Friday, July 31, 2009

DU announces to hike OBC quota to 18%

New Delhi,Fri, 15 May 2009 NI Wire

The Delhi University (DU) Friday announced to hike the Other Backward Classes (OBC) quota for all courses from currently 9% to 18% following the directions of Supreme Court and Human Resource & Development ministry.

The revised reservation will be applied from the next academic session scheduled to begin from July 1, 2009.

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"From last year\'s 9% OBC quota reservation, this year the reservation will be increased to 18%," said S K Vij, dean of students' welfare at a press conference here.

He also announced to raise another 9% reservation for OBC students to meet the directions of SC and HR Ministry to maintain 27% quota of total seats from next year.

Moreover, Vij also announced that the total numbers of seats in all courses would be increased to meet the target.

"DU has decided to increase the number of seats in each course by 36%. That will bring up the total number of seats from 42,000 to 49,000," he said.

The admission process in DU will kick off from June 1 with the availability and submission of forms. The first cut off list will be announced on June 25.


Found on: http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/97884

Media losing its credibility: Delhi Union of Journalists

National,Mon, 06 Oct 2008 IANS

New Delhi, Oct 3 (IANS) Taking a hard look at media reports on the Jamia Nagar episode over the past few weeks, after two suspected terrorists and a Delhi Police Inspector were killed in a police shootout Sep 19, the Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ) prepared an interim report which was released in the capital Friday.

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Pointing out discrepancies in various media over reporting of facts, S.K.Pande, president of DUJ said that in what can be seen as a growing trend - albeit a dangerous one, verification of facts is quite often overlooked by reporters these days.

\'To state an example, the Times of India said that there were 25 firing rounds by the police and eight by the \'terrorists\'. The Indian Express, the Hindu, Dainik Hindustan, Punjab Kesari and Rashtriya Sahara say that the police fired 22 rounds. They were all silent about the rounds fired by the suspects,\' Pande said.

\'Whether it\'s the time of the shootout, the duration, the number of policemen present at that time or the number of bullets that hit Police Inspector M.C. Sharma - different media have different versions. At least in the initial reportage, the source of the information was the same, the police. Then why the difference? \' he asked.

Agreeing with Pande, veteran journalist Kuldip Nayar said that because of instances such as these the \'media is losing its credibility\'.

The interim report, which will be followed by a more detailed one later, was a result of intense discussion among 15 members of the DUJ and its Ethics Council, scanning of the various media - both print and electronic, and visits to the Jamia Nagar area by three members who spoke to the residents of the area.

\'The purpose of this report is not to pass a judgement on the shootout, whether it was a fake one or not. The aim was to analyse the role of the media in handling such serious issues. In the age of fast news and 24/7 news channels, unfortunately we sometimes resort to hyping of news,\' Pande said.

The report said: \'The Hindustan Times, for instance, Sep 20 ran a story \'India\'s Bin Laden was a good boy in school\' on alleged terrorist Abdus Subhan Qureshi. The story did not warrant that headline\'.

\'By and large, the press has forsaken the use of such prefixes like alleged and suspected in front of names of those who have been arrested and killed. Television reports have been even more blatant with such words simply missing from the language used by reporters and anchors\'.

The report also had words of praise for certain media like the Veer Arjun which on Sep 20 gave a detailed description of the operation that is at variance with the versions in the other papers.

DUJ now plans to send the report to the National Commission of Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), among others.

\'There were four-five children, all between the age of 10-17 who were picked up for questioning by the Police. One of the boys killed in the shoot out was 17 and branded as a terrorist in most papers even before any proof could be established against them. Are the NCPCR looking into the matter? We are going to send this report to the NCPCR and see what their reaction is,\' Pande said.


Found on: http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/24900

Journalists Nirupama, Vinita win Chameli Devi Jain Award

National,Tue, 24 Mar 2009 IANS

New Delhi, March 24 (IANS) Nirupama Subramanian, Islamabad correspondent of The Hindu, and Vinita Deshmukh, editor of the Weekly Intelligent of Pune, will share the Chameli Devi Jain Award for Outstanding Woman Mediaperson for 2008-09, The Media Foundation announced Tuesday.

The awards will be presented at the Indian International Centre here Friday.

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This will be followed by a discussion on \'Matching Television\'s Growing Power with Corresponding Responsibility\'.

The jury for the award comprised Nirija Gopal Jayal of the Centre for Law and Governance at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, Bhaskar Ghose, former CEO of Lok Sabha TV, and Raj Chengappa, Associate Editor of India Today.


Found on: http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/77886

Nirupama Rao takes charge as Foreign Secretary

New Delhi,Sat, 01 Aug 2009 ANI

New Delhi, Aug 1 (ANI): Nirupama Rao took charge as India\'s next Foreign Secretary on Saturday.

She assumed charge from incumbent Shiv Shankar Menon.

Fifty eight-year-old Nirupama Rao, a 1973-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, has served in a number of key positions.

She takes charge at a time when India and Pakistan are going through tough times in the aftermath of Mumbai terror attacks.

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Prior to her posting in Beijing as Ambassador, Rao served as India\'s envoy to Sri Lanka and was the country

\'Jacko set to undergo skin cancer surgery\'

London,Thu, 21 May 2009 ANI

London, May 21 (ANI): Michael Jackson will reportedly undergo surgery on his skin cancer to clear his flesh of potentially lethal growths.

The King of Pop had been reported having spots of the disease on his upper body and pre-cancerous cells on his face.

