Stating that 90 per cent of the people in India are at a poor intellectual level, Justice (retd.) Markandey Katju, Chairman of the Press Council of India, emphasised at an interactive session organised by Public Relations Society of India, Kolkata chapter the role of the media in giving leadership to society in the realm of ideas. “But how can the media give leadership to the people in the realm of ideas unless it is itself of a high intellectual level,” he asked, advising journalists to carefully study the social sciences, history and literature.

“The media is not justified in giving 90 per cent of its coverage to entertainment leaving only 10 per cent to real issues which are basically socio-economic in nature. Doubtless, the media should provide some entertainment. But the thrust of its coverage should be in public interest. You have lost your sense of proportion,” he said, referring to journalists, at a lecture on ‘The Role of Media in India,' organised by the Calcutta Chapter of the Public Relations Society of India. He said that the argument that the media was also a business and must give the people what they wanted “is degrading the media. The media is not an ordinary business that deals with commodities, it deals with ideas.”

“The intellectual level of most of our people is very low. Is the media going to go down to that level and perpetuate it or should it seek to uplift it,” he said. Although he said that 90 per cent of the people in the country were at a poor intellectual level, going by the comments he had seen on the Internet and networking sites like twitter, 90 per cent of the people supported his views on the media. On paid news, he said that there had been pressure to suppress the 71-page report on the phenomenon prepared by the two-member committee of the Press Council comprising Paranjoy Guha Thakurta and K. Sreenivas Reddy. Justice Katju had passed an order within an hour of taking over as Chairman of the council to publish the report on the official website.

Transition phase

He said that India was passing through a transitional period of her history from a feudal agricultural society to a modern industrial one — a painful and agonising period in history. “In this transitional period, ideas become very important. You have to promote rational ideas, scientific ideas, and modern ideas, in order to help society get over this transitional period faster and with minimum pain,” he said ruing the fact that a large section of the media was promoting regressive ideas like astrology. He pointed to Europe, which underwent its own transition from the 17th to 19th century, and the role of great writers like Voltaire, Rousseau, Thomas Paine and Junius in this period. On the other hand, a large section of the Indian media was actually acting in “an anti-people manner” by diverting attention from real issues, creating rifts in a diverse country like India and promoting superstition.
 Source Hindu:

Media must provide leadership to society

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Reliance, Tatas among 150 in race for solar photovoltaic projects






Over 150 companies have evinced interest in developing large solar photovoltaic projects of up to 20 MW. These include Reliance (Anil Ambani Group), Lanco, Moser Baer and the Tatas.

Also in the race are public sector companies GAIL (India) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd.Official sources told Business Line that the request for selection (RFS) were received for 218 solar PV projects for over 2,500 MW capacity, much higher than the capacity offered – 350 MW. The RFS were invited by the Government as part of the second batch of Phase-1 of the National Solar Mission. The last date for submission was October 3.NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam (NVVN), the trading arm of NTPC, has been designated as the nodal agency for sale and purchase of grid-connected solar power under Phase-1 of the Mission. NVVN expects to call for discount bids from the shortlisted entities by November.

What made this phase attractive was that besides the incentives being offered by the Government, the Ministry for New and Renewable Energy revised the guidelines for new grid-connected solar PV projects and increased the per unit capacity into multiples of 5 MW with the maximum of 20 MW for FY 2011-12. In the earlier round, where projects with a cumulative capacity of 150 MW were approved, the maximum capacity stood at 5 MW for each unit. Further, for the second batch of the Mission, the Government has increased the timeline to achieve financial closure by a month to seven months or 210 days for the bidders from the time of signing the power purchase agreements.

Also, the total capacity of such projects to be allocated to a company, including its parent, affiliate or ultimate parent or any Group company shall be limited to 50 MW. They can submit applications for a maximum of three projects at different locations, subject to a maximum aggregate capacity of 50 MW. The net worth of the company should be equal to or greater than the value calculated at the rate of Rs 3 crore of the project capacity up to 20 MW. For every MW additional capacity, beyond 20 MW, additional net worth of Rs 2 crore would need to be demonstrated. The Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission envisages the implementation of the solar programme including utility grid solar power in three phases – first phase up to 2013 (1,100 MW), second phase up to 2017 (4,000 MW), and third phase up to 2022 (20,000 MW).








…..Richa Mishra …from the pages of HINDU BUSINESS LINE newspaper

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The emerging innovation capital of Russia


AP Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev speaks at a technological modernisation meeting at Skolkovo innovation centre outside Moscow. File photo

Tomsk in Siberia is all set to spearhead the country's technological revolution.

Tomsk, an ancient Russian city tucked away amid endless Siberian forests and swamps, would seem an unlikely place to spearhead Russia's technological revolution. Yet, it is from here that science and technology is staging an impressive comeback. In the coming years, Tomsk, known for its hydrocarbons and iron ore resources, may emerge as the innovation capital of Russia.

