will increase our ability to carry voice calls by 40 per cent — and voice is still the killer application. Europe got 3G when the 2G penetration was 100 per cent, ours is just 30 per cent. So the first objective here is to use 3G to do full voice penetration. There will, of course, be an overlay of data services in the top 25 cities to begin with. We think that the top 5 per cent to 10 per cent customers in large metros will adapt 3G in the first couple of years. And internet penetration in rural India will take place through mobile phones and not through either the PC or the laptop.
Why are you getting into non-telecom areas like DTH and IPTV? Is it because your telecom ARPUs are falling?Our studies show that after the three needs of food, clothing and housing have been met, people want telephony and then television. We’re not looking for just customer numbers since, as mobile penetration takes place, the numbers will automatically come to us. We’re looking at wallet-share. If a customer spends Rs 200 on telephony and entertainment, how much can we get? That share will come from a portfolio of products that we will offer him in this space. So I will give him a fixed line and broadband at home, mobility, television through IPTV and DTH, control the three screens and given him a uniform and consistent experience. Of course, there are synergies in the businesses with telecom — we can leverage our brand, our in-depth distribution and also our shared services, which make the business very viable.
Is the falling ARPU a serious concern?We are agnostic to ARPU. What we look at is the cost per minute, the revenue per minute and the margin we make. We are a minute’s factory and even if ARPUs decline it does not worry us as long as we sell more minutes.
Has your rural foray turned out as expected?
Lot of myths have been broken. For instance, we expected that the sale of e-recharge coupons in rural India would be low. But 90 per cent of the recharges in Bihar and UP which have large rural subscribers are through e-recharges. The second myth was that rural India is not brand conscious. But the reality is that the biggest mobile brand in rural India is Airtel and the highest selling mobile phone brand is Nokia. Three, it is almost as easy to get a connection in a village as it is in a city — virtually every village in India has five retail shops selling a connection. You don’t have to go to the mandi to get one.
Fourth, rural customers are as demanding when it comes to customer service. Of course, they don’t want pre-recorded interactive customer services in the manner we offer them in the cities — so we’ve trained the over nine lakh retailers we have in rural areas to answer customer queries.
India - Double Standards (G.Read)
Jambudwip is a tiny dot in the Bay of Bengal. A few years ago, it hit headlines when wildlife activists dragged fishermen, who used the landmass to dry their fish, to the Supreme Court. A case was filed regarding ‘encroachment’ of this island, partly covered by mangroves. The apex court’s central empowered committee (CEC), which advises it in all forest matters, got into the act. Its report to the court was clear: Fish drying was a non-forest activity, so disallowed under the Forest Conservation Act (1980).
The fishermen appealed. They had to go out into the open sea for days, putting life on hold and everything they had at risk. Jambudwip was a convenient transit camp; they used this nearest landmass, with a natural harbour, only to dry fish. They had no fancy refrigeration; this was the only way they could preserve fish for sale in the mainland. Their practices were sustainable — fishing nets were handcrafted to catch only the adult fish, leaving the small to the sea. They used the sun to dry fish. They took from nature only what they needed.
The fishermen also put forward a plan — use the money we pay for permits to the forest department to plant mangroves; create a sustainable management plan for the island; restrict boat numbers. Sensible solutions. But “No”, said the CEC. The court concurred. In one stroke, the livelihood of over 10,000 people engaged in fishing, drying, transporting and selling fish ended.
Was it a victory for conservation?
Cut now to another ‘forest case’. Same court, same committee. This time, though, the matter concerned a very powerful industrial house — Sterlite Industries, the subsidiary of London-based Vedanta plc — which wanted some 700 hectare of rich, much more bio-diverse and valuable forest for its bauxite mine. This time, the decision was different. Court and committee agreed to a compromise. The company could get the forest, but would have to pay for the value of the forest to be destroyed — Rs 55 crore, paltry when you think of the wildlife and the priceless watershed value of this forest, which feeds two rivers and countless streams of the region. It would also have to pay another Rs 50 crore for a wildlife management plan. And of course, it would only do ‘sustainable’ mining. No questions were asked on how ripping the top of a hill and dumping three tonnes of waste for every tonne of bauxite mined in a high rainfall area could be sustainable.
In this case, the apex court was possibly conscious that it could not hold up ‘development’, and opted for a middle path. So let us move back in time. Same committee, same court. Some years ago, the committee had decided that no non-forest activity would be allowed in any national park or sanctuary, not even removing dead or decaying trees, grasses or drift wood. In the sanctuary of Kumbalgarh, in Rajasthan, this order was a death-knell for camels, which used the area, for three monsoon months, to graze. No appeal worked. Conservation science itself proved grazing benefited the sanctuary in these months. But “No”, said the committee. “No”, said the court.
Back to the present. Same committee. Same court. The matter is of diamond mining in the core area of the Panna national park, where tigers breed. The decision: Mining to continue in the protected reserve; company to pay some 5 per cent of its capital cost and the net present value of the forests it would destroy. Interestingly, no deadline has been given for closure of the mine, which is a non-forest activity in protected core of the park.
These cases are not just about power and powerlessness. They are about our understanding of what works for conservation and what is good for development. It is clear we cannot comprehend why livelihoods of the poor are important. In our view, these are both destructive of the environment and dispensible. So, we value the ‘employment’ (meagre by any standards) modern industry will provide, but dismiss the employment, much larger in numbers, in livelihoods.
We also believe modern industry, which by its very nature is extractive and destructive of resources, can be made sustainable. But we cannot believe the economies of the poor, which do not have such huge footprints to begin with, can be managed for sustainability. It is either our contempt for their practices or for the people, or both. In this way, increasingly, conservation has become a mere money game. If you can pay, you can cut the forest, destroy the wildlife. No forest is so priceless it cannot be cut, or land so inviolate it cannot be had. Not by the poor, because they cannot pay and in any case their use is destructive and valueless. But by the rich.
The fishermen appealed. They had to go out into the open sea for days, putting life on hold and everything they had at risk. Jambudwip was a convenient transit camp; they used this nearest landmass, with a natural harbour, only to dry fish. They had no fancy refrigeration; this was the only way they could preserve fish for sale in the mainland. Their practices were sustainable — fishing nets were handcrafted to catch only the adult fish, leaving the small to the sea. They used the sun to dry fish. They took from nature only what they needed.
The fishermen also put forward a plan — use the money we pay for permits to the forest department to plant mangroves; create a sustainable management plan for the island; restrict boat numbers. Sensible solutions. But “No”, said the CEC. The court concurred. In one stroke, the livelihood of over 10,000 people engaged in fishing, drying, transporting and selling fish ended.
Was it a victory for conservation?
Cut now to another ‘forest case’. Same court, same committee. This time, though, the matter concerned a very powerful industrial house — Sterlite Industries, the subsidiary of London-based Vedanta plc — which wanted some 700 hectare of rich, much more bio-diverse and valuable forest for its bauxite mine. This time, the decision was different. Court and committee agreed to a compromise. The company could get the forest, but would have to pay for the value of the forest to be destroyed — Rs 55 crore, paltry when you think of the wildlife and the priceless watershed value of this forest, which feeds two rivers and countless streams of the region. It would also have to pay another Rs 50 crore for a wildlife management plan. And of course, it would only do ‘sustainable’ mining. No questions were asked on how ripping the top of a hill and dumping three tonnes of waste for every tonne of bauxite mined in a high rainfall area could be sustainable.
In this case, the apex court was possibly conscious that it could not hold up ‘development’, and opted for a middle path. So let us move back in time. Same committee, same court. Some years ago, the committee had decided that no non-forest activity would be allowed in any national park or sanctuary, not even removing dead or decaying trees, grasses or drift wood. In the sanctuary of Kumbalgarh, in Rajasthan, this order was a death-knell for camels, which used the area, for three monsoon months, to graze. No appeal worked. Conservation science itself proved grazing benefited the sanctuary in these months. But “No”, said the committee. “No”, said the court.
Back to the present. Same committee. Same court. The matter is of diamond mining in the core area of the Panna national park, where tigers breed. The decision: Mining to continue in the protected reserve; company to pay some 5 per cent of its capital cost and the net present value of the forests it would destroy. Interestingly, no deadline has been given for closure of the mine, which is a non-forest activity in protected core of the park.
These cases are not just about power and powerlessness. They are about our understanding of what works for conservation and what is good for development. It is clear we cannot comprehend why livelihoods of the poor are important. In our view, these are both destructive of the environment and dispensible. So, we value the ‘employment’ (meagre by any standards) modern industry will provide, but dismiss the employment, much larger in numbers, in livelihoods.
We also believe modern industry, which by its very nature is extractive and destructive of resources, can be made sustainable. But we cannot believe the economies of the poor, which do not have such huge footprints to begin with, can be managed for sustainability. It is either our contempt for their practices or for the people, or both. In this way, increasingly, conservation has become a mere money game. If you can pay, you can cut the forest, destroy the wildlife. No forest is so priceless it cannot be cut, or land so inviolate it cannot be had. Not by the poor, because they cannot pay and in any case their use is destructive and valueless. But by the rich.
Business - Francis Wacziarg;Neemrana
The first thing I ask Francis Wacziarg as we settle in at our table at Baci, a new Italian restaurant in New Delhi’s tony Sundar Nagar, is how he pronounces his surname. Phonetically, it’s “vagzia” — which doesn’t sound French to me, writes Kanika Datta. “No it isn’t, my father was a Polish Jew but his family had emigrated to France several centuries before,” he explains.
That’s only part of the variegated antecedents of a man who, together with his partner Aman Nath, took heritage tourism outside the confines of princely Rajasthan and put it on the all-India map with the Neemrana chain of hotels (or “non-hotels” as the brochure describes them).
Wacziarg’s mother was born in Turkey, her family having emigrated there in 1492 — the year Columbus crossed the Atlantic — from Spain to escape Ferdinand and Isabella’s Catholic fundamentalism.
So no one should be surprised if this Indian citizen was born on board a ship in the Caribbean Sea en route to Cuba where his father sought refuge from Hitler’s eliminationist proclivities towards Jews.
Given that Wacziarg’s birth was accompanied by so much action, I decide we’d better order before we proceed. Having arrived early, I order a glass of wine, choosing Pater Sangiovese, a dry-ish Tuscan red that improved after it was allowed to breathe a while.
Baci, which Wacziarg had chosen, is self-consciously trendy — minimalist brown and cream décor offset by ersatz Andy Warhol-type art and jazz standards playing in the background. We appear to be the only Indian citizens there.
To my dismay, Wacziarg said he didn’t drink alcohol and I had a largish glass to get through (Baci doesn’t stint on portions ). But we briskly choose our meal. As starter we agree on Insalata Mista, a salad that turned out to be lots of lettuce in a slightly aggressive dressing.
For the main course, we hesitate over linguine with bacon and eggs, decide it sounds too much like breakfast and settle for linguine all carbonara for him and fettuccine ai fungi misti (aka pasta and mushrooms) for me.
In Cuba, Wacziarg’s father, a chartered accountant and lawyer, made a living advising the Jewish diamond merchants of Antwerp, also refugees from Nazism. So Wacziarg spent the first four and a half years of his life in pre-Castro Cuba, too young to be influenced by the Leftism emerging in that sybaritic outpost of American capitalism.
But leftism was hard to ignore for any university student in the incendiary sixties, and Wacziarg played his part in opposing French brutality during the Algerian war of independence and in the 1968 student revolt.
It was Leftism that forged the India connection in 1969. Having taken an MBA degree in France, Wacziarg served an internship in Brazil and Mexico. In the latter Wacziarg joined a committee formed to oppose the Vietnam war and study leftist movements around the world. That brought him to Bengal and Kerala where Leftist movements were making their mark.
In Kerala, he remembers accompanying E M S Namboodiripad on his campaigns. “He was a brilliant human being but looking back, I find I don’t agree with him,” Wacziarg muses. In Kolkata, he met several Left leaders but remembered more strongly film makers like Mrinal Sen with whom he struck up friendships. (Later I ask him what he thinks of our current crop of Left leaders. “Not much,” he replies, “they’re confused.”)
Somewhere through this, Wacziarg made the discovery that he was, as he wryly put it, more a “caviar leftist” rather than a committed revolutionary and he parted ways with his comrade at the railway station and stayed on in India another four months. The extension took in a trip to the Aurobindo ashram in Pondicherry which he said he found “too elitist” though he appreciated the philosophy.
If India was, by his own admission, “love at first sight”, it was a stay in a village in Karnataka that made him decide to deepen the affair. “I probably would never have decided to stay in India if I hadn’t met people in the villages,” he recalls. His discovery of India was accomplished in part on third class railway carriages and buses — hardly “caviar” but certainly close enough to the socialist creed he still holds.
Baci’s service is efficient and our meals arrive almost all too soon. My fettucine looks and tastes good and judging from Wacziarg’s appreciative appetite, he’s enjoying his linguine.
Looking for ways to stay in India, Wacziarg approached the French consulate and soon found himself a diplomatic posting as deputy trade commissar in Mumbai (Bombay in those days) where he spent “four very happy years”.
Later, Wacziarg metamorphosed into a consultant, acquiring one client and setting up a garment-buying unit (which he still runs). Now relocated to Delhi, it was in the course of an attempt to make a film on water systems in Rajasthan that he met Aman Nath, with whom he struck up a friendship and business partnership that has endured more than three decades.
Neemrana, which they bought on a whim from the local maharaja in 1986 in a state of grave disrepair, was not the first of their collaborations. “We had no idea it would be a hotel,” Wacziarg recalls. Before that, they collaborated on a coffee table book on the frescos of Shekhavati (1982) and later, one on the art and crafts of Rajasthan.
These books proved handy when Wacziarg decided to apply for Indian citizenship, a process that took several years. Contributions to India’s cultural heritage strengthened chances of citizenship, so the books were duly submitted as annexures to the application. Only, Wacziarg discovered to his amusement, that the annexures kept being “misplaced”. “I had to submit six or seven of these in the course of my application,” he remembers.
Finally, on December 31, 1990, Wacziarg was summoned to swear on the Constitution that he would be a loyal Indian citizen — “so you see, I am more Indian than you are,” he jokes.
For all that, Wacziarg’s avoids, for instance, the deliberate Indianisation that inexplicably makes foreigners phoney to Indians. Though he can speak and read Hindi and Tamil, he doesn’t wear Indian clothes for example. “It’s what my friends say they like about me,” he agrees when I mention this.
So what drew him to India? “I don’t know, maybe it was a feeling that India was going to take off ,” he muses, adding, “Though it turned out I was 25 years too early!”
Neemrana is now a 14-property chain that almost stretches the length of India — from Tranquebar in Tamil Nadu to a property in Patiala in Punjab that is slated to open September. Over the years, it has developed a reputation for chic domestic tourism — 85 per cent of its visitors are Indian. Yet the turnover is just Rs 20 crore or so. That’s because the duo own just four of the properties under the brand, the rest they manage.
Wacziarg explains that they work on a model in which the owners are paid a percentage of the turnover rather than the profit so that they don’t have to wait for a return, since profits typically take three or four years to materialise.
Ever peripatetic the hotels and the garments business are just a few of the things that prove an outlet for his palpably restless energy. Wacziarg’s new enthusiasm is the Neemrana Music Foundation which recently staged an Indianised version of the Bizet’s opera Carmen featuring his daughter who is an opera singer (he also has a son who teaches in UCLA).