But his spokesman dismissed the claims, insisting the singer, who was due to perform his 150-million pound comeback shows in London beginning from July 8, is in

Call for govt focus and spending on non-communicable diseases

BRUSSELS, Belgium,Mon, 11 May 2009 Bobby Ramakant

The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) today (May 11) announced that its President, Professor Martin Silink has called on governments worldwide to recognize the severe impact of diabetes and other non-communicable diseases and take immediate action to ameliorate the threat.

Speaking today at the ECOSOC Annual Ministerial Review Regional Ministerial Meeting on Non Communicable Diseases in Doha, Qatar on May 10-11, Professor Silink urged governments, the United Nations (UN) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to recognize the impact of non-communicable diseases including diabetes on global health, and to include them in the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and development aid programs.

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President Silink stated that non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancers, and chronic respiratory diseases account for 60% of all deaths worldwide, with the majority of these deaths occurring in low-and middle-income countries[1]. Non-communicable diseases are a major and growing economic burden to individuals and their families and impose a heavy toll on healthcare systems and society. Despite the growing disease burden of non-communicable diseases, they have not been included in the MDGs.

"The global epidemic of diabetes and other non-communicable diseases is hitting the poorest hardest. Four in five deaths from NCDs now occur in low and middle-income countries. The low-cost solutions to prevent many of these deaths are yet to be implemented. Without decisive action, the NCD burden threatens to undermine the benefits of improving standards of living, education and economic growth in many countries," said Silink.

"The global diabetes community," Silink added "is waiting for UN Member States to follow through on the promise of the UN Resolution on diabetes."

In 2006 the United Nations passed UN Resolution 61/225: World Diabetes Day, which recognized that "diabetes is a chronic, debilitating and costly disease associated with severe complications, which poses severe risks for families, Member States and the entire world and serious challenges to the achievement of internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals."

Diabetes in the GulfThe invitation to the International Diabetes Federation's President recognizes the growing concern about diabetes worldwide and particularly the staggering impact the disease is having in the Gulf Region, where the picture is especially alarming. Of the top 10 countries with the highest prevalence of diabetes, five are in the Gulf. In 2007, the diabetes prevalence rate in Qatar was 15.2%, 15.2% in Bahrain, 19.5% in the United Arab Emirates, 15.7% in Saudi Arabia, 14.4% in Kuwait and 13.1% in Oman. By 2025, these rates will rise respectively to 16.9%, 17%, 21.9%, 18.4%, 16.4% and 14.7%.[2]

Recognizing the impact of diabetes in the Region, IDF will hold its 21st World Diabetes Congress in Dubai, United Arab Emirates in 2011. The IDF Congress is organized every two years through seven world regions and is one the world's largest health conferences. The Federation has committed to Dubai because progressive urbanization, increased life expectancy and economic development associated with a shift to unhealthy lifestyle have resulted in a huge explosion in type 2 diabetes in the Middle East and North Africa over the last 30 years.

IDF's Commitment to Addressing Non-Communicable Diseases The Federation is working to raise awareness of the growing diabetes burden and catalyse political action to reverse the epidemic. The Federation is also working closely with other NGOs concerned with NCDs.

The International Diabetes Federation will co-host a meeting on May 19 in parallel to the World Health Assembly to highlight the impact of NCDs on development. IDF is hosting this meeting with the World Heart Federation and the International Union Against Cancer to ensure that the NCD message is heard.

According to the WHO, the global burden of non-communicable diseases continues to grow; tackling it constitutes one of the major challenges for development in the 21st century[3].

"It is time to act," said Professor Silink. "It is time for the world to provide essential medicines for non-communicable diseases like diabetes in the same way as it has addressed the need to provide essential medicines and vaccines for communicable diseases like HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria."


Found on: http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/96164

Braille watches launched for visually impaired women in Mumbai

Mumbai,Fri, 31 Jul 2009 ANI

Mumbai, July 31(ANI): The Bangalore-based Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT) in collaboration with the National Association of Blind (NAB) unveiled a range of Braille watches exclusively for visually impaired women in Mumbai on Friday.

The Braille watches would now enable visually impaired women in the country to have better and cheaper options to know the time and keep pace with it.

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These watches were distributed to a group of blind women students at the launch ceremony.

Movie actor, Gauri Karnik, who was the star attraction at the event said that more corporate organisations should come forward for such a social cause.

China is a threat to global good

By Susenjit Guha, Kolkata,Tue, 05 May 2009 NI Wire

As the world watches without being able to bring about a ceasefire, a humanitarian crisis is underway in Sri Lanka with nearly 170,000 civilians displaced and 50,000 trapped in the war zone.

It has become common for rampaging armed forces and also those in cahoots with terrorists the world is battling with, despots and dictators to cock a snook at the UN.

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Much of the cockiness lies in the covert moral and logistic support lent by China, hungry for resources for widening its reach to get a major slice of business in the troubled regions and make its presence felt.

The Sri Lankan offensive against the LTTE is not faulted as the terrorist organization has used all possible means of violence over the years to foment terror in this beautiful island resembling a tear drop in the Indian Ocean. Lots of blood sweat and tears have flowed for the fight for a separate Tamil homeland in protest for the marginalization of the Sri Lankan Tamils. But the process of terror was always condemnable and has encouraged later day terror groups like the al Qaeda to emulate their suicide attack techniques.

But what happened so suddenly that the Sri Lankan armed forces finally managed to decimate the formidable LTTE?