Russian leaders have announced the goal of transforming the resource-dependent economy into a knowledge-based economy. While today oil, gas and minerals account for 80 per cent of Russia's export earnings, by 2020 the share of innovative industry is set to grow from five per cent to 30 per cent. The government funnelled $25 billion into Research and Development in 2010 and plans to more than double the funding over the next 10 years. President Dmitry Medvedev, who made innovation a focus of his tenure, last year signed a plan to build a futuristic high-technology research hub on a thousand acres of wasteland in Skolkovo outside Moscow. Even as the construction of the multi-billion Russian version of the Silicon Valley gathers momentum, a high-tech economy is up and going 3,000 km away in Tomsk.

Enormous potential

What makes Tomsk special is its enormous scientific potential. It is home to Siberia's oldest university, set up in 1888. Today, the city boasts of 25 academic and research institutes, six universities and 16 other schools of higher education. The city of 500,000 residents has nearly 100,000 students, drawn from all over Siberia and other Russian regions, as well as from 14 foreign countries.Russia has been traditionally strong in academic research but weak in applications, with the notable exception of defence technologies. After the breakup of the Soviet Union, the situation worsened as the economy nosedived in the course of a painful transition to free market. Over the past decade, the Russian economy has bounced back, growing 10-fold to a $2 trillion GDP. But it remains heavily reliant on commodities. However, the picture is beginning to change.

Tomsk was the first among Russian regions to adopt a strategy of innovative development. In recent years, the local government has built a ramified network of business incubators, venture funds and technology transfer centres to facilitate the commercialisation of a vast treasure trove of academic research. The high point of this effort was the establishment of a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) that offers considerable tax breaks, exemption from customs duties and other benefits to companies specialising in nanotechnologies, IT, electronics, biotechnology and medicine. A nuclear cluster will be added to the Tomsk SEZ next year, when the previously secret military nuclear facility, Seversk, will be converted into a civilian research centre. The Tomsk tech-town is still in its early stages but its 57 tenants have already come up with some amazing world class innovative products.

Elecard, a top world manufacturer of video codecs, whose customers include Microsoft and Sony, has developed, jointly with another Tomsk company, Triaxes — a technology to convert 2D films into 3D format and to shoot glasses-free 3D content with stereoscopic cameras used today for filming movies which are seen with glasses on.The Tomsk-based firm, Mikran, has teamed up with Nokia Siemens to produce LTE base stations for Russia's first 4G network. The company supplies electronic equipment to Indian telecom and defence sectors, and manufactures critical transmit/receive modules for phased array radars deployed on Russia's latest MiG-35 fighter planes.

A new gearing technology developed by the CJSC “Technology Market” allows for the construction of smaller size gearboxes with higher load capacity, longer life and greater efficiency than any existing gearings.Some high-tech products of the Tomsk SEZ have special relevance for India. A revolutionary nano-filter, AquaVallis, purifies 100 per cent biologically polluted water and does not require any further disinfection. It features higher flow rate, longer cartridge life and lower cost per unit of filtered water, and is ideal for countries like India. The filter was displayed at a Russian national exhibition in New Delhi in 2008 but no Indian firm showed any interest in the product.A wound nano-dressing developed by Tomsk scientists not only heals all kinds of burns and inflammations much faster than traditional bandages but is also effective in fighting hospital infection and drug-resistant bacteria — the curse of modern medicine.

A replica

Tomsk offers a glimpse of what Russia may look like in 10 or 20 years. Its economy, traditionally shaped by hydrocarbons, timber and defence industries, is a scaled replica of the Russian economy. The commodity sector still dominates but the region's 400 innovation driven enterprises contribute 20 per cent to the gross regional product. Tomsk plans to double the share in the next few years.A number of foreign companies have set up shop in Tomsk to tap its rich natural and intellectual resources. India is represented by ONGC Videsh Ltd which in 2009 acquired Imperial Energy, an oil company that has production assets in the Tomsk region. However, daunted by harsh climate and challenging terrain conditions, the company has considered pulling out. Tomsk Governor Viktor Kress, a strong advocate of closer business ties with India, tried hard to make OVL stay.

“I am aware that the OVL has opened talks with [Russian oil company] Bashneft for selling the Imperial Energy, but we would like them to carry on. I'm sure they will overcome their problems and expand operations in our region; we can offer them more oil blocks,” Mr. Kress told The Hindu during a recent press tour of Tomsk by Moscow-based foreign media. He expressed the hope that more Indian companies would come to Tomsk.“We would like to cooperate with India in not only hydrocarbons. We invite Indian businessmen to join our SEZ. We have developed a range of technologies that Indian companies may find very useful.”

Foreign business is indeed discovering the taste of the new Tomsk economy. Japanese, Singaporean, Taiwanese, Australian and European companies have settled in the SEZ but Indian companies are conspicuously absent from the region's high tech sector. Tomsk's trade with India stands at just over $1 million, which is 0.1 per cent of the region's foreign commerce.