As we leave, Wacziarg, who appears to know India’s who’s who, discovers a friend at the next table and stops for a chat (in French). Downstairs, there’s another Frenchman and a further exchange of pleasantries. As we exit, Wacziarg greets the owner of a nearby handicraft shop like an old friend — he lived in Sundar Nagar for some years — and I leave this unflappably amiable citizen of the world exchanging yet more reminiscences.
That’s only part of the variegated antecedents of a man who, together with his partner Aman Nath, took heritage tourism outside the confines of princely Rajasthan and put it on the all-India map with the Neemrana chain of hotels (or “non-hotels” as the brochure describes them).
Wacziarg’s mother was born in Turkey, her family having emigrated there in 1492 — the year Columbus crossed the Atlantic — from Spain to escape Ferdinand and Isabella’s Catholic fundamentalism.
So no one should be surprised if this Indian citizen was born on board a ship in the Caribbean Sea en route to Cuba where his father sought refuge from Hitler’s eliminationist proclivities towards Jews.
Given that Wacziarg’s birth was accompanied by so much action, I decide we’d better order before we proceed. Having arrived early, I order a glass of wine, choosing Pater Sangiovese, a dry-ish Tuscan red that improved after it was allowed to breathe a while.
Baci, which Wacziarg had chosen, is self-consciously trendy — minimalist brown and cream décor offset by ersatz Andy Warhol-type art and jazz standards playing in the background. We appear to be the only Indian citizens there.
To my dismay, Wacziarg said he didn’t drink alcohol and I had a largish glass to get through (Baci doesn’t stint on portions ). But we briskly choose our meal. As starter we agree on Insalata Mista, a salad that turned out to be lots of lettuce in a slightly aggressive dressing.
For the main course, we hesitate over linguine with bacon and eggs, decide it sounds too much like breakfast and settle for linguine all carbonara for him and fettuccine ai fungi misti (aka pasta and mushrooms) for me.
In Cuba, Wacziarg’s father, a chartered accountant and lawyer, made a living advising the Jewish diamond merchants of Antwerp, also refugees from Nazism. So Wacziarg spent the first four and a half years of his life in pre-Castro Cuba, too young to be influenced by the Leftism emerging in that sybaritic outpost of American capitalism.
But leftism was hard to ignore for any university student in the incendiary sixties, and Wacziarg played his part in opposing French brutality during the Algerian war of independence and in the 1968 student revolt.
It was Leftism that forged the India connection in 1969. Having taken an MBA degree in France, Wacziarg served an internship in Brazil and Mexico. In the latter Wacziarg joined a committee formed to oppose the Vietnam war and study leftist movements around the world. That brought him to Bengal and Kerala where Leftist movements were making their mark.
In Kerala, he remembers accompanying E M S Namboodiripad on his campaigns. “He was a brilliant human being but looking back, I find I don’t agree with him,” Wacziarg muses. In Kolkata, he met several Left leaders but remembered more strongly film makers like Mrinal Sen with whom he struck up friendships. (Later I ask him what he thinks of our current crop of Left leaders. “Not much,” he replies, “they’re confused.”)
Somewhere through this, Wacziarg made the discovery that he was, as he wryly put it, more a “caviar leftist” rather than a committed revolutionary and he parted ways with his comrade at the railway station and stayed on in India another four months. The extension took in a trip to the Aurobindo ashram in Pondicherry which he said he found “too elitist” though he appreciated the philosophy.
If India was, by his own admission, “love at first sight”, it was a stay in a village in Karnataka that made him decide to deepen the affair. “I probably would never have decided to stay in India if I hadn’t met people in the villages,” he recalls. His discovery of India was accomplished in part on third class railway carriages and buses — hardly “caviar” but certainly close enough to the socialist creed he still holds.
Baci’s service is efficient and our meals arrive almost all too soon. My fettucine looks and tastes good and judging from Wacziarg’s appreciative appetite, he’s enjoying his linguine.
Looking for ways to stay in India, Wacziarg approached the French consulate and soon found himself a diplomatic posting as deputy trade commissar in Mumbai (Bombay in those days) where he spent “four very happy years”.
Later, Wacziarg metamorphosed into a consultant, acquiring one client and setting up a garment-buying unit (which he still runs). Now relocated to Delhi, it was in the course of an attempt to make a film on water systems in Rajasthan that he met Aman Nath, with whom he struck up a friendship and business partnership that has endured more than three decades.
Neemrana, which they bought on a whim from the local maharaja in 1986 in a state of grave disrepair, was not the first of their collaborations. “We had no idea it would be a hotel,” Wacziarg recalls. Before that, they collaborated on a coffee table book on the frescos of Shekhavati (1982) and later, one on the art and crafts of Rajasthan.
These books proved handy when Wacziarg decided to apply for Indian citizenship, a process that took several years. Contributions to India’s cultural heritage strengthened chances of citizenship, so the books were duly submitted as annexures to the application. Only, Wacziarg discovered to his amusement, that the annexures kept being “misplaced”. “I had to submit six or seven of these in the course of my application,” he remembers.
Finally, on December 31, 1990, Wacziarg was summoned to swear on the Constitution that he would be a loyal Indian citizen — “so you see, I am more Indian than you are,” he jokes.
For all that, Wacziarg’s avoids, for instance, the deliberate Indianisation that inexplicably makes foreigners phoney to Indians. Though he can speak and read Hindi and Tamil, he doesn’t wear Indian clothes for example. “It’s what my friends say they like about me,” he agrees when I mention this.
So what drew him to India? “I don’t know, maybe it was a feeling that India was going to take off ,” he muses, adding, “Though it turned out I was 25 years too early!”
Neemrana is now a 14-property chain that almost stretches the length of India — from Tranquebar in Tamil Nadu to a property in Patiala in Punjab that is slated to open September. Over the years, it has developed a reputation for chic domestic tourism — 85 per cent of its visitors are Indian. Yet the turnover is just Rs 20 crore or so. That’s because the duo own just four of the properties under the brand, the rest they manage.
Wacziarg explains that they work on a model in which the owners are paid a percentage of the turnover rather than the profit so that they don’t have to wait for a return, since profits typically take three or four years to materialise.
Ever peripatetic the hotels and the garments business are just a few of the things that prove an outlet for his palpably restless energy. Wacziarg’s new enthusiasm is the Neemrana Music Foundation which recently staged an Indianised version of the Bizet’s opera Carmen featuring his daughter who is an opera singer (he also has a son who teaches in UCLA).
As we leave, Wacziarg, who appears to know India’s who’s who, discovers a friend at the next table and stops for a chat (in French). Downstairs, there’s another Frenchman and a further exchange of pleasantries. As we exit, Wacziarg greets the owner of a nearby handicraft shop like an old friend — he lived in Sundar Nagar for some years — and I leave this unflappably amiable citizen of the world exchanging yet more reminiscences.
Business - Philip Hoffman;Fine Art Fund
How long does it take to buy a work of art that costs at least $3 million? Only 30 seconds, says trained-to-be-a-CA chief executive of the Fine Art Fund.
Philip Hoffman, chief executive of The Fine Art Fund, loves to quote what a Bloomberg article once said about him. “In September 2004, Philip Hoffman did something unusual: He bought a painting he actually likes…,” the article began, going on to paint a picture of a dry finance professional who bought and sold paintings just as he would stocks and bonds, for whom art was not about “beauty, truth and passion; it’s about making money”. Somewhat disparaging, huh? But as he chats over an espresso in the makeshift cafeteria on the first floor of hall eight at Pragati Maidan, the venue of the first Indian Art Summit, it’s evident that far from taking umbrage, it’s just the kind of image that Hoffman likes the world to have of him, and indeed works hard to project, writes Gargi Gupta.
Hoffman is something of a poster boy for art funds, and for the entire “art as an alternative asset class” discourse, doing annual trade of $120-130 million every year through the five funds he manages. Fine Art Fund I — the first of these that he announced in 2003 to invest in museum quality art — is the longest-running and most successful art fund globally, having announced last year an average annualised returns on assets sold of 44 per cent. No wonder Hoffman’s announcement of a $25 million Indian Fine Art Fund earlier this year was for many some more clenching evidence of Indian art’s having arrived on the global map.
That also explains Hoffman’s presence at the summit and the buzz of excitement that follows his tall, brown-suited figure as he goes around the stalls, jotting down notes in his little notepad. He’s made some investments, not very huge, but which artists and how much he’s not revealing. “I was reviewing some of the works we bought six months ago,” he says, sipping his coffee in a very businesslike fashion. “They’re up 50 per cent and these are only mid-auction estimates. But then it is not unusual in these markets to make 100 per cent, 200 per cent, or even 300 per cent returns. But we are not buying emerging artists at $2,000 or $1,000. It’s a very risky game at that stage.”
The India fund has managed to attract around a hundred investors, mostly “cash-rich European individuals and a few London hedge funders managers”, Hoffman reveals, even though SEBI’s regulatory guidelines on investment in art funds did discourage some Indian banks from investing in the fund.
And what does he think of the Indian artists? “I think some of the art is great. But you know my reputation is that quite often I’ll spend less than 30 seconds looking at a work of art on which we will spend $ 3 million.” The decision to buy or not to buy, Hoffman says, is made by 30 professionals — “who between them have 400 years of expertise”.
As for himself, Hoffman says, he never buys any art for himself. “I trained as a chartered accountant. I was working with KPMG [in their audit practice] when I was recommended as finance director of Christie’s. I was 27,” trotting out the story with practiced ease. “I had no interest in the arts whatsoever.” Nevertheless he stuck on, going on to become deputy managing director of the auction house’s European business and later, managing the old masters’ division. At 33, he was member of Christie’s International Managing Board, the youngest ever. “I’ve seen more Rembrandts and Canalettos than most people in the world,” Hoffman says.
So what makes the art world go round? What is it that determines whether a painting will sell for $1,000 or for $1 million? “It’s simple economics — rarity and some amount of marketing, even if it happened hundreds of years ago. Take Canaletto. He was commissioned by the Queen to paint important British monuments. The queen herself had 20 or so of them and the rich men decided that if the queen had something they wanted it as well, and so on. It’s the same today, you hang a Gupta on the wall and it’s like hanging bank-notes on the wall or putting your bank statement on the table. I’m worth millions, it says.”
Which is also why, Hoffman feels, the art market will not be affected by the vicissitudes of the global economy. “The trading in art only looks to the economy of the super-rich,” he cites the example of Russian billionaire Abramovich spending close to $100 million just this year to pick up a few Freuds and Bacons (at record-breaking prices) to furnish his new house. “The total art market is worth around $30-50 billion, of which only about $15-20 billion is investible. And of this, only 20 individuals account for $2-4 billion worth of art.”
It’s also something, Hoffman feels, that is best left to the super rich. “Our minimum investor typically puts in around a quarter of a million dollars; and our typical investor is usually one who’s put in a million to five million dollars. I don’t advise anyone with modest wealth to invest in art. Unless he’s putting in less than 5 per cent of his money into art, he shouldn’t do it.”
As for India, Hoffman marvels at the what he calls the “entrepreneurial” spirit of Indian consumers of art. “Of all the art markets in the world, this one is the most speculative. India has the most art funds in the world. If there is a market and money to be made, you guys are very fast at it, faster than the rest of the world.” It might be wonderful but it also leads to instability, Hoffman seems to imply, because there are few serious collectors and more of those who “buy now only to sell on the way home”.
The problem is also one of the lack of institutions to widen interest and cultivate tastes in art. “Unlike in New York, where curators have decided that Picasso is important or London where taste-makers have decided Rembrandt and Titian are going to be there until posterity, in India the names are constantly changing. Yes, five to seven names are constantly mentioned but there’s no unanimity,” he says draining the last of the coffee. “Look at the Middle East,” Hoffman says, “where Abu Dhabi is coming up with a cultural centre that’ll cost $30 billion. Imagine how much their curatorial direction will influence the market when that centre is up?” Indeed, more than China or India, Hoffman seems upbeat about the prospects of Middle East art, not the least because unlike the other art markets, “it is still mostly people from the Middle East who are investing in Middle Eastern art”.
But don’t lose heart — “In the long term, India is a one-way horse,” Hoffman predicts. “It has a long way to go.” We’ll hold on to that.
Philip Hoffman, chief executive of The Fine Art Fund, loves to quote what a Bloomberg article once said about him. “In September 2004, Philip Hoffman did something unusual: He bought a painting he actually likes…,” the article began, going on to paint a picture of a dry finance professional who bought and sold paintings just as he would stocks and bonds, for whom art was not about “beauty, truth and passion; it’s about making money”. Somewhat disparaging, huh? But as he chats over an espresso in the makeshift cafeteria on the first floor of hall eight at Pragati Maidan, the venue of the first Indian Art Summit, it’s evident that far from taking umbrage, it’s just the kind of image that Hoffman likes the world to have of him, and indeed works hard to project, writes Gargi Gupta.
Hoffman is something of a poster boy for art funds, and for the entire “art as an alternative asset class” discourse, doing annual trade of $120-130 million every year through the five funds he manages. Fine Art Fund I — the first of these that he announced in 2003 to invest in museum quality art — is the longest-running and most successful art fund globally, having announced last year an average annualised returns on assets sold of 44 per cent. No wonder Hoffman’s announcement of a $25 million Indian Fine Art Fund earlier this year was for many some more clenching evidence of Indian art’s having arrived on the global map.
That also explains Hoffman’s presence at the summit and the buzz of excitement that follows his tall, brown-suited figure as he goes around the stalls, jotting down notes in his little notepad. He’s made some investments, not very huge, but which artists and how much he’s not revealing. “I was reviewing some of the works we bought six months ago,” he says, sipping his coffee in a very businesslike fashion. “They’re up 50 per cent and these are only mid-auction estimates. But then it is not unusual in these markets to make 100 per cent, 200 per cent, or even 300 per cent returns. But we are not buying emerging artists at $2,000 or $1,000. It’s a very risky game at that stage.”
The India fund has managed to attract around a hundred investors, mostly “cash-rich European individuals and a few London hedge funders managers”, Hoffman reveals, even though SEBI’s regulatory guidelines on investment in art funds did discourage some Indian banks from investing in the fund.
And what does he think of the Indian artists? “I think some of the art is great. But you know my reputation is that quite often I’ll spend less than 30 seconds looking at a work of art on which we will spend $ 3 million.” The decision to buy or not to buy, Hoffman says, is made by 30 professionals — “who between them have 400 years of expertise”.
As for himself, Hoffman says, he never buys any art for himself. “I trained as a chartered accountant. I was working with KPMG [in their audit practice] when I was recommended as finance director of Christie’s. I was 27,” trotting out the story with practiced ease. “I had no interest in the arts whatsoever.” Nevertheless he stuck on, going on to become deputy managing director of the auction house’s European business and later, managing the old masters’ division. At 33, he was member of Christie’s International Managing Board, the youngest ever. “I’ve seen more Rembrandts and Canalettos than most people in the world,” Hoffman says.
So what makes the art world go round? What is it that determines whether a painting will sell for $1,000 or for $1 million? “It’s simple economics — rarity and some amount of marketing, even if it happened hundreds of years ago. Take Canaletto. He was commissioned by the Queen to paint important British monuments. The queen herself had 20 or so of them and the rich men decided that if the queen had something they wanted it as well, and so on. It’s the same today, you hang a Gupta on the wall and it’s like hanging bank-notes on the wall or putting your bank statement on the table. I’m worth millions, it says.”