It was China once again. Having supported despots with blood on their hands in Africa and Myanmar for the sake of resources to feed a surging Chinese economy, Sri Lanka was a natural choice to complete the string of pearls in the Indian Ocean.

Having set about building and ramping up ports in Burma, Bangladesh and Pakistan, which would in be used for docking and refuelling of its navy, China is now building a $1 billion port in the fishing village of Hambantota in Sri Lanka's north east, very close to the fighting zone. It would also double up as the Chinese Navy's stop-over point during patrols to guard against piracy of oil imports from the Middle East and establish a base in the Indian Ocean all along the arc.

No wonder the Sri Lankan armed forces are fighting perhaps their last battle to crush the LTTE for ever with an urgency never seen before. Shunned by governments the world over including India when Sri Lanka sought arms for the civil war, China chipped in during the last two decades with arms supplies. Chinese arms supplies increased further when the US suspended all military aid to Sri Lanka citing gross human rights violations. Chinese aid to Sri Lanka jumped to $1billion last year leaving other nations far behind.

Like wise, China beefed up the Myanmar armed forces and stood with them when they were accused of human rights violations last year when monks and civilians rose in protest against rampant corruption, price rise and food shortage. Pakistan can act in self denial of not harbouring terrorists and fuel terror acts in neighbouring countries on the strength of Chinese military aid and support while the US and western powers resign themselves to the reality and cannot do much about it.

According to Jane's Defence Weekly, Sri Lanka shopped for $37.6 million worth of arms and supplies for its army and navy. China gave 6 F7 fighter jets for free in 2007 as per reports of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. According to media reports, the bulk of arm shipments fro China was handled by Lanka Logistics and Technologies where the Defence Secretary who is the Sri Lankan president's brother, has a major stake.

And the arms went into killing 75 civilians in a makeshift hospital by the Sri Lankan armed forces which lay very close to the battle zone. It was the only one available for the trapped civilians.

UN reports peg civilian casualties at 6500 since January this year as the Sri Lankan government vehemently denies and keeps the war zone out of bounds for journalists and aid workers.

Sri Lanka is acting with the same nonchalance to global criticism and pressure as Myanmar's armed forces did last year on the strength of a counter weight like China. Calls for evacuating the civilians have fallen on deaf years.

China's desperate need for Hambantota had been cautioned by Pentagon's Air Staff personnel Lieutenant-Colonel Christopher J. Pehrson in a 2006 paper and by the U.S. Joint Forces Command last November.

With a trail of blood from volatile Africa, Myanmar to Sri Lanka, and reticent about gross human rights violations and human catastrophes to preserve its own commercial interests.

US have also been accused of partying with despots and affecting civilian casualties, but democracy allows a groundswell of dissent as was evident in the last presidential elections. China has stifled a moral counterweight which makes it more dangerous.

Susenjit Guha

The author is a Kolkata based independent journalist writes for various news outlets. He can be contacted at sguha60@yahoo.com


Found on: http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/93576

Sikkim CM sworn-in for fourth term

Gangtok,Wed, 20 May 2009 NI Wire

Pawan Kumar Chamling, founder of the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) party, was sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Sikkim on Wednesday for the fourth consecutive term.

Governor B P Singh administered the oath of office and secrecy to Chamling and his 11 cabinet members at Raj Bhawan in Gangtok.

The new Cabinet has nine new faces, including two women Neeru Sewa and Tilu Gurung.

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The other members who have been inducted as cabinet ministers are Bhim Dhungel, C B Karki, R B Subba, N K Pradhan, former Assembly speaker D N Thakarpa and Sonam Gyasto Lepcha.

T T Bhutia and D B Thapa are only the two ministers who have ministerial experience. The portfolios were not announced at the swearing-in ceremony.

Lepcha and Gurung took oath of office in the vernacular Nepali language while rest of the minister took in English.

The SDP bagged all 32 Assembly seats as well as the single Lok Sabha seat from the state in recently concluded 2009 parliamentary elections.

Since the formation of the Sikkim Democratic Front on March 4, 1993, Chamling as its founder has won all the four Assembly elections held so far in 1994, 1999, 2004 and 2009 and formed the SDF government in the state.

Chamling's, who has gradually emerged as a strong leader in Sikkim, performance as a leader and as a party head has been ameliorated continuously in the four consecutive Assembly elections. In 1994, SDF had won 19 Assembly seats and its vote share was 62 percent. In 1999, its seat increase to 24 and vote share to 62 per cent. SDF further done remarkably well in 2004 with 31 seats and 71 percent vote share; and in 2009, the party reached to extreme wresting all the 32 Assembly seats.

With the 2009 win the 59-year-old Chief Minister Chamling has broken the record of former chief minister Nar Bahadur Bhandari's rule of 15 years.


Found on: http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/99845
Dr. Singh to take oath as PM tomorrow; meets Prez today New Delhi,Thu, 21 May 2009 NI Wire

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh will meet President Pratibha Patil Thursday to discuss the swearing-in ceremony to be held tomorrow and is expected to submit the list of ministers who will take oath with him.

Earlier on Wednesday, the President invited UPA leader Dr. Singh to form the government after the latter submitted letters of support of 322 MPs and staked claim to form the government at the Centre.

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Later speaking to media, Dr. Singh said that the UPA has the outside support of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). He said that along with Independents and pre-poll alliance partners they enjoy the support of 274 members and with the support of 48 MPs of the RJD, SP and BSP the tally goes up to 322.