India's low visibility in Tomsk is in stark contrast with the high-profile presence of China focussed on the rich pool of local talent. There are about 1,500 Chinese students enrolled at Tomsk universities, mostly in engineering faculties. The Confucius Institute has been operating at the Tomsk State University since 2008, offering Chinese language training to Russian students and running several language classes for schoolchildren. A number of leading Chinese universities have cooperation agreements with Tomsk universities that provide for regular exchange programmes and joint research. The prestigious Tomsk Polytechnic University has been invited to open a branch in the Liaoning Province of northeastern China. Tomsk has similar partnership arrangements with the Japanese, German, French, Australian and other foreign universities. Again, there are no Indian varsities among Tomsk partners. Some time ago, Tomsk signed a cooperation memorandum with Mumbai, but it is still too early to say whether it will make any difference.

Local India fans make their best to compensate for the lack of interest on the part of Indian government and business. There are half-a-dozen Indian dance groups which offer classes in classical and Bollywood styles to enthusiasts, give concerts and make the Indian presence felt at various cultural events. Moreover, Tomsk dancers have extended their reach far beyond their region to cater to the growing interest of Russians in India and its culture. One of the best known groups, Satvika, has set up a “Bharatanatyam school in Siberia” offering week-long intensive courses to groups and individuals prepared to travel hundreds of kilometres to Tomsk to get initiated in the ancient art of Indian dance.

Right time for India

It is rather unfortunate that Russian cities like Tomsk are low on India's radar screen. This probably betrays a widespread but outdated view of Russia as being little more than a source of energy and commodities for India's booming economy. It was a misconception 10 years ago, and is even more so today. In the 1990s, Indian business missed a chance to gain a foothold in the Russian up-and-coming manufacturing industries such as automobile, food and tobacco. Today, it has an opportunity to catch up by joining Russia's innovation push. Now is the right time to enter the burgeoning market of Russian high-tech. On the one hand, the Russian government is pouring money into cutting edge technologies while, on the other, Russian business is yet to develop an appetite for innovation, with just 10 per cent of companies investing in innovation.“We are inviting Indian business to come and set up joint R&D centres with Tomsk companies in IT, nanotechnologies, biotechnologies and other priority areas for both our countries,” says Governor Kress.

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/article2546622.ece

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I see morning walkers on the early morning street walking or running on the left side of the street. In this case you can not see the vehicle coming behind you and this can lead to accidents. I have witnessed many such cases where old people got pushed or hit by vehicles running behind them.
 I always walk on the right of the road. Being a pedestrian I do not occupy much of the road space thus do not cause any problem for motorists. The point is when I walk on the right side I can see vehicles coming in front of me and thus can take precautionery measures in case a vehicle comes to close to me.


 Dont you think that this is a great way to avoid accidents during your morning walks?

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DA likely to be raised by 7%


Ashish Sinha…Posted: Thursday, Sep 15, 2011 at 0131 hrs IST….



New Delhi: The Cabinet may on Thursday raise dearness allowance (DA) for central government employees and dearness relief (DR) for pensioners by 7 percentage points to 58% of the basic pay/pension. The last hike in DA was in March when the government increased it by 6 percentage points. The Cabinet is expected to take a decision in this regard on Thursday, sources said. The Cabinet is also expected to clear a proposal for giving productivity linked bonus to Railway employees for the year 2010-11, sources added.

With the proposed DA hike, the basic pay of the central government employees (or pensioners as the case may be) would go up by 36% over a two-year period. The hikes will be implemented from July 1, 2011. The combined impact on the exchequer on account of both DA and DR increase between January 2009 and January 2011 is estimated to have crossed Rs 16,000 crore. The measure is set to provide relief to a total of around 5 million central government employees and around 4 million pensioners.

The change in DA, which is linked to the consumer price index, has lead to a further change in other allowance structure since rate breached the 50% of basic pay mark in March. For instance, payments like conveyance allowance and children’s education allowance have also gone up by 25%. This hike is in accordance to the formula given in the sixth pay commission report which says: “The rates of these allowances will be increased by 25% every time the DA payable on revised pay scales goes up by 50%.” As a result, there will also be an increase in the special compensatory allowance for the central government employees posted in remote areas such as the north-east and Jammu & Kashmir. Their special allowance also goes up by 25% the moment the 50% trigger was breached. The increased DA and DR are expected to help the households of central government employees and pensioners who are already exposed high inflation.

The Cabinet is also expected to clear the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor project being implemented in collaboration with Japan at Thursday’s meeting. The project was conceived five years ago and envisages setting up of industrial corridor along the Delhi-Mumbai stretch. It will comprise seven new cities, nine industrial parks, three ports, six airports and a 1,483 km high-speed rail and road line will be developed as a trading hub. The States covered by the project include Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

The Cabinet will also take up for consideration the national manufacturing policy that aims at raising contribution of manufacturing in GDP from 16% to 26% by 2025 and creating 100 million jobs in next 10 years. Manufacturing sector contributes over 80% to the overall industrial production.

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