Which is also why, Hoffman feels, the art market will not be affected by the vicissitudes of the global economy. “The trading in art only looks to the economy of the super-rich,” he cites the example of Russian billionaire Abramovich spending close to $100 million just this year to pick up a few Freuds and Bacons (at record-breaking prices) to furnish his new house. “The total art market is worth around $30-50 billion, of which only about $15-20 billion is investible. And of this, only 20 individuals account for $2-4 billion worth of art.”
It’s also something, Hoffman feels, that is best left to the super rich. “Our minimum investor typically puts in around a quarter of a million dollars; and our typical investor is usually one who’s put in a million to five million dollars. I don’t advise anyone with modest wealth to invest in art. Unless he’s putting in less than 5 per cent of his money into art, he shouldn’t do it.”
As for India, Hoffman marvels at the what he calls the “entrepreneurial” spirit of Indian consumers of art. “Of all the art markets in the world, this one is the most speculative. India has the most art funds in the world. If there is a market and money to be made, you guys are very fast at it, faster than the rest of the world.” It might be wonderful but it also leads to instability, Hoffman seems to imply, because there are few serious collectors and more of those who “buy now only to sell on the way home”.
The problem is also one of the lack of institutions to widen interest and cultivate tastes in art. “Unlike in New York, where curators have decided that Picasso is important or London where taste-makers have decided Rembrandt and Titian are going to be there until posterity, in India the names are constantly changing. Yes, five to seven names are constantly mentioned but there’s no unanimity,” he says draining the last of the coffee. “Look at the Middle East,” Hoffman says, “where Abu Dhabi is coming up with a cultural centre that’ll cost $30 billion. Imagine how much their curatorial direction will influence the market when that centre is up?” Indeed, more than China or India, Hoffman seems upbeat about the prospects of Middle East art, not the least because unlike the other art markets, “it is still mostly people from the Middle East who are investing in Middle Eastern art”.
But don’t lose heart — “In the long term, India is a one-way horse,” Hoffman predicts. “It has a long way to go.” We’ll hold on to that.
India - Inner-Party Contradictions
If the country’s Left leaders believed in astrology they would probably be trooping to some of its practitioners right now to do something about their phase of bad luck. First, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee went against the wishes of the CPI(M) leaders and did not step down before the confidence vote last month. Now, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has openly opposed his party’s stance on bandhs. This has caused the party leadership to firmly reiterate its known position and Mr Bhattacharjee is likely to face the music in inner party circles. Clarifications by him cannot be ruled out but the damage to the image of the CPI(M) in particular and the Left in general has already been done. This also piles up the odds against the Left which faces elections in West Bengal next year and has already suffered a setback in the recent Panchayat elections. Inner-party conflict could not have come to the CPI(M) at a more inappropriate time when it faces a severe crisis over Singur because of the militant stance adopted by the main opposition party in the state, the Trinamool Congress.
To be fair to Mr Bhattacharjee, he has always opposed bandhs. He had a memorable face-off with members of the CPI(M)’s trade union front Centre for Indian Trade Unions (Citu) several years ago on a bandh day on Kolkata’s Park Street when he encountered a procession on his way to work. CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury has lost no time reiterating that strikes remain an important tool for political parties. Few will deny trade unions the right to go on strike after following the due process, something granted in the Constitution. Mr Bhattacharjee in his remarks used both the terms “bandh” and “strike” interchangeably but there is little doubt that what he had in mind was bandhs called by the ruling party, which brought life in the state to a standstill. The Kerala High Court had in fact disallowed such state-sponsored bandhs several years ago, a decision upheld by the Supreme Court. Politicians in Kerala, in the same mould as those in West Bengal, have thereafter resorted to hartals, which may not be as total as a bandh but amount to the same thing, disrupting public life. The culture of calling bandhs now afflicts most parties strong enough to enforce them, with West Bengal experiencing four in the last 12 months.
States like West Bengal and Kerala which are economic laggards can ill afford bandhs and what may have provoked Mr Bhattacharjee was the alacrity with which Citu enforced the bandh last week, disallowing even IT employees from going to work and undoing some of the IT buzz which the state has been painstakingly trying to build. This is a setback and may be explained by the new militancy which the Left cadres may have had to adopt after their poor showing in the Panchayat elections. With Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee sure to lose middle class support over her party’s agitation in Singur, which has put in doubt the future of the Tata Motors factory there, Mr Bhattacharjee may well have thought that this was the time to strengthen his middle class appeal by criticising a practice which is so obviously unpopular. What remains to be seen is how he makes peace with the disciplinary norms within his party.
To be fair to Mr Bhattacharjee, he has always opposed bandhs. He had a memorable face-off with members of the CPI(M)’s trade union front Centre for Indian Trade Unions (Citu) several years ago on a bandh day on Kolkata’s Park Street when he encountered a procession on his way to work. CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury has lost no time reiterating that strikes remain an important tool for political parties. Few will deny trade unions the right to go on strike after following the due process, something granted in the Constitution. Mr Bhattacharjee in his remarks used both the terms “bandh” and “strike” interchangeably but there is little doubt that what he had in mind was bandhs called by the ruling party, which brought life in the state to a standstill. The Kerala High Court had in fact disallowed such state-sponsored bandhs several years ago, a decision upheld by the Supreme Court. Politicians in Kerala, in the same mould as those in West Bengal, have thereafter resorted to hartals, which may not be as total as a bandh but amount to the same thing, disrupting public life. The culture of calling bandhs now afflicts most parties strong enough to enforce them, with West Bengal experiencing four in the last 12 months.
States like West Bengal and Kerala which are economic laggards can ill afford bandhs and what may have provoked Mr Bhattacharjee was the alacrity with which Citu enforced the bandh last week, disallowing even IT employees from going to work and undoing some of the IT buzz which the state has been painstakingly trying to build. This is a setback and may be explained by the new militancy which the Left cadres may have had to adopt after their poor showing in the Panchayat elections. With Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee sure to lose middle class support over her party’s agitation in Singur, which has put in doubt the future of the Tata Motors factory there, Mr Bhattacharjee may well have thought that this was the time to strengthen his middle class appeal by criticising a practice which is so obviously unpopular. What remains to be seen is how he makes peace with the disciplinary norms within his party.
Business - Braveheart;Kingfisher ?
The recent oil crisis has left an indelible mark on airlines globally. According to data compiled by IATA, close to 24 airlines globally have either been declared bankrupt or have simply packed up operations since the beginning of the year. Airline losses globally are expected to touch $6.1 billion this year, wiping out last year’s profits of $5.6 billion completely. Passenger traffic growth has fallen to 3.8 per cent, the lowest since 2003.
In India, almost all airlines are pruning down their operations. Jet Airways has just decided to reduce its flights on the Mumbai-Shanghai-San Fransisco route from daily to five times a week, citing poor loads as a reason. Air India — leading the brigade with annual losses expected to cross Rs 3,000 crore — is planning to cut a range of flights. Many domestic carriers have also reduced frequencies and dropped routes.
That’s why I am particularly impressed with Kingfisher Airlines Chairman Vijay Mallya’s decision to go ahead with his plans to launch international operations, defying economic rationale and logic, especially in terms of timing. Sometime next month, Mallya’s Kingfisher will make its maiden flight out of Indian shores from Bangalore to London.
Here is a man willing to pay any price to see his long-cherished dream come true. Mallya’s huge gamble comes at a time when his own Kingfisher airlines is bleeding (apparently it’s chalking up a daily loss of Rs 5 crore) and Air Deccan — the airline he bought in 2007 — is keeping pace. Combined past losses of the two carriers are also impressive. You can only appreciate the true extent of his commitment if you hear what many in the aviation industry believe, which is that Mallya bought Deccan solely to acquire these international flying rights.
If he runs his company aground in the process, many in the industry argue he has little choice. His closest rival, Jet, has already stolen a march in setting an international footprint. This is the only growth market without the present price constraints imposed by domestic competition. A senior civil aviation ministry official argues that if Mallya can fill up the front end of his aircraft substantially, he can actually subsidise the rest of the operation from those revenues. He says that the overseas market may help Mallya “cushion some of the domestic shocks” and that this is “not entirely a losing proposition”. Whether this can be converted into a winning one will depend quite heavily on the choice of routes and competitors’ responses.
But perhaps even more important is the fact that Mallya’s airline has been preparing for this day since the middle of last year and if one prepares for something but doesn’t do it, the price to pay is even heavier. Some of his wide-bodied aircraft (A330s) are already here and can’t be kept idle (while he has managed to defer some deliveries, not all have been delayed or deferred). He’s also hired foreign pilots and crew, burning a neat hole in his pocket. So, while the timing may not be the best, the price of not acting may be higher still.
As Mallya prepares to commit what one senior Jet official described as “suicide” in the current environment, I for one cannot deny that I am quite happy at the prospect. More flights to London, the US and other destinations overseas mean lower fares for passengers. Competition is sure to drive down economy fares at least; Mallya is likely to price his business and first quite stiffly, if newspaper reports are anything to go by. Before the winter schedule, he’s hoping to launch flights to Singapore and Hong Kong (permission is yet to be got). One can safely assume that fares for all other routes will also — at least to start with — be quite competitive.
Not only will fares be competitive, the flights promise to be pretty comfortable. I was in the Kingfisher head office in Mumbai sometime in the second half of last year when Mallya thought he would manage to get a nod to fly abroad by getting the Cabinet to change the ridiculous rule that domestic airlines must fly for five years within India before they take their first step outside. I remember gasping as I listened to their plans for the kind of service they would introduce on board and wondering whether they would permit me to simply live on board one of their flights. The next day, a team of four or five executives was flying off to Belgium to choose the cutlery that would be used on board. As we all listened to the then-secret plan to have a marvellously- stocked stand-up bar and a chef on board, I remember thinking Mallya must have some oil wells hidden somewhere that we all don’t know about. Nothing else could explain the absolutely scant regard for trivial matters like costs.
In short, what I am saying is that we have more than one reason to applaud his audacious high risk-taking appetite. So, every time you look up and see a really large Kingfisher bird in the sky, salute Mallya’s brave, if slightly mad, step in your head and join me in drinking a Kingfisher beer to celebrate.
In India, almost all airlines are pruning down their operations. Jet Airways has just decided to reduce its flights on the Mumbai-Shanghai-San Fransisco route from daily to five times a week, citing poor loads as a reason. Air India — leading the brigade with annual losses expected to cross Rs 3,000 crore — is planning to cut a range of flights. Many domestic carriers have also reduced frequencies and dropped routes.
That’s why I am particularly impressed with Kingfisher Airlines Chairman Vijay Mallya’s decision to go ahead with his plans to launch international operations, defying economic rationale and logic, especially in terms of timing. Sometime next month, Mallya’s Kingfisher will make its maiden flight out of Indian shores from Bangalore to London.
Here is a man willing to pay any price to see his long-cherished dream come true. Mallya’s huge gamble comes at a time when his own Kingfisher airlines is bleeding (apparently it’s chalking up a daily loss of Rs 5 crore) and Air Deccan — the airline he bought in 2007 — is keeping pace. Combined past losses of the two carriers are also impressive. You can only appreciate the true extent of his commitment if you hear what many in the aviation industry believe, which is that Mallya bought Deccan solely to acquire these international flying rights.
If he runs his company aground in the process, many in the industry argue he has little choice. His closest rival, Jet, has already stolen a march in setting an international footprint. This is the only growth market without the present price constraints imposed by domestic competition. A senior civil aviation ministry official argues that if Mallya can fill up the front end of his aircraft substantially, he can actually subsidise the rest of the operation from those revenues. He says that the overseas market may help Mallya “cushion some of the domestic shocks” and that this is “not entirely a losing proposition”. Whether this can be converted into a winning one will depend quite heavily on the choice of routes and competitors’ responses.
But perhaps even more important is the fact that Mallya’s airline has been preparing for this day since the middle of last year and if one prepares for something but doesn’t do it, the price to pay is even heavier. Some of his wide-bodied aircraft (A330s) are already here and can’t be kept idle (while he has managed to defer some deliveries, not all have been delayed or deferred). He’s also hired foreign pilots and crew, burning a neat hole in his pocket. So, while the timing may not be the best, the price of not acting may be higher still.
As Mallya prepares to commit what one senior Jet official described as “suicide” in the current environment, I for one cannot deny that I am quite happy at the prospect. More flights to London, the US and other destinations overseas mean lower fares for passengers. Competition is sure to drive down economy fares at least; Mallya is likely to price his business and first quite stiffly, if newspaper reports are anything to go by. Before the winter schedule, he’s hoping to launch flights to Singapore and Hong Kong (permission is yet to be got). One can safely assume that fares for all other routes will also — at least to start with — be quite competitive.
Not only will fares be competitive, the flights promise to be pretty comfortable. I was in the Kingfisher head office in Mumbai sometime in the second half of last year when Mallya thought he would manage to get a nod to fly abroad by getting the Cabinet to change the ridiculous rule that domestic airlines must fly for five years within India before they take their first step outside. I remember gasping as I listened to their plans for the kind of service they would introduce on board and wondering whether they would permit me to simply live on board one of their flights. The next day, a team of four or five executives was flying off to Belgium to choose the cutlery that would be used on board. As we all listened to the then-secret plan to have a marvellously- stocked stand-up bar and a chef on board, I remember thinking Mallya must have some oil wells hidden somewhere that we all don’t know about. Nothing else could explain the absolutely scant regard for trivial matters like costs.
In short, what I am saying is that we have more than one reason to applaud his audacious high risk-taking appetite. So, every time you look up and see a really large Kingfisher bird in the sky, salute Mallya’s brave, if slightly mad, step in your head and join me in drinking a Kingfisher beer to celebrate.
India - Transforming the skills environment
There is a constant refrain in the Indian IT and BPO sectors that less than 20 per cent of the 300,000 and more engineers who graduate each year are employable in the software industry without huge investment in learning and training inputs. The BPO industry too has been investing heavily in internal training as well as partnerships with colleges to get some modicum of capability in the millions of graduates who come through the education system in our country with degrees but without any core vocational skill to hit the growing running in any firm that employs them. And in recent times, many other sectors like retail, hospitality and healthcare have joined the clamour for a better skilled workforce. Will the great Indian promise and the “demographic dividend” that previous generations have left as their legacy remain as potential success that never gets translated into economic success of the people?
Our educational apparatus has failed to deliver what the industry needs and no number of finishing schools which are now mushrooming all over the country will compensate for a structural malaise in the learning content and processes. For a solution, there is no better process to understand than Germany, where the process engineering approach is now transforming the fortunes of a nation. The country has thought through its needs and introduced a dual system of vocational education, a process that we have much to learn from even as the Indian services industry faces the daunting prospect of preparing 8-10 million skilled services professionals every year, with at least a million of those in IT and BPO. Guided by the Vocational Training Act, 1969, and updates in 2005, the responsibility for creating talent is shared by the firms, the training schools and the young people and administered by the 80 Chambers of Commerce and Industry that have ensured its implementation across all sectors of the German economy.