Earlier in the first meeting of the UPA constituents held at 10 Janpath, the residence of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, DMK chief M Karunanidhi proposed Dr. Manmohan Singh's name as the next Prime Minister and which was seconded by Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee. Sonia Gandhi was re-elected as its Chairperson.

The meeting was also attended by Pranab Mukherjee. P Chidamabaram, A.K Antony, Karunanidhi, Mamata Banerjee, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, Muslim League leader E Ahamed, JMM leader Shibu Soren , All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen leader Asaduddin Owaisi, Thol Thirumavalavan of VCK Tamil Nadu and Jose K Mani of the Kerela Congress(m).

In spite of the Congress enjoying majority it is not easy for Dr. Singh to satisfy the key pre-poll allies viz., TMC and DMK who are eyeing on five to six Cabinet berth collectively. DMK chief wants to get Cabinet berth for his two sons and a daughter while TMC supremo eyeing on Railway Ministry and one or two more.

Congress spokesperson Janardan Dwivedi said that the final decision on the representation of allies in the Council of Ministers would be taken after one to one discussion between Dr Singh and Sonia Gandhi and discussions with leaders of the respective constituencies.


Found on: http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/100020

Life a great adventure- take risk and won glory

Florida,Mon, 05 Jan 2009 Diana BenAvides

Someplace I read- sometimes, problems have to get worse, before they can get better. Arguments have to get more intense before they can get resolved. Fears have to be faced before they can be conquered. Consequences must be encountered before they can be understood. So, if you had the time and challenged some of your excuses- what would you like to do? What would you do differently?

Trust the process of life- never forgetting that you are the conductor of the melodious symphony of your life.

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The fear of losing what you have encourages you to hold on to the status quo, yet this makes the process of the course of life more difficult. You are on the edge of a new frontier. There is something magical happening, its destiny's new look. Blue skies are forming on your celestial horizon; and now you are able to see that rather than roadblocks or obstacles, all you go through, are in fact stepping stones.

Are you willing to work? Don't let anyone else fight your battles. Confident through your inner core- paradoxically, expressing your doubts take more strength of character than hiding them. Your position in the world will be strong, if you remain true to your feelings. Validation from others is not needed. Do not worry if things stop moving forward for a little while, just as you need to pull back on a bow in order to shoot an arrow, giving you the opportunity to aim for your dreams. Happiness is not just a pleasure, it is an obligation!

You can't rest on your laurels now. You have set things in motion. A new sense of personal power is emerging; and also a desire to no longer simply go through the motions. Suddenly, life is more precious and you are ready to not just live it, but enjoy it! Don't stay on the sidelines, to remove barriers, accept irrevocable changes- it is a magical tour of mind, body and soul. Wake up to the fact that things don't have to be a certain way; you have the power to construct the kind of life you want. Life is a great adventure with risks to be taken and glory to be won!

By Diana BenAvides

This writing is property and copyright of its author…Diana Benavides.


Found on: http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/56325

Indian bourses create history; closes for the day

New Delhi,Mon, 18 May 2009 Noor En Ahmed

In the first trading day after the general Lok Sabha election 2009, in which the UPA alliance is set to form the new government without the support of the left front, the Indian bourses – Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and National Stock Exchange (NSE) – zoomed sharply and breached the upper circuits two times that led the authority to halt the trading for the entire day.

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On the back of positive political news, the investors rushed to the Indian stock market despite the negative global scenario. The in cash and derivative segments in both the BSE and the NSE hit the 15% upper circuit with opening of the market that caused the two hours halt.

This was the best ever opening of Indian Stock Exchange.

At 11.55 am, the market opened again but within five seconds of opening, it breached the highest 20% circuit and the authorities had to close it for the entire day. Now, the fresh trading will begin from its schedule time on Tuesday.

In the second opening, the Sensex – the pack of 30-share index of the BSE zoomed to 2099 points to 14,272 while the Nifty – the pack of 50-share index of NSE surged to 17.3% to 4,308.

It is the first time that trading has been halted for the full day on the BSE and the NSE.

Earlier in the morning, the Sensex rose sharply to 1,305.97 points while Nifty 712 points, breaking the 15% landmark of second circuit set by Securities and Exchange Board of India, the market regulator.

If the indices swing 10% positive or negative before 1 pm in the stock exchanges, there would be 1-hour trading halt and if it happens between 1 p.m. to 2:30 pm, there will be one and half hour halt. In case the movement takes place at and after 2:30 pm, there would be no halt and the market would continue.

When a 15% swing occurs in either index before 1 p.m., there would be a 2-hour market halt, and it happens between 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., there will be one hour halt. In case, if the market breaches the 15% circuit after 2 p.m, the halt occurs for remaining of the day.

And, when the market swings sharply by 20%, there would be no trading for the whole day.

The circuit formula is also applied on the sectoral indices and individual stocks too, which is reviewed every quarter by the stock exchanges.

On Monday, on the sectoral indices front, Realty whizzed 25.37%, Capital goods rose 23.47%, Bankex rocketed 20.27%, Oil & gas zoomed 19.57% and Power surged to 17.09%.

While in the individual stocks, Bharat Heavy Electricals (32.72%), Larsen & Toubro (29.53%), Reliance Capital (26.95%), ICICI Bank (25.30%), Housing Development Finance Corporation (23.46%), and Reliance Industries (22.87%) became the major gainers in the Sensex.