As in everything to do with Germany, the system permits adequate room for innovation within a prescribed framework that has seen a national decree established for every profession with over 350 training occupations recognised, of which 250 are in the field of industry, trade and services. The content of the educational curriculum, the apprenticeship in the industry and the intermediate and final examinations for each profession have been specified with more than 170,000 professionals working on an honorary basis on the examination boards. With an investment of over ¤27 billion in vocational training with an average cost per trainee of nearly ¤18,000 per year, the country can be justifiably proud of the results it has achieved — and the results are becoming a benchmark for the rest of the world.
Looking at the motivations of a cross-section of participants in the vocational education eco-system, the role of each player becomes apparent. The employers participate in the system with adequate time and some monetary commitment from their side because this participation enables them to build talent within the firm, and they prefer this to a training levy, which would otherwise have been imposed. The training schools have been successful in building high standards and are now aligning with the EQF (European Qualifications Framework) to enable participants and training in all parts of the EU, the students see this stream as a high-reward process that provides them monetary independence at an early age and the government itself is providing its full backing because of the inherent employment and social benefits that have already begun to show results for the German economy.
The IT training streams in vocational education in various German schools have been built on the lines of the yeoman effort done in the early years of private sector participation in IT training in our country, but where they have improvised further is the laddered programs from basic IT operator courses to advanced curriculum that enable specialist professions like application development, systems integration, electronics technicians and IT economists for commercial applications to be developed. With an option of three days at work and two days in class every week or a sandwich program where every week of intensive courses is followed by two weeks’ work in the participating company, the training rigour is maintained and seen as superior to the standard training school process supported by a few projects in the industry, which has been the Indian model of education.
If our efforts at resource creation on a national scale have to succeed, we will need the same intensity of efforts in the Eleventh Five-Year Plan to encourage public-private partnerships that will build resources for the IT and BPO sectors as well as all the other services professions in the country. The moribund state of the ITIs, which are only now being focused on by worthy associations like the CII, should not be the fate of services education and this will require Nasscom and the state governments to develop processes and programs and the private sector to work in concert to address the enormous challenge. There is significant interest in the venture capital and private equity fraternity to fund significant ventures in education, which is encouraging. What is needed are multiple ventures engaged in what Bill Gates calls “Creative Capitalism” — ventures with a clear profit motive which have the funding and the sustenance to develop a model of “Quality with scale” and transform not a few hundred but tens of thousands of lives across the country. The entire eco-system needs to pitch in — the central and state governments, universities and colleges and of course the corporate sector to support entrepreneurs who have the courage to do educational ventures of substance for the benefit of the country!
The author is chairman, Nasscom, and Global CEO of Zensar Technologies
Our educational apparatus has failed to deliver what the industry needs and no number of finishing schools which are now mushrooming all over the country will compensate for a structural malaise in the learning content and processes. For a solution, there is no better process to understand than Germany, where the process engineering approach is now transforming the fortunes of a nation. The country has thought through its needs and introduced a dual system of vocational education, a process that we have much to learn from even as the Indian services industry faces the daunting prospect of preparing 8-10 million skilled services professionals every year, with at least a million of those in IT and BPO. Guided by the Vocational Training Act, 1969, and updates in 2005, the responsibility for creating talent is shared by the firms, the training schools and the young people and administered by the 80 Chambers of Commerce and Industry that have ensured its implementation across all sectors of the German economy.
As in everything to do with Germany, the system permits adequate room for innovation within a prescribed framework that has seen a national decree established for every profession with over 350 training occupations recognised, of which 250 are in the field of industry, trade and services. The content of the educational curriculum, the apprenticeship in the industry and the intermediate and final examinations for each profession have been specified with more than 170,000 professionals working on an honorary basis on the examination boards. With an investment of over ¤27 billion in vocational training with an average cost per trainee of nearly ¤18,000 per year, the country can be justifiably proud of the results it has achieved — and the results are becoming a benchmark for the rest of the world.
Looking at the motivations of a cross-section of participants in the vocational education eco-system, the role of each player becomes apparent. The employers participate in the system with adequate time and some monetary commitment from their side because this participation enables them to build talent within the firm, and they prefer this to a training levy, which would otherwise have been imposed. The training schools have been successful in building high standards and are now aligning with the EQF (European Qualifications Framework) to enable participants and training in all parts of the EU, the students see this stream as a high-reward process that provides them monetary independence at an early age and the government itself is providing its full backing because of the inherent employment and social benefits that have already begun to show results for the German economy.
The IT training streams in vocational education in various German schools have been built on the lines of the yeoman effort done in the early years of private sector participation in IT training in our country, but where they have improvised further is the laddered programs from basic IT operator courses to advanced curriculum that enable specialist professions like application development, systems integration, electronics technicians and IT economists for commercial applications to be developed. With an option of three days at work and two days in class every week or a sandwich program where every week of intensive courses is followed by two weeks’ work in the participating company, the training rigour is maintained and seen as superior to the standard training school process supported by a few projects in the industry, which has been the Indian model of education.
If our efforts at resource creation on a national scale have to succeed, we will need the same intensity of efforts in the Eleventh Five-Year Plan to encourage public-private partnerships that will build resources for the IT and BPO sectors as well as all the other services professions in the country. The moribund state of the ITIs, which are only now being focused on by worthy associations like the CII, should not be the fate of services education and this will require Nasscom and the state governments to develop processes and programs and the private sector to work in concert to address the enormous challenge. There is significant interest in the venture capital and private equity fraternity to fund significant ventures in education, which is encouraging. What is needed are multiple ventures engaged in what Bill Gates calls “Creative Capitalism” — ventures with a clear profit motive which have the funding and the sustenance to develop a model of “Quality with scale” and transform not a few hundred but tens of thousands of lives across the country. The entire eco-system needs to pitch in — the central and state governments, universities and colleges and of course the corporate sector to support entrepreneurs who have the courage to do educational ventures of substance for the benefit of the country!
The author is chairman, Nasscom, and Global CEO of Zensar Technologies
World - Global approach for Inflation
The world’s top central bankers should stop bemoaning their respective financial risks. They should hammer out a joint approach to reducing global inflation, centered on a common public commitment to tighter monetary policies. Moreover, with the European Central Bank and a few emerging market central banks (such as those of Brazil and India) having taken the lead, the spotlight should be on the US Federal Reserve and People’s Bank of China. They must participate in this effort, rather than try to free-ride — which would only delay and increase the cost of their own inevitable tightening.
The view of many central bankers is that there are few if any gains from monetary policy coordination. This view profoundly misreads the present situation. Inflation today is a global phenomenon arising from negative real interest rates and global demand running ahead of supply. This is especially true of commodities, but is also driven by declining potential output growth in the United States and western Europe. Thus, monetary tightening remains urgently needed, despite the recent decline in commodity prices.
Although containing inflation is now a common priority in much of the world, in the United States and China short-term objectives are leading to lax monetary policies, generating negative global spillovers of higher inflation. There is a game of “chicken” being played. Each country is attempting to duck the pain of monetary contraction, hoping that others will bear the burden of adjustment. This is not only unfair, but self-destructive. It weakens their perceived commitments to price stability, while stoking their own inflation.
In contrast, tightening monetary policy in a coordinated fashion would benefit all participating countries and would be aligned with the enlightened self-interest of the United States and China.
First, the extent and duration of interest rate increases that any one nation must undertake would be reduced. With reduced demand abroad there is a spillover that diminishes inflation in other countries: If everyone tightens rates, the marginal pressures on energy prices and demand are reduced for all countries. The United States would have to tighten less if China tightened and allowed its exchange rate to appreciate (and vice versa).
Second, the commitment to price stability would become more credible for all participating. While there are some brave efforts under way to reduce inflation, many central banks will find it difficult to carry through on commitments. A global pact to raise rates together will make it easier for individual central banks to stick to plans despite domestic opposition.
Third, a credible global pact could have a significant impact on market expectations. This would immediately lead to reductions in prices, especially commodity prices. It would also limit dislocations in exchange rates arising from divergent beliefs about countries’ monetary policy paths. Both would ease the inflation-fighting effort.
Fourth, monetary coordination would help offset inflationary pressures from fiscal expansion. Aggressive fiscal expansion is coming in most countries. In developing nations, there is pressure to cushion the social cost of rising food and energy prices; in the United States, the imperatives began with the financial turmoil and will soon encompass healthcare and infrastructure spending. Thus, looser fiscal policy globally will increase the challenge for monetary policy to cut inflation.
Last, an international agreement to tighten would allow China to exit its self-imposed currency predicament. China’s single-minded pursuit of mercantilist objectives produces inflation and overheating at home. US efforts to get China to shed these objectives sound hypocritical when the United States seems to be opting for excess stimulus itself, ignoring spillovers. On the other hand, if the People’s Bank and the Fed tightened in coordination with most central banks, domestic concerns about competitive depreciation would be muted. Moreover, Chinese tightening would facilitate reduced inflation among Asian countries fearful of losing competitiveness vis-Ã -vis China, again contributing to a global reduction.
Grand schemes for macroeconomic policy coordination have a mixed record. At present, however, the world faces a common threat from inflation. A joint public commitment by the world’s monetary policymakers to the common goal of reducing inflation would be powerful, effective, and fair. That is what the world’s central bankers should now strive for.
Adam S Posen is Deputy Director and Arvind Subramanian is Senior Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics, Washington D.C.
The view of many central bankers is that there are few if any gains from monetary policy coordination. This view profoundly misreads the present situation. Inflation today is a global phenomenon arising from negative real interest rates and global demand running ahead of supply. This is especially true of commodities, but is also driven by declining potential output growth in the United States and western Europe. Thus, monetary tightening remains urgently needed, despite the recent decline in commodity prices.
Although containing inflation is now a common priority in much of the world, in the United States and China short-term objectives are leading to lax monetary policies, generating negative global spillovers of higher inflation. There is a game of “chicken” being played. Each country is attempting to duck the pain of monetary contraction, hoping that others will bear the burden of adjustment. This is not only unfair, but self-destructive. It weakens their perceived commitments to price stability, while stoking their own inflation.
In contrast, tightening monetary policy in a coordinated fashion would benefit all participating countries and would be aligned with the enlightened self-interest of the United States and China.
First, the extent and duration of interest rate increases that any one nation must undertake would be reduced. With reduced demand abroad there is a spillover that diminishes inflation in other countries: If everyone tightens rates, the marginal pressures on energy prices and demand are reduced for all countries. The United States would have to tighten less if China tightened and allowed its exchange rate to appreciate (and vice versa).
Second, the commitment to price stability would become more credible for all participating. While there are some brave efforts under way to reduce inflation, many central banks will find it difficult to carry through on commitments. A global pact to raise rates together will make it easier for individual central banks to stick to plans despite domestic opposition.
Third, a credible global pact could have a significant impact on market expectations. This would immediately lead to reductions in prices, especially commodity prices. It would also limit dislocations in exchange rates arising from divergent beliefs about countries’ monetary policy paths. Both would ease the inflation-fighting effort.
Fourth, monetary coordination would help offset inflationary pressures from fiscal expansion. Aggressive fiscal expansion is coming in most countries. In developing nations, there is pressure to cushion the social cost of rising food and energy prices; in the United States, the imperatives began with the financial turmoil and will soon encompass healthcare and infrastructure spending. Thus, looser fiscal policy globally will increase the challenge for monetary policy to cut inflation.
Last, an international agreement to tighten would allow China to exit its self-imposed currency predicament. China’s single-minded pursuit of mercantilist objectives produces inflation and overheating at home. US efforts to get China to shed these objectives sound hypocritical when the United States seems to be opting for excess stimulus itself, ignoring spillovers. On the other hand, if the People’s Bank and the Fed tightened in coordination with most central banks, domestic concerns about competitive depreciation would be muted. Moreover, Chinese tightening would facilitate reduced inflation among Asian countries fearful of losing competitiveness vis-Ã -vis China, again contributing to a global reduction.
Grand schemes for macroeconomic policy coordination have a mixed record. At present, however, the world faces a common threat from inflation. A joint public commitment by the world’s monetary policymakers to the common goal of reducing inflation would be powerful, effective, and fair. That is what the world’s central bankers should now strive for.
Adam S Posen is Deputy Director and Arvind Subramanian is Senior Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics, Washington D.C.
India - Mayawati makes it to Forbes 100 most powerful women
Making her debut in the club of 100 most powerful women in the world, India's Bahujan Samajwadi Party chief Mayawati has joined Congress President Sonia Gandhi in a list compiled by US magazine Forbes.
While Gandhi, also chairperson of the country's ruling UPA alliance, has slipped from her previous year's sixth rank to 21st this year, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has made her debut at 59th.
The list also includes Indra Nooyi, the Indian-origin chief of global soft drink major PepsiCo, at third position, up from fifth last year, and Indian biotechnology firm Biocon's chief Kiran Mazumdar Shaw at 99th.
The list has been topped by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
On Gandhi, the magazine said the Italian-born leader of India's most powerful political party has by now assumed the role of an elder stateswoman. "Although she remains firmly at the head of the country's ruling party, a rising star, known by the single name Mayawati, is challenging Gandhi's position as the country's most powerful woman."
Mayawati-led BSP recently withdrew its outside support to the Gandhi-led ruling combine in the country. The magazine said that Mayawati has aligned herself with the nationalist Hindu BJP party and joined its members in vociferously opposing Gandhi's party's historic agreement with the US on nuclear cooperation.
The magazine described Mayawati as the one "in the running to be prime minister, from her perch as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state". "In 1995, at 39, she was the youngest politician elected to the post and was also the first Dalit... to head a state government," it said.
According to Forbes, its annual ranking of the most powerful women measures "power" as a composite of public profile and financial heft. The economic component considers job title and past career accomplishments, as well as the amount of money the woman controls.
Merkel is followed by Federal Deposit Insurance Corp Chairman Sheila C Bair of the US at the second position.
Others in the top ten include WellPoint CEO Angela Braly, Anglo-American CEO Cynthia Carroll, Kraft Foods chief Irene B Rosenfeld, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Temasek Holdings CEO Ho Ching, Areva CEO Anne Lauvergeon and Xerox Corp CEO Anne Mulcahy.
Gandhi, Mayawati and Shaw are the only three Indians on the list, while Nooyi is the only other person of Indian-origin.
About Nooyi, the third most powerful in the world, the magazine said that she "continues to grow PepsiCo, the $39 billion food and beverage giant, through new product offerings and acquisitions".
Despite her fall from sixth position last year, Gandhi has outranked people like Hillary Clinton (28th), Oprah Winfrey (36th), Melinda Gates (40th), Laura Bush (44th) and Queen Elizabeth II (58th).
While Gandhi, also chairperson of the country's ruling UPA alliance, has slipped from her previous year's sixth rank to 21st this year, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has made her debut at 59th.
The list also includes Indra Nooyi, the Indian-origin chief of global soft drink major PepsiCo, at third position, up from fifth last year, and Indian biotechnology firm Biocon's chief Kiran Mazumdar Shaw at 99th.
The list has been topped by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
On Gandhi, the magazine said the Italian-born leader of India's most powerful political party has by now assumed the role of an elder stateswoman. "Although she remains firmly at the head of the country's ruling party, a rising star, known by the single name Mayawati, is challenging Gandhi's position as the country's most powerful woman."
Mayawati-led BSP recently withdrew its outside support to the Gandhi-led ruling combine in the country. The magazine said that Mayawati has aligned herself with the nationalist Hindu BJP party and joined its members in vociferously opposing Gandhi's party's historic agreement with the US on nuclear cooperation.
The magazine described Mayawati as the one "in the running to be prime minister, from her perch as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state". "In 1995, at 39, she was the youngest politician elected to the post and was also the first Dalit... to head a state government," it said.
According to Forbes, its annual ranking of the most powerful women measures "power" as a composite of public profile and financial heft. The economic component considers job title and past career accomplishments, as well as the amount of money the woman controls.
Merkel is followed by Federal Deposit Insurance Corp Chairman Sheila C Bair of the US at the second position.
Others in the top ten include WellPoint CEO Angela Braly, Anglo-American CEO Cynthia Carroll, Kraft Foods chief Irene B Rosenfeld, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Temasek Holdings CEO Ho Ching, Areva CEO Anne Lauvergeon and Xerox Corp CEO Anne Mulcahy.
Gandhi, Mayawati and Shaw are the only three Indians on the list, while Nooyi is the only other person of Indian-origin.
About Nooyi, the third most powerful in the world, the magazine said that she "continues to grow PepsiCo, the $39 billion food and beverage giant, through new product offerings and acquisitions".
Despite her fall from sixth position last year, Gandhi has outranked people like Hillary Clinton (28th), Oprah Winfrey (36th), Melinda Gates (40th), Laura Bush (44th) and Queen Elizabeth II (58th).
India - Pay Tax through ATMs
The Income Tax Department is planning to allow tax payment through ATMs, set up call centres to deal with queries and automatically update the address for Permanent Account Number by copying it from the tax-return filed.
The department will also set up a Directorate of Taxpayer Services to address taxpayer grievances and educate them on tax matters.
Taxpayers will be able to receive refunds faster after the department implements a technology that will automatically match returns with the taxes paid.
The department is also planning a text message service for disseminating information to taxpayers.
Taxpayers can also look forward to better services when they visit tax offices. To improve its image, the department has started improving the basic infrastructure in its offices and will provide facilities like waiting area, drinking water and hygienic toilets.
Some of the other taxpayer services proposed include additional channel for filing tax returns at facilitation centres and effective recording and tracking of all taxpayer communications.
These measures are part of business process re-engineering project of the department, which Finance Minister P Chidambaram had announced in Budget 2006-07.
Direct tax collections rose by nearly 36 per cent to Rs 3,14,568 crore in 2007-08. The department has fixed a target of Rs 3,95,000 crore for 2008-09.
To augment revenue collection, the department plans to use third party and tax deducted at source (TDS) data to detect those who have not filed their returns.
Among other steps, the department also plans to send pre-filled returns to the taxpayer in cases of clear and apparent mismatch of information given in the return and that available with the department, to be settled by accepting payment of tax plus penal amount.
Similarly, for a limited number of cases falling in a small band below the risk score at which cases are selected for scrutiny, total wealth statement will be called for the record.
The department will also set up a Directorate of Taxpayer Services to address taxpayer grievances and educate them on tax matters.
Taxpayers will be able to receive refunds faster after the department implements a technology that will automatically match returns with the taxes paid.
The department is also planning a text message service for disseminating information to taxpayers.
Taxpayers can also look forward to better services when they visit tax offices. To improve its image, the department has started improving the basic infrastructure in its offices and will provide facilities like waiting area, drinking water and hygienic toilets.
Some of the other taxpayer services proposed include additional channel for filing tax returns at facilitation centres and effective recording and tracking of all taxpayer communications.
These measures are part of business process re-engineering project of the department, which Finance Minister P Chidambaram had announced in Budget 2006-07.
Direct tax collections rose by nearly 36 per cent to Rs 3,14,568 crore in 2007-08. The department has fixed a target of Rs 3,95,000 crore for 2008-09.
To augment revenue collection, the department plans to use third party and tax deducted at source (TDS) data to detect those who have not filed their returns.
Among other steps, the department also plans to send pre-filled returns to the taxpayer in cases of clear and apparent mismatch of information given in the return and that available with the department, to be settled by accepting payment of tax plus penal amount.
Similarly, for a limited number of cases falling in a small band below the risk score at which cases are selected for scrutiny, total wealth statement will be called for the record.
Business - Deccan to be rebranded Kingfisher Red
Low-cost carrier Simplify Deccan will be rebranded Kingfisher Red, a separate brand identity from Vijay Mallya-promoted full-service carrier Kingfisher Airlines.Beginning Friday, the airline will also replace its blue signature colour with red. The airline will also be operating under the flight code IT instead of the current DN, sources said.Vijay Mallya’s Kingfisher merged with Deccan after the liquor baron’s flagship UB Group acquired the low-cost airline Air Deccan in December last year. The legal merger of the two separate brands is expected by the end of this month.Kingfisher Airlines executives declined to comment on the changes. Details of the different brand positioning of the two carriers are expected to be announced in Bangalore in a week.This will be the second rebranding for Simplify Deccan, which was launched in August 2003 with the silk-farmer-turned-aviator and owner of the airline Captain G R Gopinath promoting the concept of low-cost airlines with the tagline “Farmers can fly too”.In December 2007 Mallya rebranded Air Deccan as Simplify Deccan with new livery and logo at an estimated cost of over Rs 50 crore.The rebranding followed an exhaustive market study that showed that although the brand was closely associated with pioneering the low-cost airline business, it was perceived as a carrier that was consistently late and suffered serious service issues.
Business - iPhone gets lukewarm response;India
The much hyped iPhone has so far received a lukewarm response from Indian consumers. According to industry estimates, both Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Essar have not been able to sell more than 1,500 phones in the first week of launching the product.The primary reason for the slow pick- up is the pricing. At a minimum price of Rs 31,000, the iPhone is beyond the reach of most mobile enthusiasts in the country who are now waiting for the operators to reduce the cost. While both Airtel and Vodafone said it was too early to give out the official sales numbers, industry sources indicated that the operators might have sold 50-60 phones per store on an average on the first day, which has since petered down to an average of about 10. Expecting a drop “Whatever the operators could have milked out during the initial burst, normally associated with similar big ticket launches, seems to have been done. The next wave of uptake could come after a price cut because most consumers are probably expecting one going by the experience in other markets where the iPhone was launched,” said a market analyst. In countries like the US and Japan, operators dropped iPhone price by a whopping 50 per cent within a few months of launching it. The price drop, however, infuriated those who paid $599 (Rs 25,000) for the iPhone around its launch. Globally iPhone now costs between $199 (around Rs 8,000) and $299 (Rs 12,000) depending on the model. In some countries, operators are offering the iPhone bundled with a connection for an initial cost of just €1 (Rs 65) and a monthly rental of around €70 (Rs 4,500). In Japan, for example, iPhones are available for a monthly fee of just Rs 1,100. Mr Naveen Mishra, Analyst, Communications Research, IDC India, said, “iPhone’s limited availability through a binding service contract with Vodafone/Airtel and its premium pricing are likely to restrict market penetration in the near term. This could be similar to the experience that RIM faced when it launched Blackberry devices exclusively with Airtel.”
Business - 3G spectrum for CDMA operators to be auctioned
its earlier decision, the Communication and IT Ministry on Thursday said that 3G spectrum for CDMA operators will be auctioned. This is a shift from the earlier announced policy, which stipulated that CDMA operators will be allocated spectrum in the 800 Mhz band to the operator with most number of subscribers in a circle.The 800 Mhz is the most efficient and cost-effective frequency band for 3G services as far as CDMA is concerned. Without an auction, this spectrum would have for certain gone to Reliance Communications since it has the largest number of subscribers in most circles among the CDMA players. However, subscriber-linked allocation policy was objected to by the telecom regulator on the grounds that it would put the new players at a disadvantage as they would have no chance of getting 3G spectrum. Equal chance There are four pan-India CDMA players at present — Reliance Communications, Tata Teleservices, State-owned BSNL and the new entrant Sistema-backed Shyam Telecom. However, there are only two slots available in the 800 Mhz frequency band. Auctioning will allow all the players to get an equal chance to acquire 3G spectrum. It also brings parity in the respective 3G guidelines for GSM and CDMA players as the former also have to take part in an auction. Announcing the decision to change the guidelines for CDMA players, the Communications and IT Minister, Mr A. Raja, said, “Earlier there was not much competition in the CDMA section. There were only two players. Now with another player joining, the competition has emerged there as well. So it will now be auctioned as per TRAI’s recommendations instead of allocation given on the subscriber base.” The move comes as a blow to Reliance Communication which will now have to win the auction to acquire 3G spectrum. It will, however, benefit new players such as Sistema, which can now hope to win spectrum during the auction.Allocation and rollout Mr Raja also said that the auction process for both GSM and CDMA operators will be completed by October, which will enable operators to start rolling out 3G services by end of this year. “The spectrum auction process would be completed by October and I want the operators to roll out their 3G services within this year,” Mr Raja said on the sidelines of an industry event. DoT has already invited bids from agencies which will conduct the online auction. The modalities of the auction process are expected to be firmed up by the end of September. 3G or third generation technology marks a quantum jump in mobile services. 3G services are expected to facilitate higher speeds and data throughputs, which enable the delivery of a wide range of multimedia services, including video telephony, e-commerce and television on mobile devices such as handsets, smart phones and palm tops. 3G allows telecom operators to offer new services such as music video downloads, low-cost voice calls and wireless broadband access to laptops.
Business - Titan to have 200 eye plus stores by 2011
Tata group company Titan Industries is embarking on a major expansion of its eyewear retail business with plans to have 200 showrooms across the country by 2010-11.The company, at present, has 28 exclusive Titan Eye Plus outlets in nine cities and plans to add another 172 stores during the next over two-and-a-half years with a view to emerge as the leader in the estimated Rs 1,500 crore Indian eyewear market. "We have just opened three showrooms in Delhi, taking the total number of showrooms to 28 across nine major cities. Our plan is to set up another 172 showrooms by end of 2010-11 and spread to more than 40 cities," Titan Industries Chief Operating Officer (Eyewear Business) S Ravi Kant told media. He said around 85 per cent of the new showrooms would be of franchise model, while the rest would be company owned. Of the company's 28 existing stores, eight are company owned and the rest 20 franchises. He, however, refused to disclose the investment plans of the company. The company started its retail eyewear business in 2007. Kant said the company is looking for a turnover of around Rs 500 crore by 2010-11. "The Rs 1,500 crore Indian market is witnessing a growth of around 15 per cent annually and we want to emerge as the market leader with at least 25-30 per cent share," he said. Titan Eye Plus is present in major cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Bangalore. "Our plan during the next two-and-a-half years is to spread our presence into Tier II and II cities," Kant said.
Business - Hero Electric to set up 2,000 recharging station
Hero Electric on Thursday said that it would be rapidly expanding the infrastructure for electric vehicles by setting up recharging stations, thereby augmenting the demand for such bikes.Currently the company has 12 charging stations which are operational in the national capital and it plans to expand it to 10,000 charging stations. “We are planning to set up 2000 outlets to facilitate electric bike owners to recharge their vehicle. We hope to expand the number of stations to 10,000 over the next three years,” said the company’s Managing Director, Mr Naveen Munjal.Explaining the business model, he said that the company had trained mechanics of existing garage owners to provide recharging and servicing facility for electric vehicles also. The cost of charging the battery is Rs 5 an hour, allowing the vehicle to cover a distance of approximately 10-20 km. Mr Munjal declined to comment on the investment for setting up the charging station stating that the company was hoping to bring down the cost per unit gradually and after the initial period, there could be joint investment made from the dealers end who would be setting up such stations. The company also intends to set up stations at popular places like parking lots, malls, schools throughout the country to cater to the infrastructure requirement for selling electric vehicles. The company from April-July sold around 18,000 units and plans to sell 65,000 units by the year end. Hero Electric has a total capacity of around 70,000 units to produce its range of electric vehicles like Maxi and the Optima.
Business - Dell's direct-sales brings new profits
Dell Inc, maligned by analysts in the US for relying too long on selling personal computers over the internet, is making headway with that old strategy in what may prove a more important market: India.PC purchases are rising more than three times faster in India than the US, and Dell?s market share there has more than doubled in the past three years, researcher IDC said. That probably helped drive a 7.9% sales gain at Dell last quarter to $15.9 billion, according to the average estimate in a Bloomberg survey. Dell is gaining market share because much of the demand in India comes from corporations, which are increasingly bypassing resellers and buying directly over the phone or the internet and from sales staff. Focussing on developing countries may help Round Rock, Texas-based Dell surmount an economic slump in the US, which has pinched technology budgets. ?Dell?s direct-sales method gives it the inside track with large, sophisticated enterprises,? said Louis Miscioscia, a Boston-based analyst with Cowen & Co. He advises investors to buy the shares and doesn?t own any. Hewlett-Packard Co also is having a strong run in India, boosting market share to 18.4% in the first quarter from 13.1% in the same period in 2005, according to IDC. Dell?s share of Indian PC shipments climbed to 7.6% from 3.1%. Both have won customers from India?s HCL Technologies Ltd. and smaller competitors. Dell, the world?s second-largest PC maker, reports earnings after US markets close on Thursday. Overseas sales probably surpassed revenue at home for the second straight quarter, said Frost & Sullivan Inc analyst Daniel Longfield in San Antonio. Dell doesn?t break out sales in India, saying only that growth there reached 52% in its first quarter. Chief executive officer Michael Dell, in the second year of a plan to revive flagging sales growth, is trying to catch up to bigger rival Hewlett-Packard, which gets two-thirds of revenue outside the US. He flew to India this month when he wanted to show off the biggest upgrade to Dell?s business machines in six years, seeking to tempt customers with models that have longer battery life. On Wednesday, the company announced plans to sell four new PCs aimed at small and medium-sized businesses in China and 20 other emerging markets. Hewlett-Packard sells both directly to customers and through resellers in India, company spokeswoman Emma McCulloch said. Hewlett-Packard doesn?t provide a breakdown of sales through the different channels. Dell shares have climbed 40% since mid-April, compared with a 2.1% increase for Hewlett-Packard, amid optimism that the turnaround is taking hold. ?Dell?s rise from $20 a share to $25 reflected a realisation that Dell was not such a chump of a company,? said Clay Sumner, an analyst with Arlington, Virginia-based Friedman, Billings, Ramsey & Co. It is becoming tougher for short sellers to cover bets on Dell, a sign the share price may rise further. The short interest ratio, or short interest as a percentage of daily volume, rose to 2.82, the highest in two years, ahead of Dell?s report. Short sellers sell borrowed shares, betting they can buy them back at a lower price. Because the stock is rising, short sellers may need to cover their positions soon. Dell, 43, abandoned the direct-sales-only strategy to win over more consumer customers, who have fuelled growth in the US. Analysts including Benjamin Reitzes, then of UBS AG, criticised him for ignoring consumers when they were spending the most. Dell has added more than 13,000 retail locations since May 2006. ?If you want to be the market leader in any electronic device, you have to move beyond direct only and have multiple sales channels,? said Frost?s Longfield. In some emerging markets, where consumers are buying more PCs than they do in India, Dell is pushing retail harder. In China, the company has about 3,500 retail sites, compared with the 40 it will have by the end of the year in India. While Dell has added retail partners and resellers in India, including Tata Group?s Croma stores, the company said it has no plans to shift its focus from the direct strategy that serves it so well in India.