Found on: http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/99059

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Nokia to acquire cellity

Espoo, Finland - Hamburg, Germany - Nokia and cellity today announced an agreement for Nokia to acquire certain assets of cellity. cellity is a privately owned mobile software company which employs 14 people in Hamburg, Germany.
 
Nokia will acquire the cellity team to strengthen its competencies in the area of social networking. cellity's current service will not transfer to Nokia and the service will be discontinued. cellity currently offers a solution to collect and securely store users' contacts in one place. The service is an easy way to connect people on the mobile and the web.
 
"cellity has a very talented and innovative team, which we are very happy to have on board at Nokia. With this acquisition, we can accelerate our service development in some of our core areas," said Christof Hellmis, Vice President, Services, Nokia.
 
"We are excited that Nokia has chosen our team and technology. With our experience from building social networking solutions, we can help Nokia further develop their services offering," said Nils Weitemeyer, CEO of cellity.
 
The agreement is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2009. After closing, cellity staff will become part of Nokia's Services unit.
 
News about

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Motorola Opens Doors for Accelerated Development on Android

--MOTODEV Enables Application Development for Future Motorola Mobile Devices

SUNNYVALE, Calif., July 24, 2009 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) today announced the launch of advanced Android development resources through MOTODEV, including a new App Accelerator Program and MOTODEV Studio for Android Beta. MOTODEV will offer developers early access to a new suite of Google Android developer tools and programs, along with the opportunity to attend the next MOTODEV Summit in San Diego, CA, on October 6, for advanced training and information-gathering. The program is intended to accelerate the development of applications to be used on Motorola's mobile devices using the Android operating system scheduled to ship later this year.

"Motorola is focused on helping our global network of best-in-class developers create, deploy and successfully market their Android applications to ultimately unleash greater innovation into the mobile application development space," said Christy Wyatt, Vice President, Software Platforms and Ecosystem, Motorola. "We believe Android and open software has the freedom and flexibility to foster innovation, accelerate time to market, and deliver the most personal and customized mobile experiences for consumers."

To give developers a head start in creating apps that realize the full power of Android and utilize Motorola's newest handset features, the company invites developers to join MOTODEV's App Accelerator Program. Through this program, select developers will have the ability to submit their applications to Motorola and leverage the opportunity to distribute through a variety of channels, including carrier stores, the Android Market and third-party distributors. In addition, the program will specifically offer developers:

    --  Early access to tools, technical specs, documentation and other         development support resources.     --  Exclusive pre-release access to upcoming Motorola devices for testing         and debugging.     --  Direct access to Motorola's developer support engineers via private         discussion boards.      --  Maximum market exposure for applications as soon as new mobile devices         ship to users.  

Motorola will also make publicly available the MOTODEV Studio for Android Beta. MOTODEV Studio is a powerful, Eclipse- based integrated development environment that works with Google's software development kit. MOTODEV Studio and the MOTODEV program make it easy for developers to create a new generation of rich user experiences for Motorola's handsets featuring the Android operating system. Among the resources available to developers are design and development tools; handset emulators and virtual testing labs; intuitive interfaces for deploying applications; application creation wizards and frequently used code templates; and access to marketing and distribution channels.

Developers are encouraged to save the date for Motorola's MOTODEV Summit 2009 on October 6, in San Diego, CA, a one-day event that will bring together today's most creative and innovative application developers from around the world to receive advanced training, understand market opportunities and get exposure to the next generation of Motorola device experiences. Hosted by Motorola's MOTODEV developer network, the company's global program for developers and independent software vendors (ISVs), the Summit is designed to provide the developer community everything they need for Android development to help them get a head start in developing applications for the next generation of Motorola handsets.

For more information on the MOTODEV Summit visit http://developer.motorola.com/summit. Registration will open on August 12, 2009.

To learn more about MOTODEV Studio for Android Beta and App Accelerator Program, please visit http://developer.motorola.com.

Friday, July 24, 2009

Extra Ordinary Successful people

Often we get caught in the mental trap of seeing enormously successful people and thinking they are where they are because they have some special gift. Yet a closer look shows that the greatest gift that extraordinarily successful people have over the average person is their ability to get themselves to take action. It is a gift that any of us can develop within ourselves. After all, other people had the same knowledge. People other than Ted Turner could have figured out that cable had enormous economic potential. But Turner and Jobs were able to take action, and by doing so, they changed the way of many experience the world.



We all produce two forms of communication from which the experience of our lives is fashioned. First, we conduct internal communications; those things we picture, say, and feel within ourselves. Second, we experience external communications: words, tonalities, facial expressions, body postures, and physical actions to communicate with the world. Every communication we make is an action, a cause set in motion. And all communications have some kind of effect on ourselves and on others.



Communication is power. Those who have mastered its effective use can change their own experience of the worlds and the world�s experience of them. All behaviors and feelings find their original roots in some form of communication. Those who affect the thought, feelings, and actions of the majority of us are those who know how to use this tool of power. Think of the people who have changed our world � John F Kennedy, Thomas Jefferson, Martin Luther King, Jr., Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Mahatma Gandhi. In a much grimmer vein, think of Hitler. What these men all had in common was that they were master communicators. They were able to take their vision, whether it was to transport people into space or to create a hate filled Third Reich, and communicate it to others with such congruency that they influenced the way the masses through and acted. Through their communication power, they changed the world.



In fact, isn�t this also what sets a Spielberg, a Springsteen, an Iacocca, a Fonda, or a Reagan apart from others? Are they not masters of the tool of human communication, or influence? Just as these people are able to move the masses with communication, it�s the tool we also to move ourselves.