Business - Bharti Airtel plans simultaneous rollout of IPTV,DTH
Bharti Airtel is looking at simultaneous rollout of Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) and direct-to-home (DTH) services following the Cabinet approval on downlinking norms for IPTV last week. Expected to be launched before this year-end, the two services will have differential pricing, with DTH targeted at the mass market and IPTV for broadband (high-speed internet) users.IPTV refers to TV delivered through broadband. While Bharti was ready with the launch plan for IPTV long back, it was awaiting policy clarity on downlinking norms. The government has now given the go-ahead to broadcasters to share their channels with IPTV providers also. Earlier, only cable and DTH players were allowed to do so. “We are now putting our launch (for IPTV) together. Right now, we are examining different options internally. Both the launches could be simultaneous or we could have them in phases. What is certain is that IPTV will be first launched in Delhi while DTH will be rolled out on a much larger scale,” Bharti Airtel president for Telemedia services Atul Bindal told ET. Telemedia is Airtel’s business division that provides broadband and fixedline services to over 2.5 million customers in 95 cities. “Over the next few weeks, we will firm up our plans. IPTV will be an integral part of Airtel’s media business because DTH allows us to go wide and IPTV allows us to go deep in 6-8 top cities,” he said. On the pricing, Mr Bindal said: “IPTV sits on top of broadband. It gives me an opportunity to cross-sell and deepen my relationship with existing customers using local loop or broadband or both. My pricing for IPTV will be triple play (voice, data and video). For DTH, we’ll explore single play, double play as well as triple play and introduce it in around 5,000 towns and villages.” DTH services are currently being offered by TataSky, Dish TV, Sun Direct and Reliance Communications’ Big TV. Asked about profitability, as none of the DTH players is currently making money, Mr Bindal said: “We don’t believe new businesses are a drag, if chosen correctly. We are uniquely positioned to leverage the existing technological knowhow and are exploring ways and means for cross-leveraging our relationship with Airtel customers.” Globally, IPTV is considered a niche segment as broadband access is not uniform. Industry estimates suggest that India will have around a million IPTV users by 2011 and for DTH, the number would be over 23 million. For IPTV, Airtel has partnered with Cisco Systems. In Delhi, networking services provider UTStarcom is working with Airtel with its IPTV solutions.
Business - City traffic woes forcing companies to move jobs out of Chennai
CHENNAI: A day after top officials of IT major Infosys expressed their concern regarding the traffic situation in and around Chennai, its hometown rival Wipro followed suit. Wipro Technologies' chief information officer Laxman K Badiga, interestingly a member of the Tamil Nadu IT Task Force, told reporters that they might expand faster in tier-II locations like Coimbatore if Chennai's infrastructure issues were not sorted out. Wipro Technologies, the global IT services business of Wipro, has around 12,000 employees in Chennai in six locations. Wipro facilities at the Sholinganallur-Elcot Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and Mahindra City SEZ are under various stages of construction and will have a combined capacity of 35,000 seats when complete. But employees at the Elcot SEZ have to contend with traffic bottlenecks during peak hours, especially at the Sholinganallur junction. Wipro vice-president and location head Dr Chandrasekar Dharuman told The Times of India that commuting on the IT Corridor had become difficult during peak hours. Ongoing roadworks in the area contributed to the chaos, he said. Mahindra City, located near Chengalpattu, had its own share of issues, such as insufficient road and railway links as well as traffic jams during rush hour. Most infotech majors including TCS, Wipro, Cognizant and Infosys have rapidly expanded their operations in Chennai over the last few years, adding significant manpower and office space. But now Wipro says it will review its hiring plans in Chennai depending on the traffic and transport situation. The company has 10-12 acres of land in Coimbatore, where it is constructing a 10,000-seat facility. "We may go to Coimbatore instead of hiring to capacity at Mahindra City, if the traffic situation does not improve.
India - Special Trains for Chiru fetch 1.35 Cr
Hyderabad: The South Central Railway (SCR) has earned Rs 1.35 crore from 16 special trains it provided for Chiranjeevi's party launch and public meeting. One Chinna Venkateshwarlu , an industrialist, paid Rs 13 lakh for a train which ferried fans from the Secunderabad railway station to Tirupati. Two trains each were started from Secunderabad , Kakinada, Ongole and one each from Warangal, Karimnagar, Narsaraopet, Narsapur , Ankapally, Samalkot, Rajahmundry, Eluru , Guntur and Nandyal. According to SCR officials, 297 coaches ferried around 1.5 lakh people. It was second such experience for the SCR which ran around 25 special trains for TDP's Mahanadu in Secunderabad in 2004.
India - Singur Kitchen Bill;Rs 2.5 Lakh a day
SINGUR: Mamata Banerjee's marathon dharna in Singur might seem to be a spartan affair - what with the heat and dust and shrill sloganeering - but a lot of fuel has gone into keeping the protest torch burning for five consecutive days. Till Thursday, the makeshift kitchen at the office of Rupnarayanpur Krishi Cooperative Society had ladled out over 90,000 meals in two shifts -in the morning and in the evening. The 50 cooks and helps engaged for the job have been at it since Sunday morning with only a few hours of sleep at night before the next day's challenge of feeding 7,000-10,000 hungry men, women and children. The kitchen is on the ground opposite the Nano factory site. Some 50 metre away is a large tent where food is served to 150-200 persons at a time. Though the meals aren't elaborate (rice, daal and sabzi on days when the head count is around 5,000 and khichdi when the crowd is larger), around Rs 10 lakh has been spent on food since agitation began on Sunday. The day starts early for the cooks and helps. They have to wake up around 4 am. "This is an elaborate affair. It isn't easy to cook for so many people," said Subal Paramanik, a cook from Rishra. Digest this: Subal and his co-workers had prepared 150 kadhais of khichdi till 1 pm. "And we haven't yet finished. I don't how many more kadhais have to be cooked today," he said. Subal is working for one of the three contractors who have been hired for the daily kitchen service. Even the workers and volunteers from Krishi Jami Raksha Committee, who serve the food, don't have an idle moment. "Cooking and serving lunch go on till late in the afternoon. After an hour's break, we have to start all over again for supper," said Suresh Karmakar, while taking a brief rest between long minutes of stirring the pot. Two trolley-vans are constantly moving between the kitchen and the eating place. In the afternoon, when pressure increases and the crowds swell up, the helpers carry the pots. Not everyone can eat in the tent where tables are lined up. There are no chairs though. Tarapada Maity came with his wife Aparna and four-year-old son Arka. "The khichdi was good, but there were no fries or vegetables. To make up for it, we have bought some salted peanuts and are eating it with the khichdi. We were not even expecting this. We may have had to go without food, but Didi is very considerate," said Tarapada. Each of the cooks usually charges Rs 100 a day. They aren't quite sure if they will be paid at the same rate for sweating it out at the protest site. Estimates according to the usual rates show that the current bill has already run up to Rs 25,000. Add to that the cost of the 20 small tents that have been locally sourced and the huge dais that has been erected by Modern Decorators of Kolkata, and the figure easily breaches the Rs 10-lakh mark. Then there are the 50-plus loudspeakers, amplifiers, microphones, lights and fans. Indeed, the protest site has become the vortex of a mini-economy sustaining rickshaw-pullers, truck drivers, ice-cream sellers and a host of other vendors. With nearly 50 transporters and an equal number of vendors in circulation, the business over the five days is pegged around Rs 5 lakh. Most of them are doing three to four times the regular business. Given Banerjee's unwavering stance, transporters and vendors look set to enjoy the stint for a while longer.
World - Corruption charges,Mental Illness haunt Zardari
ISLAMABAD: Asif Ali Zardari, the man poised to become Pakistan's next president, is still known as "Mr 10 Per cent" because of corruption allegations. Now his own lawyers say he may have suffered from mental health problems within the past year. That has left many Pakistanis wondering: Is this the best man for the job? "People have short memories, but not that short," said Rafat Saeed, 42, as he parked his car in the bustling city of Karachi following a week of political turmoil and relentless violence by Islamic militants. "His name is synonymous with corruption!" Friends and family say Zardari, widower of assassinated former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, is fine now and fit to rule. But the questions over his psychological state could continue to haunt him. The United States and other Western nations nervously watched the ruling coalition collapse this week after the two main parties forced Musharraf, a close ally in the war on terrorism, to resign as president rather than face impeachment. Zardari's party is now in a position to dominate the 5-month-old civilian government, especially if the 53-year-old, recently cleared of all graft charges, is elected president by lawmakers in a September 6 vote, as is widely expected. If he wins, he will be one of the most powerful civilian leaders in Pakistan's 61-year history, retaining many of the powers accumulated during Musharraf's nine-year rule, from the right to dissolve Parliament to appointing heads of the armed forces. But he has many demons in his past. With US$60 million in a Swiss bank account, corruption allegations dating to his wife's time in power will not go away any time soon. Then, in recent days, questions emerged about the state of Zardari's mental health. In a corruption case brought against him by the Pakistani government, Zardari's own lawyers told a London court last year that he recently suffered from dementia and other psychological problems, an apparent attempt to delay proceedings.
They claimed it was the result of years spent in Pakistani jails, where Zardari says he was placed in solitary confinement, tortured and living in fear for his life before he was released in 2004. The claims of mental illness were first reported in the Financial Times. Friends, family and party members insist, however, that he's healthy now. "He was under stress, no doubt," said Wajid Hasan, Pakistan's ambassador in Britain and a longtime friend of Zardari's, adding that the diagnosis is now more than a year old. "He was never prescribed drugs, he only received counseling," Hasan said. "I have spent long periods of time with him in the past two years. ... He's been alert. He's been steady." But his political rivals disagree. "A 'patient' shouldn't be allowed to run for president," argued Sadiqul Farooq, spokesman for the party headed by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the junior party in the coalition that walked out this week. Zardari, who earned the nickname "Mr. 10 Per cent" while serving as minister for investment and environment when Bhutto was prime minister, was accused of pocketing commissions on contracts, from Polish tractors to licenses to import gold. He says the allegations were part of a smear campaign to keep Bhutto from returning from self-exile after her government collapsed in 1996. Pakistani investigators accused them at one point of spiriting US$1.5 billion out of the country. Swiss prosecutor Daniel Zappelli said Thursday that some US$60 million that had been in Swiss bank accounts since the 1990s would be unfrozen, following a request by Pakistani authorities. He declined to identify the owner of the funds, citing privacy rules. But Hassan Habib at the Pakistani Embassy in Bern said he believed it belonged to "the late prime minister Bhutto, or her husband, or it was a joint account." Among the skepticism, some in Pakistan are willing to cut Zardari some slack. Imran Ibrahim, a 27-year-old stockbroker, notes that few Pakistani political leaders are squeaky clean, either using their position to line their own pockets or to help enrich family and friends. "No one is free of flaws," Ibrahim said. "I think he's better than many of the others out there. Plus, he was the husband of Benazir Bhutto, who dreamed of a prosperous Pakistan. He'll live out her dream, or at least he'll try." Bhutto was killed in a Dec. 27 attack as she was campaigning for parliamentary elections. Zardari immediately took the reins of her Pakistan People's Party, surprising many as he rallied supporters. A former polo player from a wealthy landowning family, Zardari had shown little interest in politics, but quickly proved it wasn't due to lack of skill. By forming an unlikely alliance with Sharif, a bitter rival, they forced Musharraf from power. The moment the former military ruler was gone, however, rifts in the coalition emerged. Sharif accused Zardari of breaking promises to immediately restore judges ousted by Musharraf or to dramatically scale back the powers of the presidency. Eventually, Sharif quit the coalition, saying his party would prefer to sit in the opposition. Zardari's People's Party has begun forging new partnerships with smaller parties in Parliament, which could make it even more dominant.
Ishtiaq Ahmad, a professor of politics at Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad, said Zardari's widely perceived duplicity toward Sharif reawakened old doubts. "He may be an expert in Darwinian politics, but people perceive a sheer lack of leadership qualities," said Ahmad. The United States, worried about a burgeoning Islamic militancy, especially in the volatile northwest, a rumored hiding place of Osama bin Laden, hopes the country will remain an ally in the war on terror. It saw the Oxford-educated Bhutto, an outspoken critic of Islamic extremists, as a potential ally and last year pushed for her rapprochement with Musharraf. The hope was that they could form a pro-Western alliance and galvanize the campaign against the Taliban and al-Qaida. The negotiations paved the way for her return, including an agreement by Musharraf to order the closing of long-standing corruption cases against the couple, but later fell apart. In March, Pakistani courts acquitted Zardari in the last case still pending against him, involving the import of a German luxury limousine. When the government told judicial authorities in Switzerland and Britain that no crime had been committed, the European courts had little choice but to end their proceedings. Anti-American sentiment runs high in this Muslim country, largely over the US-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and many people worry Zardari is too close to Washington. The 5-month-old civilian government dabbled in peace talks with the militants after taking power, something Musharraf briefly tried as well. But it has increasingly relied on force to try to beat back insurgents. Officials say hundreds have been killed and more than 200,000 people forced to flee their homes in recent weeks.
They claimed it was the result of years spent in Pakistani jails, where Zardari says he was placed in solitary confinement, tortured and living in fear for his life before he was released in 2004. The claims of mental illness were first reported in the Financial Times. Friends, family and party members insist, however, that he's healthy now. "He was under stress, no doubt," said Wajid Hasan, Pakistan's ambassador in Britain and a longtime friend of Zardari's, adding that the diagnosis is now more than a year old. "He was never prescribed drugs, he only received counseling," Hasan said. "I have spent long periods of time with him in the past two years. ... He's been alert. He's been steady." But his political rivals disagree. "A 'patient' shouldn't be allowed to run for president," argued Sadiqul Farooq, spokesman for the party headed by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the junior party in the coalition that walked out this week. Zardari, who earned the nickname "Mr. 10 Per cent" while serving as minister for investment and environment when Bhutto was prime minister, was accused of pocketing commissions on contracts, from Polish tractors to licenses to import gold. He says the allegations were part of a smear campaign to keep Bhutto from returning from self-exile after her government collapsed in 1996. Pakistani investigators accused them at one point of spiriting US$1.5 billion out of the country. Swiss prosecutor Daniel Zappelli said Thursday that some US$60 million that had been in Swiss bank accounts since the 1990s would be unfrozen, following a request by Pakistani authorities. He declined to identify the owner of the funds, citing privacy rules. But Hassan Habib at the Pakistani Embassy in Bern said he believed it belonged to "the late prime minister Bhutto, or her husband, or it was a joint account." Among the skepticism, some in Pakistan are willing to cut Zardari some slack. Imran Ibrahim, a 27-year-old stockbroker, notes that few Pakistani political leaders are squeaky clean, either using their position to line their own pockets or to help enrich family and friends. "No one is free of flaws," Ibrahim said. "I think he's better than many of the others out there. Plus, he was the husband of Benazir Bhutto, who dreamed of a prosperous Pakistan. He'll live out her dream, or at least he'll try." Bhutto was killed in a Dec. 27 attack as she was campaigning for parliamentary elections. Zardari immediately took the reins of her Pakistan People's Party, surprising many as he rallied supporters. A former polo player from a wealthy landowning family, Zardari had shown little interest in politics, but quickly proved it wasn't due to lack of skill. By forming an unlikely alliance with Sharif, a bitter rival, they forced Musharraf from power. The moment the former military ruler was gone, however, rifts in the coalition emerged. Sharif accused Zardari of breaking promises to immediately restore judges ousted by Musharraf or to dramatically scale back the powers of the presidency. Eventually, Sharif quit the coalition, saying his party would prefer to sit in the opposition. Zardari's People's Party has begun forging new partnerships with smaller parties in Parliament, which could make it even more dominant.