Your level of communication mastery in the external world will determine your level of success with others � personally, emotionally, socially, and financially. More important, the level of success you experience internally � the happiness, joy, ecstasy, love, or anything else you desire � is the direct result of how you communicate to yourself. How you feel is not the result of what is happening. Successful people�s lives have shown us over and over again that the quality of our lives is determined not by what happens to us, but rather by what we do about what happens.



You are the one who decides how to feel and act based upon the ways you choose to perceive your life. Nothing has any meaning except the meaning we give it. Most of us have turned this process of interpretation on automatic, but we can take that power back and immediately change our experience of the world.



This article is about taking the kinds of massive, focused, congruent actions that lead to overwhelming results. Producing results! Think about it. Isn�t that what you�re really interested in? May be you want to change how you feel about yourself and your world. May be you�d like to be a better communicator, develop a more loving relationship, learn more rapidly, become healthier, or earn more money. You can create all of these things for yourself, and much more, through the effective use of the information in this book. Before you can produce new results, however, you must first realize that you�re already producing results. They just may not be the results you desire. Most of us think of our mental states and most of what goes on in our minds as things that happen outside our control. But the truth is you can control your mental activities and your behaviors to a degree you never believed possible before. If you�re depressed you created and produced that show you call depression. If you�re ecstatic you created that, too.




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Guidance and career counselors

Human Resource Management



With a plethora of courses available in various fields there is a wide choice of career options. No longer is the selection restricted to mainstream course or courses in engineering and medicine. However this also brought about much confusion. Young impressionable minds with little understanding of their own seem to want almost everything they hear about.



It is not really the wide which should be blamed for all confusion, but lack of guidance and proper direction says a visiting professor in various colleges for media studies. We must now have really qualified and experienced counselors who can really guide the students through all this.



So there is yet another option for young people to get into: of becoming a career counselor. Counselors understand that people are constantly evolving and need guidance during the inevitable transitions in life. In fact, today this career has become all the more interesting and challenging as people from all groups right from college students to even people in their 30s and 40s too now come for counseling when they are faced with a mid career crisis and want to make a career shift.



Everyone needs help at some point in time. Changes in careers, education and emotional and economic transitions happen at all stages of life and counselors help people grow by offering support, therapy, consultation and evaluation. Today counseling is a highly regarded career that is faced with numerous challenges and opportunities. Guidance and career counselors are usually considered together, because the counseling specialties both deal with people who are seeking career, vocational and academic advice and guidance counseling in a school or career related capacity.



In most cases, although guidance counselors assist students of all levels through various emotional and growth phases, career counselors typically work with those who are about to join higher studies and are at the threshold of choosing the streams after class twelve. Sometimes, they may also advise high school students looking to start a career immediately.

Interestingly these days their need in schools and at various guidance centers are felt greatly and many professionally run centers are coming up apart from compulsory counseling cells in schools. The payments typically start from Rs 7000 per month depending on the setup and paying capacity of the school. In some cases the starting pay could easily be as much as 15,000 per month. Normally people start their career as counselors in schools but later go on to join a counseling center or open up their own centers.



Guidance counselors help evaluate students abilities interest and personalities to develop realistic academic and career goals. They use interviews, counseling sessions and aptitude assessment tests to evaluate and advise students. Sometimes they also run career information centers, career day events and career education programs. These counselors also work with younger students who have academic and social development problems or other special needs. A guidance counselor will assist them in finding special education programs, agencies or organizations who can help prepare them for a future career despite their disabilities.



Career counselors typically provide career advice, their focus helping with career decisions. Career counselors explore and evaluate the client�s education, work history, interests, skills and personality traits. They can also be of help at the later career stages if one is looking for a career shift, by arranging for aptitude and achievement tests to help assess the best career moves for a client. Career counselors work with individuals or groups to develop their job search skills and resumes and assist clients in their job hunt. A large part of a career counselor�s job is providing support and guidance to those experiencing job loss, job stress and other career transition issues.



The primary requisite is having a master�s degree in psychology and of course an interest in people and an understanding of psychological make up of various personalities. One has to be naturally inclined towards wanting to know and analyze behavioral pattern of people, their aptitude. This is a trait that one does not recognize easily, but a passion for psychology is the beginning point. For super specialization one can also take a course in psychotherapy and psychoanalysis. But a PG in psychology is a must. So if you are interested in reading people�s mind�s and aptitude and advising them on what they should take up here is a great career option.




http://www.SikhPress.com

Guidance and career counselors

Human Resource Management



With a plethora of courses available in various fields there is a wide choice of career options. No longer is the selection restricted to mainstream course or courses in engineering and medicine. However this also brought about much confusion. Young impressionable minds with little understanding of their own seem to want almost everything they hear about.



It is not really the wide which should be blamed for all confusion, but lack of guidance and proper direction says a visiting professor in various colleges for media studies. We must now have really qualified and experienced counselors who can really guide the students through all this.



So there is yet another option for young people to get into: of becoming a career counselor. Counselors understand that people are constantly evolving and need guidance during the inevitable transitions in life. In fact, today this career has become all the more interesting and challenging as people from all groups right from college students to even people in their 30s and 40s too now come for counseling when they are faced with a mid career crisis and want to make a career shift.



Everyone needs help at some point in time. Changes in careers, education and emotional and economic transitions happen at all stages of life and counselors help people grow by offering support, therapy, consultation and evaluation. Today counseling is a highly regarded career that is faced with numerous challenges and opportunities. Guidance and career counselors are usually considered together, because the counseling specialties both deal with people who are seeking career, vocational and academic advice and guidance counseling in a school or career related capacity.