Ishtiaq Ahmad, a professor of politics at Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad, said Zardari's widely perceived duplicity toward Sharif reawakened old doubts. "He may be an expert in Darwinian politics, but people perceive a sheer lack of leadership qualities," said Ahmad. The United States, worried about a burgeoning Islamic militancy, especially in the volatile northwest, a rumored hiding place of Osama bin Laden, hopes the country will remain an ally in the war on terror. It saw the Oxford-educated Bhutto, an outspoken critic of Islamic extremists, as a potential ally and last year pushed for her rapprochement with Musharraf. The hope was that they could form a pro-Western alliance and galvanize the campaign against the Taliban and al-Qaida. The negotiations paved the way for her return, including an agreement by Musharraf to order the closing of long-standing corruption cases against the couple, but later fell apart. In March, Pakistani courts acquitted Zardari in the last case still pending against him, involving the import of a German luxury limousine. When the government told judicial authorities in Switzerland and Britain that no crime had been committed, the European courts had little choice but to end their proceedings. Anti-American sentiment runs high in this Muslim country, largely over the US-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and many people worry Zardari is too close to Washington. The 5-month-old civilian government dabbled in peace talks with the militants after taking power, something Musharraf briefly tried as well. But it has increasingly relied on force to try to beat back insurgents. Officials say hundreds have been killed and more than 200,000 people forced to flee their homes in recent weeks.
Fun - Build your own Taj Mahal
Danish toy-maker Lego is launching build-yourself models of the Taj Mahal, consisting of as many as 5,922 pieces, including the monument’s intricate minarets, domes and finials next month.“The Taj Mahal is known all over the globe for its incredible beauty and elegance,” the 74-year-old toy-maker, whose name means ‘play well’ in Danish, said. “Now, you can recreate this modern wonder of the world for yourself! Designed for experienced builders, the Lego Taj Mahal model features advanced building techniques, rare elements and colours, and realistic details of architecture.”Priced at $299.99 (over Rs.12,000), the model is a little over 16 inches tall and more than 20 inches wide. The company is targeting young people above 14 years of age as well as adults for the latest offering.The white marble structure is one of the finest examples of Mughal architecture and figures among the seven new wonders of the world, with more than 100 million votes. A Unesco World Heritage Site, it attracts some four million tourists from within the country and overseas each year.
India - Home& Away ( G.Read)
To be a Kashmiri and a Hindu can be a painful experience these days. To which side of the divide do we belong? The answer is taken for granted and in this fight between ‘us’ and ‘them’, between Hindu and Muslim, I am supposed to articulate the agony of exile, the religious persecution of ‘us’, minorities, and fight for my homeland from which we have been thrown out through ‘violent’ means.
These are questions that are not easy to answer, especially by someone whose father migrated from the Valley in the early 60s to better his economic prospects. I am a migrant like a large number of Kashmiris who had been moving out of the Valley into mainland India for many decades now, as there were not many jobs back home for want of any economic development.
I understand the trauma of those who had to escape from the Valley in the late 80s as a result of a mass movement by the majority (Muslims) against the Indian State. A large number of Hindus are now scattered around the country — although, I must confess, they have been looked after well, have been provided dole and jobs. A lot of states have been generous enough to provide admission to their children on a quota basis in professional training institutes. It is being said that Kashmiri Hindus are the most pampered community-in-exile anywhere in the world. This could be true. But is it compensation enough for those who did not want to leave their homeland?
I have been reading and hearing endless debates that, for the first time now, are confronting the real issue: should Kashmir be allowed to secede from India? Is the Army an ‘occupation force’ that treats the Kashmiris in the Valley as enemies and uses brute force even against the innocent?
I am afraid I will have to agree with my people on the ‘other side of the divide’ when it comes to believing that the Army/police, and even the top echelons of the administration, are unsympathetic — even insensitive — towards them. I say this on the basis of my own experience of the Valley when I went there a couple of years ago after a gap of almost 25 years.
My childhood memories of the place have created a special place in my heart for Muslims, especially for the elderly Ramzan, sitting on whose shoulders, I, for the first time, glimpsed what the outside world looked like. In my memory, Muslims were everywhere — except in the kitchen, where they were not allowed by orthodox Hindus. They were the providers — the milkman, the sabziwala, the meat-seller — they were all Muslims, but were not to be treated as social equals. My cord with Kashmir broke in 1964. After that, I was an occasional visitor to my home during summer holidays. That, too, became impossible after Kashmir became out of bounds for us.
Our abandoned ancestral house in Karan Nagar, like most of the Hindu houses in that area, had been occupied by the Border Security Force. With things having improved, I had a chance to go back with my family in 2004, although we stayed at Gupkar Road, an area fortified by the Army and generally safe and insulated from what goes on in downtown Srinagar.
The visit to my house and Karan Nagar was revealing. One could see the hatred on the faces of the armed CRPF men towards the locals. It was only when they saw a bindi on my wife’s forehead did the armed men relax and ask us what we were doing among these “bhe…”.
It was not possible to enter the barricaded Hindu housing colony that looked more like an Army garrison. Only after much persuasion and several futile visits were we granted ‘permission’ to enter our house. It was in ruins and I had to recreate it from my memory to explain to my daughter where I had once lived and played.
Once outside the barricades, despite his sagging skin and wizened face, I could recognise the milkman sitting in his shop. When I introduced myself, he looked at the gunmen in front of the barricades and said, “Why did you do this to us?” I understood that the chasm was almost unbridgeable. I, the Hindu Kashmiri, represented the State and the gun to him.
On one of the evenings that I spent at the fortified Gupkar Road, I had my fill of Scotch with some senior administrators. None of them was Muslim. In their utterances, it was clear that they, too, had a clear anti-Muslim bias that bordered on hatred. I savoured the delicious Wazwan, prepared for the senior members of the bureaucracy by their Muslim cooks. Unless they were deaf, the cooks must have heard all that was said in the room.
I have not had a chance to go back again. It looks unlikely now, given the turn of events. But these days, I wonder who the ‘real’ culprits are. What is the road ahead? For them, as well as for us.
(Pradeep Magazine is the author of Not Quite Cricket. He left Kashmir in 1964)
These are questions that are not easy to answer, especially by someone whose father migrated from the Valley in the early 60s to better his economic prospects. I am a migrant like a large number of Kashmiris who had been moving out of the Valley into mainland India for many decades now, as there were not many jobs back home for want of any economic development.
I understand the trauma of those who had to escape from the Valley in the late 80s as a result of a mass movement by the majority (Muslims) against the Indian State. A large number of Hindus are now scattered around the country — although, I must confess, they have been looked after well, have been provided dole and jobs. A lot of states have been generous enough to provide admission to their children on a quota basis in professional training institutes. It is being said that Kashmiri Hindus are the most pampered community-in-exile anywhere in the world. This could be true. But is it compensation enough for those who did not want to leave their homeland?
I have been reading and hearing endless debates that, for the first time now, are confronting the real issue: should Kashmir be allowed to secede from India? Is the Army an ‘occupation force’ that treats the Kashmiris in the Valley as enemies and uses brute force even against the innocent?
I am afraid I will have to agree with my people on the ‘other side of the divide’ when it comes to believing that the Army/police, and even the top echelons of the administration, are unsympathetic — even insensitive — towards them. I say this on the basis of my own experience of the Valley when I went there a couple of years ago after a gap of almost 25 years.
My childhood memories of the place have created a special place in my heart for Muslims, especially for the elderly Ramzan, sitting on whose shoulders, I, for the first time, glimpsed what the outside world looked like. In my memory, Muslims were everywhere — except in the kitchen, where they were not allowed by orthodox Hindus. They were the providers — the milkman, the sabziwala, the meat-seller — they were all Muslims, but were not to be treated as social equals. My cord with Kashmir broke in 1964. After that, I was an occasional visitor to my home during summer holidays. That, too, became impossible after Kashmir became out of bounds for us.
Our abandoned ancestral house in Karan Nagar, like most of the Hindu houses in that area, had been occupied by the Border Security Force. With things having improved, I had a chance to go back with my family in 2004, although we stayed at Gupkar Road, an area fortified by the Army and generally safe and insulated from what goes on in downtown Srinagar.
The visit to my house and Karan Nagar was revealing. One could see the hatred on the faces of the armed CRPF men towards the locals. It was only when they saw a bindi on my wife’s forehead did the armed men relax and ask us what we were doing among these “bhe…”.
It was not possible to enter the barricaded Hindu housing colony that looked more like an Army garrison. Only after much persuasion and several futile visits were we granted ‘permission’ to enter our house. It was in ruins and I had to recreate it from my memory to explain to my daughter where I had once lived and played.
Once outside the barricades, despite his sagging skin and wizened face, I could recognise the milkman sitting in his shop. When I introduced myself, he looked at the gunmen in front of the barricades and said, “Why did you do this to us?” I understood that the chasm was almost unbridgeable. I, the Hindu Kashmiri, represented the State and the gun to him.
On one of the evenings that I spent at the fortified Gupkar Road, I had my fill of Scotch with some senior administrators. None of them was Muslim. In their utterances, it was clear that they, too, had a clear anti-Muslim bias that bordered on hatred. I savoured the delicious Wazwan, prepared for the senior members of the bureaucracy by their Muslim cooks. Unless they were deaf, the cooks must have heard all that was said in the room.
I have not had a chance to go back again. It looks unlikely now, given the turn of events. But these days, I wonder who the ‘real’ culprits are. What is the road ahead? For them, as well as for us.
(Pradeep Magazine is the author of Not Quite Cricket. He left Kashmir in 1964)
World - Obama vows to erase Bush-McCain Legacy
Barack Obama launched an assault on Republican presidential rival John McCain on Thursday with a promise to reverse the economic failures of the past eight years and restore America's reputation in the world.
Obama, the first black presidential nominee of a major US party, linked McCain directly to President George W Bush and said their failed Republican policies were responsible for a faltering US economy and a decline in US global standing.
"We are here because we love this country too much to let the next four years look just like the last eight," Obama told a flag-waving crowd of about 75,000 supporters in Denver's open-air football stadium as he accepted the nomination on the last night of the Democratic convention.
"On November 4th, we must stand up and say: 'Eight is enough,'" Obama said.
Obama delivered his biggest speech in a career filled with big speeches on the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech -- a landmark in the US civil rights movement.
The address opens a two-month sprint to the November 4 general election against McCain, who tried to steal a share of the limelight with word that he had chosen his running mate and would appear with the choice on Friday in Ohio.
Out of touch?
Obama said McCain, an Arizona senator, was out of touch with the day-to-day concerns of Americans and had been "anything but independent" on key issues like the economy, health care and education.
"Now, I don't believe that Senator McCain doesn't care what's going on in the lives of Americans. I just think he doesn't know," said Obama, who had been urged by some Democrats to take a tougher line against McCain.
"Senator McCain likes to talk about judgment, but really, what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush was right more than 90 percent of the time?" Obama asked, citing McCain's voting record in the US Senate.
"I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to take a 10 percent chance on change," he said.
The televised acceptance speech by Obama, who was formally nominated on Wednesday, gave the first-term Illinois senator his biggest national audience until he meets McCain in late September in the first of three face-to-face debates.
Amid fireworks and a shower of confetti, Obama was joined onstage afterward by his wife, Michelle, and two daughters, along with running mate Joe Biden and his family.
After the speech, the McCain campaign fought back.
"Tonight, Americans witnessed a misleading speech that was so fundamentally at odds with the meager record of Senator Obama," McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds said in a statement. "The fact remains, Obama is still not ready to be president."
The speech included some of the most direct attacks on McCain by Obama since the general election campaign started. Obama, whose patriotism has been the subject of Internet attacks, said the candidates should be able to disagree without destroying each other's character.
'Country first'
"I've got news for you, John McCain. We all put our country first," Obama said.
Obama, an early opponent of the Iraq war, promised to "end this war in Iraq responsibly" but said he would finish the fight against al Qaeda in Afghanistan and would be willing to use US military power when necessary.
"As commander-in-chief, I will never hesitate to defend this nation, but I will only send our troops into harm's way with a clear mission and a sacred commitment to give them the equipment they need in battle and the care and benefits they deserve when they come home," Obama said.
He chided McCain, a staunch advocate of the Iraq war, for saying he would pursue Osama bin Laden to "the Gates of Hell." Obama said McCain's focus on Iraq had let al Qaeda and bin Laden escape in Afghanistan.
"John McCain likes to say that he'll follow bin Laden to the Gates of Hell -- but he won't even go to the cave where he lives," he said.
"If John McCain wants to follow George Bush with more tough talk and bad strategy, that is his choice -- but it is not the change America needs."
The speech capped a day of celebration and musical performances by singers such as Stevie Wonder and Sheryl Crow under clear skies in the stadium. By the time Obama started, nearly every seat, and the entire football field, was full.
Al Gore
Former Vice President Al Gore, the Nobel Prize and Academy Award winner who lost a disputed election to Bush in 2000, told the crowd things would have been very different if he had won.
"I doubt anyone would argue now that election didn't matter," Gore said, describing Obama as "a clean break from the politics of partisanship and bitter division."
Obama is running even with McCain in most opinion polls, although a Gallup daily tracking poll on Thursday showed him beginning to get an edge from the convention and moving out to a 6-point advantage, up five points.
Obama addressed criticism he had not offered enough specifics along with his sometimes soaring rhetoric, restating an ambitious domestic agenda that includes a tax cut for 95 percent of Americans and an end to dependence on Middle East oil in 10 years.
He said McCain's emphasis on new offshore oil drilling was a stop-gap measure and not a long-term energy solution. He promised to invest $150 billion over the next decade to develop affordable, renewable energy sources.
While Obama's policy proposals were not new, national conventions are often the first time voters pay attention to a presidential race. Opinion polls show many still unfamiliar with Obama and concerned about his readiness for the job.
McCain launched an advertisement on cable television in which he spoke directly to Obama through the camera.
"Too often the achievements of our opponents go unnoticed. So I wanted to stop and say, congratulations," said McCain, who has been scathing in his criticism of Obama.
"How perfect that your nomination would come on this historic day. Tomorrow, we'll be back at it. But tonight, senator, job well done."
The last presidential candidate to accept the nomination in an open-air football stadium was John Kennedy, who spoke to the Democratic convention at the Los Angeles Coliseum before 80,000 supporters in 1960.
Obama, the first black presidential nominee of a major US party, linked McCain directly to President George W Bush and said their failed Republican policies were responsible for a faltering US economy and a decline in US global standing.
"We are here because we love this country too much to let the next four years look just like the last eight," Obama told a flag-waving crowd of about 75,000 supporters in Denver's open-air football stadium as he accepted the nomination on the last night of the Democratic convention.
"On November 4th, we must stand up and say: 'Eight is enough,'" Obama said.
Obama delivered his biggest speech in a career filled with big speeches on the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech -- a landmark in the US civil rights movement.