In most cases, although guidance counselors assist students of all levels through various emotional and growth phases, career counselors typically work with those who are about to join higher studies and are at the threshold of choosing the streams after class twelve. Sometimes, they may also advise high school students looking to start a career immediately.

Interestingly these days their need in schools and at various guidance centers are felt greatly and many professionally run centers are coming up apart from compulsory counseling cells in schools. The payments typically start from Rs 7000 per month depending on the setup and paying capacity of the school. In some cases the starting pay could easily be as much as 15,000 per month. Normally people start their career as counselors in schools but later go on to join a counseling center or open up their own centers.



Guidance counselors help evaluate students abilities interest and personalities to develop realistic academic and career goals. They use interviews, counseling sessions and aptitude assessment tests to evaluate and advise students. Sometimes they also run career information centers, career day events and career education programs. These counselors also work with younger students who have academic and social development problems or other special needs. A guidance counselor will assist them in finding special education programs, agencies or organizations who can help prepare them for a future career despite their disabilities.



Career counselors typically provide career advice, their focus helping with career decisions. Career counselors explore and evaluate the client�s education, work history, interests, skills and personality traits. They can also be of help at the later career stages if one is looking for a career shift, by arranging for aptitude and achievement tests to help assess the best career moves for a client. Career counselors work with individuals or groups to develop their job search skills and resumes and assist clients in their job hunt. A large part of a career counselor�s job is providing support and guidance to those experiencing job loss, job stress and other career transition issues.



The primary requisite is having a master�s degree in psychology and of course an interest in people and an understanding of psychological make up of various personalities. One has to be naturally inclined towards wanting to know and analyze behavioral pattern of people, their aptitude. This is a trait that one does not recognize easily, but a passion for psychology is the beginning point. For super specialization one can also take a course in psychotherapy and psychoanalysis. But a PG in psychology is a must. So if you are interested in reading people�s mind�s and aptitude and advising them on what they should take up here is a great career option.




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Prakash Purab – Guru Hargobind sahib ji- 5th july





(a 5 minute Reading)

Guru Hargobind, sixth Guru, was born at Wadali village in June 1595 and was the only child of Guru Arjan Dev. He was invested with the Guruship on May 25, 1606 just days before his fathers martyrdom. From a young age he was educated in the sciences, sports and religion as his father had insisted. Baba Buddha was responsible for overseeing the Guru\'s religious teachings.







While in prison, before his martyrdom at Lahore, Guru Arjun had sent a message to his son, Guru Hargobind, then aged only eleven, that he should henceforth maintain an army. At the very time of his installation as Guru, he insisted that he should wear two swords, one representing his spiritual leadership and the other his temporal and political leadership. Soon after it, he constructed in front of the Amritsar temple, another building called the Akal Takht (God\'s throne) as the seat of temporal power. This place continues to the present day as the centre of every sociopolitical deliberation and power of the community. There, like the two swords he wore, he raised aloft two flags representing the two aspects of his activities.







There is an important incident which brings out the religious policy of the Gurus. One Ram Das, a Maharashtra saint, met Guru Hargobind. He questioned him as to how he reconciled his being a successor to the spiritual seat of Guru Nanak with his living as a soldier, maintaining an army and calling himself a true Emperor. The Guru replied that Guru Nanak had given up mammon (greed for money). He had not renounced the world, and that the sword was for the double purpose of protecting the poor and destroying the tyrant. These words of the Guru most clearly bring out the religious and spiritual philosophy of Sikh mysticism, its originality and its break with the past. Persons brought up in the tradition of old beliefs and ideas of dichotomy between the religious and the temporal life find it difficult to understand and grasp the significance of the Guru\'s system. The problem of comprehension that confronted saint Ram Das was the same as arose with the Nath Yogis in their dialogue with Guru Nanak. It arises even now with some of our present-day academicians. But, for the Sikh mystic, participation in life is spiritually essential. Consequently, the defense of moral life, reaction and responses to challenges from the environment form an integral part of the Gurus\' mystic system. The reply of Guru Hargobind is an unambiguous clarification of the system of Guru Nanak as understood by the Gurus themselves. This also explains the various empirical steps taken by the first five Gurus in order to develop their religious system and organise the Sikhs in the way they did. Saint Ram Das\'s meeting with the Guru had a great historical consequence, for he was so impressed by the Guru\'s thesis that he later tried to train Shivaji, Maratha leader, in the same manner.







One incident is very significant of the socio-political climate in the Guru\'s camp. During a hunt being carried out by the Imperial party in a jungle, the Sikhs also entered the same area in pursuit of game. The Sikhs got hold of a falcon, which was claimed by the official party. A clash took place and the Imperial forces were beaten off. But, what is important is the approval of the Sikhs who stressed, \"you are talking of the return of the baz (falcon), we are after your tag (crown).\" It clearly shows the independence of political status claimed by the Guru and his Sikhs.



The number and areas of sub-centers of preaching were extended. The Guru himself controlled both the religious centers and the temporal centre at Amritsar. The Guru, thereby, only brought out visibly and symbolically what, in view of the steps that had already been taken by the earlier Gurus, was inherent in the integrated spiritual thesis of Guru Nanak. In fact secure and clear foundations had already been laid by him. the Gurus, and those engaged in these developments, were fully aware of their responsibility to maintain the original spiritual purity of the religion and the entire movement, to some outsiders, including historians conditioned and committed to different doctrines and systems of religion and polity, the Sixth Guru s work has seemed to show a departure from the original growth. But, a departure, as we have seen, it was not.







By:

Gurpreet Singh


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Sidak Leadership Camp



VANCOUVER - Participants from across the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia attended the seventh annual, two-week summer program Sidak, hosted by the Sikh Research Institute (SikhRI), which concluded on 11 July 2009 at the Concept Therapy Institute in the hill country of San Antonio in Texas, US.

This year�s program was the largest to date, with 38 developing Sikh leaders, including high school and college students, and young professionals.

�We try to diversify the instructors, modes of learning, and content to keep Sidak engaging and interactive,� explained Jasmine Kaur, SikhRI�s Director of Education.

�For seven years now, Sidak brings in a focused group of participants from around the world and provides them with the tools and training to become leaders in their communities,� said Dr. Gurvinder Pal Singh, who serves on SikhRI�s Board of Directors and is a volunteer guest lecturer at Sidak. In fact, several instructors at Sidak are volunteers, comprised of past Sidak graduates and notable community members.

Each Sidak participant went through an intense two-week experience from learning and sharing of a Sabad with Viakhia to researching and presenting on a a Sikhi topic with themes as diverse as Ammrit, Disability, Fashion, and Sovereignty. For many participants, it was the first time they presented in public or sang a Sabad. �Sidak challenges participants to go beyond their comfort zone and engage directly in learning,� says Inderpreet Singh, Sikhi 101 instructor who serves on SikhRI Board of Advisors, �Sidak is not about just classroom education, it focuses on experiencing the Sikh lifestyle � learning through direct action.�

Workshops were conducted by successful community leaders including Larry Mills (Senior Executive, Spurs Organization), Stephen Nickle (Reverend and Chaplin, Trinity University), Gunisha Kaur (author, Lost in History: 1984 Reconstructed), and Harinder Singh (Executive Director, Sikh Research Institute & Sikhi 201 instructor) to explore topics on personal development.

Evening divan (Rahiras Sahib) was followed by either personal time or organized activities like Dodgeball, Ultimate Frisbee, Charades, and rounds of �Are you Smarter than a Sojhi 5th Grader�. Additionally, Sidak included some notable features such as a hike to see fireworks on July 4th and a Degh making lab.






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Tytler made AICC in-charge of Bihar

source of news: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/PoliticsNation/Tytler-made-AICC-in-charge-of-Bihar/articleshow/4818242.cms



NEW DELHI: Even before the courts have cleared former MP Jagdish Tytler of his involvement in the 1984 anti-Sikh pogrom, Congress has reinstated him

in the organisation by making him AICC in-charge of Bihar.



The development comes barely three months after the party was forced to withdraw Mr Tytler�s candidature for Delhi�s North-East Lok Sabha constituency. The man at the centre of the storm will preside over the party�s effort to rejuvenate itself in Bihar, replacing Iqbal Singh who has been appointed as the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry.



Tytler�s appointment, according to a section of Congress, may not be the news the Bihar unit was hoping for. There has been a clamour within the Bihar PCC for a change of the top leadership in the state. However, Mr Tytler�s appointment could accord PCC chief Anil Sharma with protection that would ensure his continued tenure.



Congress leaders from Bihar have consistently maintained that the party has a window of opportunity to rebuild itself in the state, now that it is no longer in alliance with Lalu Prasad�s RJD. For this, the state leaders had suggested an overhaul of the Bihar PCC.



However, sources indicated that such an overhaul may be highly unlikely. Revival in Bihar is among the top priorities of Congress. In Lok Sabha elections it managed to win only two seats after being forced to go solo.



Restitution in the party is not all that is in store for the Delhi politics veteran. Sources indicated that Mr Tytler is likely to be given the Rajya Sabha seat from Delhi, which had fallen vacant after J P Agarwal�s election to the Lok Sabha.



The party was forced to withdraw Mr Tytler from LS race after a Sikh journalist hurled a shoe at home minister P Chidambaram, drawing fresh attention on the 1984 anti-Sikh pogrom. Mr Tytler along with fellow candidate Sajjan Kumar were withdrawn from the electoral race.
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Delhi Sikh Gurdwara M.C. is going to file new petition on the definition of Sikh

The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) has decided to seek a review of the verdict pronounced by the Punjab and Haryana High Court two months back on the definition of the Sikh.



DSGMC President Paramjit Singh Sarna today authorised Sikh scholar and High Court lawyer Dr Malkiat Singh Rahi to file a review petition in the Court in the context of the verdict.



Talking over phone Sarna said that we have been seeking advice in this context from experts.



A full bench comprising justice Jagdish Singh Khehar, Jasbir Singh and Ajay Kumar Mittal had on a writ petition on May 30, 2009 delivered the verdict ruling that persons with shorn hair can&apost be described as Sikhs.



Observing that keeping hair unshorn is an essential component of the Sikh faith, the court had said,\"The Sikh rehat-maryada (religious sanctity)requires Sikhs to keep their hair unshorn and even an act of dishonouring hair is taken as a taboo.



An act of dyeing one&aposs hair is treated as an act of dishonouring hair\".



Maintaining that\"hair unshorn is a part of the religious consciousness of the Sikh faith\", the Court had said if the religious community wishes to enforce the aforesaid norm as a pre-condition for admission, there is nothing wrong in this.


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