The address opens a two-month sprint to the November 4 general election against McCain, who tried to steal a share of the limelight with word that he had chosen his running mate and would appear with the choice on Friday in Ohio.
Out of touch?
Obama said McCain, an Arizona senator, was out of touch with the day-to-day concerns of Americans and had been "anything but independent" on key issues like the economy, health care and education.
"Now, I don't believe that Senator McCain doesn't care what's going on in the lives of Americans. I just think he doesn't know," said Obama, who had been urged by some Democrats to take a tougher line against McCain.
"Senator McCain likes to talk about judgment, but really, what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush was right more than 90 percent of the time?" Obama asked, citing McCain's voting record in the US Senate.
"I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to take a 10 percent chance on change," he said.
The televised acceptance speech by Obama, who was formally nominated on Wednesday, gave the first-term Illinois senator his biggest national audience until he meets McCain in late September in the first of three face-to-face debates.
Amid fireworks and a shower of confetti, Obama was joined onstage afterward by his wife, Michelle, and two daughters, along with running mate Joe Biden and his family.
After the speech, the McCain campaign fought back.
"Tonight, Americans witnessed a misleading speech that was so fundamentally at odds with the meager record of Senator Obama," McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds said in a statement. "The fact remains, Obama is still not ready to be president."
The speech included some of the most direct attacks on McCain by Obama since the general election campaign started. Obama, whose patriotism has been the subject of Internet attacks, said the candidates should be able to disagree without destroying each other's character.
'Country first'
"I've got news for you, John McCain. We all put our country first," Obama said.
Obama, an early opponent of the Iraq war, promised to "end this war in Iraq responsibly" but said he would finish the fight against al Qaeda in Afghanistan and would be willing to use US military power when necessary.
"As commander-in-chief, I will never hesitate to defend this nation, but I will only send our troops into harm's way with a clear mission and a sacred commitment to give them the equipment they need in battle and the care and benefits they deserve when they come home," Obama said.
He chided McCain, a staunch advocate of the Iraq war, for saying he would pursue Osama bin Laden to "the Gates of Hell." Obama said McCain's focus on Iraq had let al Qaeda and bin Laden escape in Afghanistan.
"John McCain likes to say that he'll follow bin Laden to the Gates of Hell -- but he won't even go to the cave where he lives," he said.
"If John McCain wants to follow George Bush with more tough talk and bad strategy, that is his choice -- but it is not the change America needs."
The speech capped a day of celebration and musical performances by singers such as Stevie Wonder and Sheryl Crow under clear skies in the stadium. By the time Obama started, nearly every seat, and the entire football field, was full.
Al Gore
Former Vice President Al Gore, the Nobel Prize and Academy Award winner who lost a disputed election to Bush in 2000, told the crowd things would have been very different if he had won.
"I doubt anyone would argue now that election didn't matter," Gore said, describing Obama as "a clean break from the politics of partisanship and bitter division."
Obama is running even with McCain in most opinion polls, although a Gallup daily tracking poll on Thursday showed him beginning to get an edge from the convention and moving out to a 6-point advantage, up five points.
Obama addressed criticism he had not offered enough specifics along with his sometimes soaring rhetoric, restating an ambitious domestic agenda that includes a tax cut for 95 percent of Americans and an end to dependence on Middle East oil in 10 years.
He said McCain's emphasis on new offshore oil drilling was a stop-gap measure and not a long-term energy solution. He promised to invest $150 billion over the next decade to develop affordable, renewable energy sources.
While Obama's policy proposals were not new, national conventions are often the first time voters pay attention to a presidential race. Opinion polls show many still unfamiliar with Obama and concerned about his readiness for the job.
McCain launched an advertisement on cable television in which he spoke directly to Obama through the camera.
"Too often the achievements of our opponents go unnoticed. So I wanted to stop and say, congratulations," said McCain, who has been scathing in his criticism of Obama.
"How perfect that your nomination would come on this historic day. Tomorrow, we'll be back at it. But tonight, senator, job well done."
The last presidential candidate to accept the nomination in an open-air football stadium was John Kennedy, who spoke to the Democratic convention at the Los Angeles Coliseum before 80,000 supporters in 1960.
Sport - Coin rolls over Ivanovic in surprising US open upset
Qualifier Julie Coin scored the biggest upset in US Open women's open era history on Thursday, sending world No 1 and top seed Ana Ivanovic crashing out in the second round.
Coin, who is ranked 188th in the world, was making her Grand Slam debut after successfully coming through the qualifying rounds.
She had tried but failed earlier this year to qualify for the other three Grand Slams -- Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon.
The 25-year-old Coin clinched the victory on her third match point in the one hour, 57 minute match at the main Arthur Ashe Stadium.
"Today I felt nervous at the beginning and then it went away," said Coin, of France. "I don't know how I did it.
"I am not thinking about anything right now. Just enjoying the moment."
Ivanovic looked like the more nervous of the two in the deciding third set. She posted a total of eight double faults and made 37 unforced errors to 26 for Coin.
"This is very disappointing to me but something I have to accept," Ivanovic said. "I never saw her (Coin) play before so I didn't know what to expect.
"She played a lot better than I expected. She served very well."
Ivanovic, of Serbia, converted just one of her eight break-point chances and didn't record an ace.
She managed to survive two match points before going down in one of the biggest upsets in women's tennis history.
"I kept thinking play your game and get your first serve in," Coin said.
Until Coin's win, the previous earliest exit by the top seed at the US Open in the modern era was when Billie Jean King was ousted in the third round of the 1973 tournament.
Earlier this year at Wimbledon, No. 1 ranked Ivanovic lost to 133rd ranked Zheng Jie of China 6-1, 6-4 and in 2005, No. 1 Lindsay Davenport was beaten by 133rd ranked Kim Clijsters in three sets at the WTA Indian Wells tournament in California.
Coin moves through to the next round where she will play French countrywoman Amelie Mauresmo.
"It will be like playing a No. 1 because she used to be No 1," Coin said of Mauresmo.
Coin, who broke Ivanovic's serve five times, double faulted on her first match point. Her second match point came two points later and it took a superb crosscourt forehand right down the line for Ivanovic to stay in the game.
Coin clinched the win when Ivanovic sailed a forehand wide and long on the third match point.
Ivanovic has not had a long reign at number one. Her stay at the top was interrupted for a week earlier this month, but she since regained the top spot in the WTA rankings.
The six-foot-one Ivanovic came into the final Grand Slam of the year complaining about a lack of preparation due to injuries.
But she wasn't making any excuses on Thursday.
"Today I didn't feel it," she said of the thumb. "I'm just happy to be back on track without pain.
"Now all I have to do is put some hard yards on the court and go back out there and work hard."
Sixth seed Dinara Safina advanced to the third round by beating Roberta Vinci of Italy 6-4, 6-3 in a second round match.
It has been a breakthrough season for Safina who has won three of her eight career titles in 2008. She reached the final at the Beijing Olympics but had to settle for silver after losing to Russian compatriot Elena Dementieva.
"I think it still could be better," she said. "There is more room to improve. Hopefully in the next match I can do better."
Serena and Venus Williams rolled over their opponents on Thursday with Serena defeating Elena Vesnina of Russia 6-1, 6-1 and Venus brushing aside 113th ranked Rossana De Los Rios 6-0, 6-3.
Serena needed just 58 minutes to dispatch Vesnina who is ranked 71st in world.
Asked if she would have preferred had a more competitive match, Serena said she likes to get them over quick.
"Not too many long rallies but I am serving well," said the fourth seeded Serena.
The seventh-seeded Venus moves through to the third round where she will play Alona Bondarenko who beat Sabine Lisicki 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 on Thursday.
Serena next faces Japanese veteran Ai Sugiyama.
"She's pretty much relentless," said Serena. "I better be ready. That girl is a tough cookie."
Sugiyama rallied to beat Olga Govortsova of Belarus 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-1.
The Japanese men were also celebrating on Thursday as Kei Nishikori advanced to the third round when Roko Karanusic, of Croatia, retired at the end of the second set with the Japanese teen leading 6-1, 7-5.
Nishikori, who is playing in his first US Open, will face fourth seed David Ferrer, of Spain.
"I tried to go to the net more often, because he was using the slice a lot," Nishikori said. "I tried to make more first serves. He gets more nervous when I make my first serve."
Coin, who is ranked 188th in the world, was making her Grand Slam debut after successfully coming through the qualifying rounds.
She had tried but failed earlier this year to qualify for the other three Grand Slams -- Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon.
The 25-year-old Coin clinched the victory on her third match point in the one hour, 57 minute match at the main Arthur Ashe Stadium.
"Today I felt nervous at the beginning and then it went away," said Coin, of France. "I don't know how I did it.
"I am not thinking about anything right now. Just enjoying the moment."
Ivanovic looked like the more nervous of the two in the deciding third set. She posted a total of eight double faults and made 37 unforced errors to 26 for Coin.
"This is very disappointing to me but something I have to accept," Ivanovic said. "I never saw her (Coin) play before so I didn't know what to expect.
"She played a lot better than I expected. She served very well."
Ivanovic, of Serbia, converted just one of her eight break-point chances and didn't record an ace.
She managed to survive two match points before going down in one of the biggest upsets in women's tennis history.
"I kept thinking play your game and get your first serve in," Coin said.
Until Coin's win, the previous earliest exit by the top seed at the US Open in the modern era was when Billie Jean King was ousted in the third round of the 1973 tournament.
Earlier this year at Wimbledon, No. 1 ranked Ivanovic lost to 133rd ranked Zheng Jie of China 6-1, 6-4 and in 2005, No. 1 Lindsay Davenport was beaten by 133rd ranked Kim Clijsters in three sets at the WTA Indian Wells tournament in California.
Coin moves through to the next round where she will play French countrywoman Amelie Mauresmo.
"It will be like playing a No. 1 because she used to be No 1," Coin said of Mauresmo.
Coin, who broke Ivanovic's serve five times, double faulted on her first match point. Her second match point came two points later and it took a superb crosscourt forehand right down the line for Ivanovic to stay in the game.
Coin clinched the win when Ivanovic sailed a forehand wide and long on the third match point.
Ivanovic has not had a long reign at number one. Her stay at the top was interrupted for a week earlier this month, but she since regained the top spot in the WTA rankings.
The six-foot-one Ivanovic came into the final Grand Slam of the year complaining about a lack of preparation due to injuries.
But she wasn't making any excuses on Thursday.
"Today I didn't feel it," she said of the thumb. "I'm just happy to be back on track without pain.
"Now all I have to do is put some hard yards on the court and go back out there and work hard."
Sixth seed Dinara Safina advanced to the third round by beating Roberta Vinci of Italy 6-4, 6-3 in a second round match.
It has been a breakthrough season for Safina who has won three of her eight career titles in 2008. She reached the final at the Beijing Olympics but had to settle for silver after losing to Russian compatriot Elena Dementieva.
"I think it still could be better," she said. "There is more room to improve. Hopefully in the next match I can do better."
Serena and Venus Williams rolled over their opponents on Thursday with Serena defeating Elena Vesnina of Russia 6-1, 6-1 and Venus brushing aside 113th ranked Rossana De Los Rios 6-0, 6-3.
Serena needed just 58 minutes to dispatch Vesnina who is ranked 71st in world.
Asked if she would have preferred had a more competitive match, Serena said she likes to get them over quick.
"Not too many long rallies but I am serving well," said the fourth seeded Serena.
The seventh-seeded Venus moves through to the third round where she will play Alona Bondarenko who beat Sabine Lisicki 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 on Thursday.
Serena next faces Japanese veteran Ai Sugiyama.
"She's pretty much relentless," said Serena. "I better be ready. That girl is a tough cookie."
Sugiyama rallied to beat Olga Govortsova of Belarus 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-1.
The Japanese men were also celebrating on Thursday as Kei Nishikori advanced to the third round when Roko Karanusic, of Croatia, retired at the end of the second set with the Japanese teen leading 6-1, 7-5.
Nishikori, who is playing in his first US Open, will face fourth seed David Ferrer, of Spain.
"I tried to go to the net more often, because he was using the slice a lot," Nishikori said. "I tried to make more first serves. He gets more nervous when I make my first serve."
Lifestyle - UK Schoolgirls go under the knife to avoid bullying
LONDON: An increasing number of bullied schoolgirls in Britain are asking for boob jobs to make themselves less prone to bullying. The girls claim that they need treatment to stop being targeted with playground taunts. Anti-bullying charities condemned the move and said that they were horrified that youngsters were taking such drastic action. "Children are very cruel and there's a lot of stigma attached to appearance," The Daily Star quoted Douglas McGeorge, president of the British Association of Aesthetic and Plastic Surgery as saying. Even parents are allowing their daughters to go under the knife, in an attempt to end their bullying. A family of a 14-year-old girl from Essex let her have a nose job after she was targeted over her appearance at three schools. The average cost of the operation was £3,500. McGeorge, a private surgeon, said her parents rang him after other attempts to end her bullying failed. He revealed having also given teens expandable breast implants.
World - Shopping in ASEAN gets cheaper
Indians will pay less and face fewer hurdles to buy products manufactured by their East Asian neighbors and vice versa, in a few years from now.
India and the 10-country Association of South East Asian Nations on Thursday concluded talks on a free trade pact that would create a common market of 1.7 billion consumers, cutting across some of the world’s fastest growing economies. A bit like the European Union.
The agreement, which would be formalised at the India-Asean summit in Bangkok slated for December, would allow seamless and duty-free movement of goods across territories. It will come into force from January next year.
Both sides will eliminate import duties on a whole host of manufactured products by December 31, 2012. This is India’s fourth FTA, after Sri Lanka, Thailand and Singapore
Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath described the agreement, as a “key regional milestone.”
The pact comes at a time when social and cultural exchanges between India and its East Asian neighbors are leapfrogging — from beaches of Pattaya in Thailand to Malaysia’s Genting Island or the shopping streets of Singapore, more Indians are vacationing in this region than anywhere else.
On the trade front, both India and Asean have emerged as key markets for each other. Bilateral trade that totalled $ 38 billion last year is projected to touch $ 50 billion by 2010. The free trade pact could accelerate it.
“Countries of East Asia are important drivers of growth with large consumption to drive global economies,” Nath said.
Asean comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam.
India and the 10-country Association of South East Asian Nations on Thursday concluded talks on a free trade pact that would create a common market of 1.7 billion consumers, cutting across some of the world’s fastest growing economies. A bit like the European Union.
The agreement, which would be formalised at the India-Asean summit in Bangkok slated for December, would allow seamless and duty-free movement of goods across territories. It will come into force from January next year.
Both sides will eliminate import duties on a whole host of manufactured products by December 31, 2012. This is India’s fourth FTA, after Sri Lanka, Thailand and Singapore
Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath described the agreement, as a “key regional milestone.”
The pact comes at a time when social and cultural exchanges between India and its East Asian neighbors are leapfrogging — from beaches of Pattaya in Thailand to Malaysia’s Genting Island or the shopping streets of Singapore, more Indians are vacationing in this region than anywhere else.
On the trade front, both India and Asean have emerged as key markets for each other. Bilateral trade that totalled $ 38 billion last year is projected to touch $ 50 billion by 2010. The free trade pact could accelerate it.
“Countries of East Asia are important drivers of growth with large consumption to drive global economies,” Nath said.
Asean comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam.