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Saturday, December 26, 2009

Edition 6: School Social Gatherings or Bollywood Nights


Its gathering time again so cityblog talks to few parents, teachers to highlight certain anomalies that exist on school gatherings in Pune.
Glaring Lights, dazzling music, latest film songs , costumes and loud cheering!!! This is not the set of any bollywood night but an annual social at one the upcoming 'international' school in Pune witnessed by Parents, teachers and a very happy crowd of school children. Not to undermine the cute performers who have put in great efforts to put up the show, but the main question remained that why school gatherings turn into bollywood night. There are so many performing arts: classical dance, folk dance, drama, elocution, singing, playing instrument? Why do schools allow bollywood numbers?
“My daughter learns in Abhinav and we have tradition to have very inclusive and creative gatherings without any single bollywood performance. That requires a lot of participation from teachers, parents as well. Which I think is the bottleneck for many other schools”. says Dr Meeta, a parent.
There are many other schools who also share the same policy. But there are also sizable schools where annual social gatherings partly turn into Bollywood dance night.
Another reason can be that it's the parental and children pressure to do something very popular.
“Kids have many other forums apart from school gatherings to perform and they see lot of TV, so they feel great to do encore of a leading bollywood number or an act. Is it natural for elders to restrict these simple fun activities?” says Anita a collegian involved in choreographing such dances. She adds that she keeps steps simple and vulgarism is strict no-no.
“Dance can relieve tension and can be a source of joy .It is an art to be appreciated. As has been said by a spiritual person " Fire can give you warmth but can also cause fire". In some communities, dance is an offering to God and all girls in a family learn dancing in a home environment. Dancing is good but bad/vulgar dance is not the thing. Colleges/schools must moderate the form of dance and disallow any vulgarity.” says Dr Akhil Singh Professor(Retd.) If gatherings are to be moderated, we need to explore what to do and how we should go about it.
Bumping, grinding, twisting -- sometimes it can be difficult to tell a school dance from an over-the-top bollywood music video. A dance isn't school. It's entertainment, and most of us can recall a time when our idea of fun struck authority figures as a little too risqué. After all, dancing has stretched society's definition of decency since long before Elvis Presley's offending moves, and it will continue to do so when today's students shake their heads at their grandchildren’s antics. Still, it's called a school dance for a reason, and the establishment is responsible for what happens. So, what's going too far? But what about the dancing itself?
Whether we see it as creative expression . Many schools have at least some rules to groove by. But should the grown-ups be doing more?
'It's hard for children to differentiate between reality and fantasy. Most girls and boys mimic what they view on television which in most cases is a fictitious world. However they are unable to make that connection. Therefore, they do what they see and bring the secular world into the school. I think students should be supervised by a responsible adult prior to performing in a school event or activity. I also think that we (adults) are responsible for the children we teach.' Says Lata a mother of std VI and IX students.
“As a former dancer for 27 years and an educator who has coached the school dance team as well as just a highly opinionated citizen, I want to add my two cents worth. Let's face it; kids are always going to try to push the envelope on what is permitted. Adults are always going to want to set limits. That's natural and appropriate. By placing too much emphasis on external expression, we adults can miss the point of the process adolescents are going through as they separate themselves from their childhood and define limits for themselves. If we grown-ups set reasonable limits, then stand firm on consequences for going beyond them, a healthy balance is achieved. We do not have to be grossed out by behavior we deem unseemly, and young people feel their needs have been taken into account and they get half the pie, not the whole megilla.” Says Ritika an academician.
While majority of respondents said that there is no need for bollywood dances during school gatherings, and we should cultivate more classical and creative focus. Most of the schools in Pune are moving in right direction of setting standards and guidelines. That's the need of the day. “But question remains that schools may control these dances but what about reality shows where small children perform steps meant for adults. Also many parents are keen to emulate celebrity successes created out of these shows” says Pramila a grand parent.
This of course is beyond the school realms and something for caring parents to ponder over. We leave readers at this point and solicit their opinions which we promise to publish. Please mail us your opinion
& feedback on
Newsdesk@cityblogpune.com.

Edition6: Childrens Rights: Part1




Edition 6: 2009 Rewind

l JULY
l Roger Federer defeats Andy Roddick to win the men's singles of the 2009 Wimbledon Championships.
l The death toll from the recent riots in Ürümqi China rises to 184
l Five people are killed and several injured in India after a bridge being constructed for the Delhi Metro collapses
l Ajmal Kasab, the only surviving gunman in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, pleads guilty in an Indian court, ending months of denials
l India and the United States sign a defence pact.
l India launches its first nuclear submarine, the INS Arihant
l Kashmiri minister Omar Abdullah resigns over claims he was involved in a sex trafficking and underage prostitution racket
l U.S. President Barack Obama arranged a meeting with police officer Sgt. James Crowley and African American public intellectual Henry Louis Gates at the White House in a bid to quell a dispute over racial profiling that arose from an altercation between the two of them.
l First Swine Flu case in Pune . Few schools closed.

l AUG
l An Indian court sentences to death three people for carrying out bombings that killed more than 50 people in Mumbai in 2003.
l Micro-blogging website Twitter is knocked offline by a distributed denial-of-service attack targetted at a Georgian blogger.
l At least 43 people are feared dead after a massive mudslide sweeps away three hamlets in northern India.
l England reclaim The Ashes with a 2-1 series win over Australia.
l The Los Angeles County coroner rules that American entertainer and musician Michael Jackson's death was a homicide caused by acute intoxication from the drug propofol.
l Chandrayaan-1 loses contact with ground control
l SEPTEMBER
l Google's Gmail service is hit by an outage affecting the "majority" of its 150 million users.
l Chief Minister of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy is confirmed dead when the wreckage of the helicopter that crashed with him on-board in southern India on Wednesday is located.
l Air India Flight 829 suffers an engine fire during pushback at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai. All 228 people on board successfully evacuate via emergency slides.
l Casualties and 25 deaths are feared in a gun battle between Maoist rebels and supporters of the ruling Communist party in the Indian state of West Bengal.
l A chimney collapse in Korba in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh leaves at least 15 workers dead and at least 50 feared trapped.
l India's Chandrayaan-1 probe discovers large amounts of water on the Moon. (Press Trust of India)
l OCTOBER
l The death toll from floods in the southern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka rises to 269, with a further 1.5 million people homeless
l A Taliban attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul kills at least 17 and injures 83.
l U.S. president Barack Obama wins the Nobel Peace Prize “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.
l India test fires two medium range Prithvi II missiles in the eastern state of Orissa.
l 32 people are killed in a fire at a fireworks warehouse in southern India, during the Diwali celebrations.
l At least 60 Taliban militants are killed in an ongoing offensive in South Waziristan, northwest Pakistan.
l The Microsoft operating system Windows 7 goes on retail sale worldwide.
l India tells China that the Dalai Lama is an "honoured guest" and will not be barred from visiting Arunachal Pradesh despite protests from China.
l 12 are killed by an IOC depot fire in Jaipur, Army is called.
l NOVEMBER
l 13 people die and 30 people are injured in a shooting at the Fort Hood U.S. Army base in Texas. Fort Hood is currently under lock- down.
l Cyclone Phyan hits western coast
of India, more than 60 peoples are
dead with lot of damage to
property & crobs.
l India's Supreme Court judges disclose their assets online.
l Eight children drown after a boat carrying 35 pupils capsizes in Kerala, southern India.
l At least 34 people are killed and 29 are injured when a bus falls into a gorge in Himachal Pradesh.
l World leaders mark the twentieth anniversary of the Berlin Wall's fall, with the main celebrations taking place at the Brandenburg Gate.
l Tens of thousands of people gather in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh to hear an address by the visiting Dalai Lama.
l U.S. President Barack Obama continues his first trip to China and meets with Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao
l India's main opposition BJP party condemns a leaked Liberhan Commission report that implicated opposition figures in the destruction of the Babri Mosque in 1992
l Dubai World, the state-owned real-estate and ports giant, asks for a moratorium on its 59 billion US dollars' in debt until at least May 30, 2010.
l Floods in Saudi Arabia kill around 77 people in Jeddah, Rabigh and Mecca, and a further 351 are missing in the heaviest rainfall in years.
l Tiger Woods, the world's number one golfer, is hospitalised after sustaining injuries in a car crash in Orlando, Florida, USA.
l The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2009 opens with the following issues on its agenda: discussion of climate change ahead of the December United Nations Climate Change Conference; Rwanda's admission into the Commonwealth of Nations; and Sri Lanka's bid to host the 2011 meeting.
l Mohan Rajpal of NCP first sikh
to become mayor of Pune.
l President Pratibhatai Patil becames oldest women to fly sukhoi jet.
December (up to 10th Dec.)
l Copenhagen Conference for
climate underway.
l Center approves creation of
Separate Telangana State.
l India cricket test team reaches ICC No.1ranking.

Edition6: F C Kohli: Father of Indian IT


F.C. Kohli is universally regarded as the father of the Indian software industry. He carried the title of vice-chairman of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) for years (Nani Palkhiwala was nominally chairman then). Kohli has been the architect and the driving force of TCS' phenomenal success. It is the first real Indian multinational, and led the way for every other software company to follow. It continues its leadership position and grows year on year in sales and profits without any surprises. Its blue-chip roster of Western clients makes it the envy of every other company, and it has a large domestic base too. However, the goal of TCS going public eluded Kohli till he stepped down as chairman in 2000. Kohli continues to be hyperactive, focussing his energies on education. His current brainchild is to use computer aided sounds and images to impart basic literacy, particularly to illiterate adults, in a matter of months.
Dr. Kohli was born on February 28, 1924. After obtaining a BA and BSc (Hons) at the Punjab University, Lahore, he came to Queen's where he obtained a BSc (Hons) in Electrical Engineering, and went on to complete a MS Electrical Engineering Degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
In 1951 he returned to India and started working for the Tata Electric Company, advancing until he became Director of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), India's premier information technology organization in 1974.
By encouraging research and development, introducing advanced technology and advocating for progressive changes in the industry at the government level, Dr. Kohli transformed the company from a 10-person operation to one with 10,000 consultants working in 20 countries around the world.
He is attributed with creating, nurturing and growing India's software industry from scratch.
Dr. Kohli received numerous national and international awards and honours, among them an honorary doctorate in Engineering from University of Waterloo in 1990 and India's third-highest civilian honour, the Padma Bhusan in 2002.
Since retiring in 1999, Dr. Kohli continues as a consultant with TCS, encouraging an increase in hardware availability in India to support the Indian software industry and improved access to technology in rural areas. He is currently using multimedia technology to increase literacy standards in India through a unique 'Functional Learning' concept.
Dr. Kohli credits Queen's Applied Science program with providing him the skills in management and strategic planning that proved invaluable preparation for his future. He continues to inspire generations of young people with his commitment to give back to society something of what he has received from it.
Kohli started off as an engineer with Tata Power Company and rose through the ranks to become the deputy general manager. Was offered the reigns of Tata's fledgling IT company, TCS, in 1969. Over the next two decades and more Kohli shaped the destiny of TCS. He was the first to talk about Tandem, first to import an IBM 3090, to maintain that mainframes are not dead, and to question the openness of open systems-even before most of the world addressed these concerns. He continues to work on projects that will spread computing in the country, and in recent years has been focusing on hardware and micro-electronics. Widely credited as the father of Indian Software Industry, F.C.Kohli has secured a place in the Indian IT annals of history. Its thanks to him that, TCS defined the offshoring phenomenon, and established rules, which hundreds of firms entre-preneurial as well as established one shave followed since then.

Edition6: What is Google wave


What is a wave?
A wave is equal parts conversation and document. People can communicate and work together with richly formatted text, photos, videos, maps, and more.
A wave is shared. Any participant can reply anywhere in the message, edit the content and add participants at any point in the process. Then playback lets anyone rewind the wave to see who said what and when.
A wave is live. With live transmission as you type, participants on a wave can have faster conversations, see edits and interact with extensions in realtime.
Organizing events : Keep a single copy of ideas, suggested itinerary, menu and RSVPs, rather than using many different tools. Use gadgets to add weather, maps and more to the event.
Group Projects : Collaboratively work in real time to draft content, discuss and solicit feedback all in one place rather than sending email attachments and creating multiple copies that get out of sync.
Photo Sharing : Drag and drop photos from your desktop into a wave. Share with others. Use the slideshow viewer. Everyone on the wave can add their photos, too. It is easy to make a group photo album in Google Wave
Meeting Notes : Prepare a meeting agenda together, share the burden of taking notes and record decisions so you all leave on the same page. Team members can follow the minutes in real time, or review the history using Playback.
Brainstorming : Bring lots of people into a wave to brainstorm - live concurrent editing makes the quantity of ideas grow quickly! It is easy to add rich content like videos, images, URLs or even links to other waves. Discuss and then work together to distill down to the good ideas.
Interactive Games : Add a gadget to a wave to play live interactive games with your friends (we're hooked on Sudoku!). See everyone's moves as they make them in a fast-paced game or take a break and come back later.
Google Wave is designed as a new Internet communications platform. It is written in Java using OpenJDK and its web interface uses the Google Web Toolkit. Google Wave works like previous messaging systems such as email and Usenet, but instead of sending a message along with its entire thread of previous messages, or requiring all responses to be stored in each user's inbox for context, message documents (referred to as waves) that contain complete threads of multi-media messages (blips) are perpetually stored on a central server. Waves are shared with collaborators who can be added to or removed from the wave at any point during a wave's existence.
Waves, described by Google as "equal parts conversation and document", are hosted XML documents that allow seamless and low latency concurrent modifications.[5] Any participant of a wave can reply anywhere within the message, edit any part of the wave, and add participants at any point in the process. Each edit/reply is a blip and users can reply to individual blips within waves. Recipients are notified of changes/replies in all waves in which they are active and, upon opening a wave, may review those changes in chronological order. In addition, waves are live. All replies/edits are visible in real-time, letter by letter, as they are typed by the other collaborators. Multiple participants may edit a single wave simultaneously in Google Wave. Thus, waves can function not only as e-mails and threaded conversations but also as an instant messaging service when many participants are online at the same time. A wave may repeatedly shift roles between e-mail and instant messaging depending on the number of users editing it concurrently. The ability to show messages as they are typed can be disabled, similar to conventional instant messaging.
The ability to modify a wave at any location lets users create collaborative documents, edited in a manner akin to wikis. Waves can easily link to other waves. It is in many respects a more advanced forum.
The history of each wave is stored within it. Collaborators may use a playback feature in Google Wave to observe the order in which a wave was edited, blips that were added, and who was responsible for what in the wave. The history may also be searched by a user to view and/or modify specific changes, such as specific kinds of changes or messages from a single user.
As of November, 2009, Google Wave is still in active development and is expected to remain in development until later in 2009. It was launched to about 100,000 users on September
30, 2009. Google Wave access can be requested. Developers have been given access to Wave proper, and all wave users invited by Google can nominate up to 20 others.

Edition6: MARATHI PRONOUNCIATION

Marathi has special pronouns which are used to show respect while addressing to the person (second person) or refering to the third person. All such cases are described in the Grammar section.
ENGLISH MARATHI
I Mi
You Tvoo
He Tvo
She Tvee
They Tve
My Maa-ze
Mine Maa-ze
His Tvya-cxhe
Her Tvi-cxhe
Their Tvyaa-N-cxhe
Them Tve
It He
Here I-ka-de, ye-the, ee-the
There Tvi-ka-de, tve-the, tvi-the

Edition6: X Mas Recepies

Cranberry Punch











Ingredients
2 cups cranberry juice
2 cups pineapple juice
1 cup orange juice
3/4 cup triple sec (optional)
1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 lime, thinly sliced
4 cups ginger ale, chilled Introduction:
This sparkling red punch is a good choice for a buffet at holiday time with a citrus bite. For a less sweet punch, substitute seltzer or club soda for the ginger ale. Makes about 1 1/2 quarts.
Total time: 20 minutes, plus chilling time.
Step 1:
In a large glass container, combine ingredients and chill thoroughly.
Step 2:
Just before serving, slowly stir in the ginger ale. Pour into a punch bowl or large jug and add ice cubes.

Christmas Pudding










Ingredients
1 1/2 cups raisins, chopped
2/3 cup dates, pitted and chopped
1 cup soft dried figs, chopped
1 cup currants
3/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup brandy
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter
1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
grated zest of 1 lemon grated zest of 1 orange 4 eggs, beaten 1 cup blanched almonds, chopped 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, sifted 1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 1 teaspoon ground allspice 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 1/2 cups fresh white bread crumbs Introduction: No traditional Christmas dinner is complete without pudding. It is best if allowed to mature for at least two days before serving, but it can be made up to three months ahead. Makes 12 to 16 servings.
Preparation time: 5 hours and 3 days.
Step 1:
Grease a 2-quart ceramic mold or casserole.
Step 2:
In a large bowl, place all the fruit and pour the brandy over it. Stir well to disperse the brandy. Cover with a towel and set aside to macerate 12 to 24 hours.
Step 3:
In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on high, beat the butter and sugar until thick and creamy. Beat in the zests and eggs. Fold in the fruit and almonds. Add the flour and spices, combining well, then fold in the bread crumbs.
Step 4:
Spoon the mixture into the prepared mold, press down well, and level the surface. Cut a sheet of wax paper 2 inches larger than the top of the mold. Pleat the wax paper twice through the center to allow for expansion as the pudding rises. Place the paper on top of the pudding and cover it with a twice-pleated double thickness of foil. Tie foil securely to the edge of the mold with string.
Step 5:
Place the mold on a rack in a Dutch oven or other large covered pot. Pour boiling water into the Dutch oven until it is halfway up the side of the mold. Keep water at a gentle boil. Steam for 4 hours, topping the boiling water to the same level when necessary.
Step 6:
Remove the mold from the Dutch oven and set on a rack to cool. When thoroughly cooled, rewrap with fresh wax paper and foil, and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Step 7:
Steam again for 2 hours or microwave to reheat before serving.

Hot Chocolate Espresso












Ingredients
1/2 cup strong hot coffee
1 to 3 teaspoons sugar (optional)
½ cup cream, or 1/4 cup half-and-half and 1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa whipped cream
1 tablespoon milk chocolate, grated
cinnamon stick Introduction:
Not for the worried weight watcher, this creamy drink is pure indulgence but just right for after ice skating or sledding on a wintry day.
Makes about 1 cup.
Total time: 10 minutes.
Step 1:
In a large cup or mug, mix the coffee and sugar, if desired.
Step 2:
In a small saucepan over low heat, warm the cream. Add the cocoa and mix well.
Step 3:
Add the cream mixture to the coffee and top with a dollop of whipped cream and the grated chocolate. Serve with a cinnamon stick.
Apple Cake









Ingredients
• 4 Apples (peeled, cored and sliced)
• 1 tbsp Baking Powder
• 2 cups White Sugar
• 4 Eggs
• 2 tsp Cinnamon (ground)
• 3 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 5 tbsp White Sugar
• 5 tbsp Brown Sugar
• 1 cup Vegetable Oil
How to make Apple Cake:
• Mix flour and baking powder in a large bowl. • Take a different bowl and put vegetable oil, sugar (2 cups) and eggs into it. Beat the mixture well.
• Now, blend the egg mixture and flour mixture until smooth. • Take a small bowl and mix brown sugar, white sugar and cinnamon in it. • Pour half of the oil-egg batter into a pan. Add 2 apples followed by half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture to the pan.
• Repeat the last step. • Bake the mixture in a preheated oven for about 50-70 minutes. • Let the cake cool. Invert the pan over a plate. • Apple Cake is ready to serve.

Chocolate Mousse










• 200 gm Bittersweet Chocolate
(melted and kept lukewarm)
• 3 tbsp Granulated Sugar
• 2 cups Heavy Cream
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 4 Egg Yolks

How to make Chocolate Mousse:
• Heat 2/3 cup of cream in small saucepan over low flame until it just begins to steam. • In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. • Add half portion of the hot cream, whisking constantly, until the mixture is thoroughly combined. • Add the warm egg-cream blend back into the rest hot cream in the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly for a few more minutes. • Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract and melted chocolate.
• Chill the chocolate custard thoroughly. • Beat remaining 1-1/3 cups of cream in a separate bowl until stiff peaks form. • Thoroughly stir ½ cup of the whipped cream into the chilled chocolate custard, and then gently fold in the remaining cream. • Now thoroughly incorporated chocolate custard into the whipped cream and serve chilled.

Edition6: Quiz

Tomato is a:
Choose one of the following:
Fruit o
Root o
Flower o
Seed o
Garlic is a:
Choose one of the following:
Stem o
Leaf o
Bulb o
Flower o
Ginger is a:
Choose one of the following:
Stem o
Root o
Bulb o
Flower o
Carrot is a:
Choose one of the following:
Fruit o
Leaf o
Seed o
Root o
Pumpkin is a :
Choose one of the following:
Flower o
Fruit o
Stem o
Bulb o
Chilli is a:
Choose one of the following:
Stem o
Leaf o
Fruit o
Flower o
Potato is a:
Choose one of the following:
Fruit o
Leaf o
Seed o
Tuber o
Pea is a:
Choose one of the following:
Seed o
Leaf o
Fruit o
Flower o
Cauliflower is a:
Choose one of the following:
Stem o
Root o
Bulb o
Flower o
Spring onion is a:
Choose one of the following:
Bulb o
Root o
Flower o
Seed o
LOGIC PUZZLE
A farmer wants to cross a river and take with him a wolf, a goat, and a cabbage. There is a boat that can fit himself plus either the wolf, the goat, or the cabbage. If the wolf and the goat are alone on one shore, the wolf will eat the goat. If the goat and the cabbage are alone on the shore, the goat will eat the cabbage.
How can the farmer bring the wolf, the goat, and the cabbage across the river?
Farmer takes Goat across (leaving Wolf and Cabbage behind)
Farmer returns alone
Farmer takes Wolf across
Famer returns with Goat
* We now have the Farmer, the Cabbage and the Goat on one side and the Wolf on the other side
Farmer takes Cabbage across
Farmer returns alone
Farmer takes Goat across

Edition6: Greetings


Edition6 : News




New Draft At Copenhagen Conference
A new draft proposal released Friday at the Copenhagen climate summit calls for developed countries to make deeper cuts to greenhouse gas emissions than current commitments.
The six-page draft document, authored by Michael Zammit Cutajar, the chair of the UN's ad-hoc working group on long-term cooperative action, doesn't specify a solid emission reduction target for developed countries such as Canada, but instead offers a range of options.
For example, the draft calls for emission reductions of 25 to 45 per cent from 1990 levels by 2020 for developed countries, and reductions of 15 and 30 per cent by 2020 for developing countries.
Both these targets are more ambitious than the current climate targets outlined by both industrialized and emerging economies.
The European Union has pledged a 20 per cent cut in emissions from 1990 levels with a pledge to raise the cuts to 30 per cent of 1990 levels if the United States and Canada provide better commitments.
Canada's federal government has proposed a 20 per cent cut in emissions from 2006 levels, which falls short of the baseline European offer and well short of the working group's draft.
The document provides a starting point for world leaders scheduled to meet next week to try and hammer out an agreement to replace the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is one of over 100 heads of state scheduled to take part in the leaders conference.
A group of small island states also issued their own draft plan on Friday, calling for even more stringent emission reductions they say are needed to keep average global temperatures from rising more than 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels.
The Alliance of Small Island States have been pushing for more aggressive emission reductions because they fear rising global temperatures will in turn lead to dangerous increases in sea levels that might threaten their populations. Most draft plans call for trying to keep rises in average global temperatures below 2 C.
Govt decides to carve Telangana state out of Andhra Pradesh
The government will carve a new state called Telangana out of Andhra Pradesh, home to several major international companies, a move that could fuel social unrest and separatist demands in other states.
The government's decision came after more than a week of violent protests shut down business in Hyderabad, home to firms like Microsoft, Google and Mahindra Satyam.
No decision has yet been made on whether Hyderabad, one of the faces of economic success, will stay in Andhra Pradesh or move to the new state.
"The process of forming the state of Telangana will be initiated," Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram told reporters, without giving further details.
Congress leaders say the government wanted to respect the sentiments of the people of Telangana who have been demanding statehood for a long time.
The creation of another state not only raises concerns it may push movements in other states to use violent protests to press their demands but also worries about whether Hyderabad will be locked in a power-struggle, affecting the growing IT sector.
"The creation of Telangana will act as a spur for Vidarbha, Kamtapur, Gorkhaland, possibly for agitations in certain regions of north India," political analyst Mahesh Rangarajan said, referring to areas in the states of Maharashtra and West Bengal.
“It is very, very significant. It has got the potential of changing the way the map of India runs inside," said Rangarajan.

Edition6:Indian Cricket Review 2009




The year 2009 ended at high with Indian Test team reaching zenith of ICC rankings. Point missed in this event is importance of few experienced individuals like SRT, Dravid, Laxman and sehwag (and earlier ganguly and kumble) to the cause of the team. They act as buffer to pressure of international cricket. They also create pressure for the opposition and thus opportunities for the team.
Compare the bad year we had in limited over cricket. At least SRT being there in ODI team, we won Compaq cup in Srilanka. Of course Australia series was a close one where two matches were lost on last ball. Had it gone other way we would have been number one ODI team.
But, T20 team needs some overhaul. We could only win one T20 match against serious opposition (thanks to heroics of pathan brothers after main lineup failure). (This report was written after first T20 against srilanka). There is serious problem in fielding, bowling and shot selection. That too with such a young team fielding still remains worries. With IPL experience, we felt Indian first and second rung players would be masters of game. I think IPL has given opposition a very good insight into weaknesses of Indian players. Or maybe these players are too relaxed at International level as they have cushion of IPL successes to bank on even if they fail in International cricket.
We started year with cancelled Pak Tour and a makeshift lanka ODI series which we won. In test we played one 6 six tests: 3 against NZ and 3 against SL. NZ series was a notable success as we have witnessed in past NZ sides in NZ have beaten us. Gautam Gambhir had a fabulous year as he is next best thing in Indian cricket which did not produce one since advent of Dhoni in 04. Ishant flattered to deceive. This brings another point to credit Saurav Ganguly as captain who spotted and nurtured players like Bhajji, sehwag, Yuvraj, Zaheer which all are repeated proven winners in International arena. Of course there have been false starts as well like those for Irfan, Balaji, Nehra.
Coming back to 2009 Indian criket review: IPL had to be shifted in South Africa. It seems like people there enjoyed it. Indian cricket has a great market anywhere in world thanks to diaspora. But this resulted into thoughts about threat to tests and death of ODI. Both were proven wrong thanks to some great test cricket played by teams and crowds during Ind aus series. But administration needs to walk a tight rope to balance things.
In tests, Sehwag again proved a match winner in two tests against Srilanka. He needs to sort out limited overs problem as even if he bats like test in ODI or T20, it will be great.
Dravid got back in form. Yuvraj still has to sort out test tangles like sehwag in ODIs. Bowling had few problems with Ishant but shreeshants return is heart warming. Kumble was also missed severely. Zaheer if fit did a lot of damage. SRT and laxman still evoke fears in opposition bowling.
Captain Dhoni had great time in test and with bat in ODI. He needs to be more assertive on field in limited over cricket.
We failed miserably in ICCT20 and champions trophy. So after a single T20 win in 07, India still looks forward to fill ICC trophies. Only two to show: One in 83 and shared one in 2002 champion trophy. Atleast we are better of than South Africa. Pakistan and Australia won those tournaments. Australia lost ashes and South Africa a home series against Australia. England had good ashes but with flintoff exit they have challenge in South Africa. Srilanka also struggled though Dilshan had a great year. Murali and medis magic waned.
Pakistan can boast of two emerging players in Umar Akmal and Amer. Kiwis team was strengthened by return of ICL players. Ireland and Netherlands did well in T20 ICC.
SRT completed 20 years and go what a contribution it has been. Lets all hope we have good 2010 and preparation for 2011 world cup which we look forward to as a parting gift from this great player.

Edition 6: Pune city in 2000s

In came the famous expressway thanks to vision of Balasaheb Thakray. That changed Pune by having utmost linkage with sister city and all in things from Mumbai found place in Pune. Pubs and parties in pune had people driving from Mumbai coming in. Many new pubs and clubs started in Pune. Nightlife with happening college crowd is what drove people to Pune.
Old pune found this bit neo culture and wannabes there tried to match the peers. Hinjewadi was fully operational and all majors were there in Pune. Dotcom had created varying notions about pune and various portals came in landscape. Chatting was in. Reliance and BSNL ventured into mass market for mobility bending and twisting rules. BJP finally came into power with stable support. Vision of golden quadrilateral improved other roads as well connecting Pune to cities like Nasik, Kolhapur, Nagar, solapur. Lot of migration happened from interior maharashtra to Pune for education and IT jobs as well.
Then came the dotcom bust with many techies impacted. But again by 03-04 things returned to normal. This paved way for glories of 05-06-07 which was a bull run in Indian market. Real estate went unreal in these years and property values doubled trebled from 01 rates. Interest rates went down in these years resulting in Housing boom. Drought like situation in 02-03 turned into floods in 04-05-06. Rains started changing patterns. Water supply of pune was dependent on dams and rains. But due to increase in population these systems are inadequate. Now you see tankers plying in societies in fringe areas. As we enter last year of 00's world is amidst recession and many here have suffered. Industrial belt is place for the fittest. Banking is tainted; finance and markets are bad words.
Pune started with load shedding in 05 and i suffered a lot. Many entrepreneurs suffered. Till now situation has not changed. This has added another dynamics in Pune life. Pune had only one private FM channel throughout these years but since last few years there is a competition.
Multiplexes first started in 01, now we have 5-6 such multiplexes which are other hangouts. Still Tapris are mushrooming especially for out of home student/professionals. Theme parks have not done that well here. Tourism has increased to places close by and its a foul if you are in Pune especially on long weekends. Farmhouses have risen. Foreign population has increased.
A new positive trend has emerged on social front with committed volunteers for environment, civic groups. It's fashionable now. But still rampant is sycophancy involved in flex board. Every demographic group is now militant about its pride and honor and tolerance of dissent has reduced. Old Pune was much more progressive and tolerant. But now we have a paradox; accepting each new trend, technology we have fallen back on horoscopes, super-stitions. Maybe life has become tougher and human mind is very weak. And family institutions are falling resulting in support and communication systems being on downside.
People spend more time online than with family. Connectivity increased in Pune. We got VOIP, chats, videos connecting to members of families overseas. A reverse migration from US started in mid 00s with many professionals coming back (after taking oath of US citizenship) to get best of both worlds (very typical to NRI mind set). Many international luxury brands, malls, started filling the scene. Cars came in.
Law and order started becoming issue with rampant burglaries, murders. This was an indicator of rising divide between haves and has not's especially the migrants from other parts. Traffic now is pathetic though there are some up laudable initiatives launched. Real estate with recession in late 00s has got a very minor correction. But change has been enormous and all inclusive. Name a field and you have it.
Board exam are mere formalities with multiple CETs making their way. Many new branded schools came up with people preferring ICSE/CBSE over State board. Admissions for pre-primaries are major stress factors for parents. Hospital situation got worse with no much added capacity. Though new hospitals came in but still there is under capacity. Health insurance became more popular. But noble profession became more unethical and money minded.
Gyms and health routines like walk, etc became in thing. Holidaying abroad became more feasible than domestic tours.
On ganesh festival side, more awareness and regulations have setin. more festivals are socially concsious. But new things have arised like dahihandi, navratra toran, dandiya, year end etc. These are DJ nights with processions /celebrations.
Pune has now involved in terror activities with some evidences linking have been established. With all defense establishments and central govt bodies, it has considerable threat.
But Pune has still retained old charm in those localities, manageable commuting distances, reasonable weather, lot of avenues for professional as well extra curricular activities.
But will Pune sustain this growth? What's in the store post 2010 as we head into next decade? Need some good governance, active citizenship, beyond politics forums to make that happen. But always you have a hope? World lives on hope. Hope this recent crisis is taken care of as we head into next decade.

Edition 6: Social ads







Edition 6: Problems reaching your goals


Going for what you want but feeling like something is road-blocking the way? Finding yourself ‘not’ doing some of the things you know you should be doing?
You may be a victim of sabotage---self-sabotage. How do you know, and what can you do about it? Read on and see.
The 7 Signs of Self-Sabotaging Behaviors
1. Focusing on what is not working or not right.
Problem: Finding that you think a lot and speak a lot about what is going wrong can make you feel dissatisfied and can quiet your sense of purpose and ambition. Notice how often you speak about things that aren't working.
Action: Ask yourself a new question: "What's going right?" or "What IS working?" Begin to notice all the things, no matter how small, that are working well. Keep an evidence journal and each day write down everything, I do mean everything, that is working. Change your way of thinking!
2. Being stuck in fear.
Problem: Do you worry a lot about the future and what is going to happen or might happen? Are you thinking about your fears so much that you are paralyzed and take no action because of fear of what might occur?
Action: It is time to put your focus on the present. We can't control or predict the future or other people's behaviors. All we can control is our own, right here, right now. Ask yourself the question "What is the worst thing that could happen?" Then, let go and know that it isn't in your hands to control the future and that rarely do the scenarios we create in our heads occur. Use the
wonderful Serenity Prayer and actually write down the things you can not change, the things you want courage to change, and accept that the Universe, God, Spirit, whatever you call it, is the ultimate guide and you are not able to control the future. Relax, breathe and trust that the Universe will take care of you - it always does.
3. Feeling you have no value.
Problem: Do you forget all your accomplishments and lack pride in who you are and what you have accomplished? If you stew and obsess about the past or your lack of success or lack of goal achievement, then you'll be stuck in noticing how much you lack as a person. If you often criticize yourself or can't accept compliments, you aren't allowing yourself to love yourself.
Action: You can choose to notice what you do that is good and that you can be proud of, no matter how small it may seem. Each day keep a log of what you are grateful for about YOU. When you hear your "inner coach" or inner voice telling you what you haven't done right or well, turn down the volume on it and turn on the volume to hear the voice that knows the TRUTH about who you are and how you add value to the world. Acknowledge yourself for at least 5 things each and every day that you did well. Each day, compliment yourself on something you did that you feel good about. Notice your small successes and let compliments others give you flow into your bones.
4. Comparison of self to others.
Problem: Do you constantly compare yourself to others and then feel badly when compared to them? Comparison doesn't motivate us to do more or be better, instead it makes us feel we'll never be good enough and we aren't right now.
Action: Write out the 5 qualities you like best about yourself. Then write out what you value most in your life. When you go to a place of comparison, notice how similar you are with the other person vs. what is different. Begin to create a list of adjectives that describe you - at least 25 positive words about your greatness. Whenever you notice yourself in a comparison mode, think of some of the adjectives that describe YOU.
5. Meeting goals and then losing them.
Problem: Do you not believe that you deserve to accomplish goals and that
you are entitled to what you want? What is the story underneath - maybe that you aren't good enough to have it?
Action: List all the things you have accomplished that then faded away. Simply notice these things with love and pride and don't focus on the fact they disappeared. How did they bring you satisfaction? How did they make you feel? What is the limiting belief that you have that tells you inside why you can't have what you want? Be quiet, be still and listen to it. Write down how you felt when you had accomplished the goal. Write down how you feel now, without the goal. Then write a "bridge belief": A very, very small belief that feels a little bit better than what you now feel. Each week, create a new bridge, that you can really believe. By using these bridges as stepping-stones, you'll shift your limiting beliefs slowly and be on the other side of the bridge and able to maintain it because you will have a new belief inside of you.
6. You chase away relationships.
Problem: Do you always feel something is missing in your relationships or find fault with the other person? Perhaps you are afraid of intimacy. Underneath this is usually a fear of abandonment or exposure that causes you to distance yourself from others.
Action: Create a list of the qualities you value in a relationship and the qualities you want to attract in your partners. Cultivate connections you have with people. Express what you want and don't want to the other person and allow them to express the same to you. Create time to acknowledge the other person on a regular basis. Notice when you feel afraid and let the fillings be - accept them and allow them to sit there. Don't try to push them away. Know that the feelings are there and that is fine. Focus on what feels good about the relationship.
afraid and let the fillings be - accept them and allow them to sit there. Don't try to push them away. Know that the feelings are there and that is fine. Focus on what feels good about the relationship.
7. Having no purpose.
Problem: Do you feel you have no reasons for being? No purpose in life? We all have some purpose for being on the planet and it is time to notice yours.
Action: Write down all the things that are important to you (include possessions, people and feelings). Then write out what you want to contribute to the world. From your writing, create a statement of purpose for yourself that you can read each and every day. Add spirituality to your life. Give to others, give to the world and feel great about it. Make regular contributions to people and community. To give is to receive. Give, give, give and you'll feeeeeel your life purpose begins to resonate

Edition 6: Mauritius




Population of Mauritius: 1,240,827
Area of Mauritius: 2,040 SQ KM:
40 miles by 30 miles
Official Language: Creol
HISTORY OF MAURITIUS
Mauritius was first discovered by the Arabs in 975 AD, then by the Portuguese between 1507and 1513. In 1598, the Dutch landed in a bay in the south-east. island "Mauritius" after Prince Mauritius Van Nassau, the stadtholder of Holland.
Although the Dutch called occasion-ally for shelter, food and fresh water, they made no attempt to develop the island. The beautiful bird, The DODO, which was described as a feathered tortoise was an easy target for the laziest hunter. Unfortunately, it was fat and couldn't fly.
In 1622, Danish adventurers arrived, hoping to exploit the ebony with which the island abounded. The French and British, too, began to see possibilities both for trade and strategy in the mascarenes and sent out expeditions in 1638. Their ships arrived too late.
In September 1715, France took possession of Mauritius in the name of King Louis XV of France. He named it the Ile de France, placed the French flag near what is now Port Louis, drew a document witnessed by his officers declaring the island French and sailed away after three days. Island was under french rule for 75 years.
On the last Sunday in January 1790, a packet-boat arrived in the Port Louis harbour from France, flying a new flag, the Tricolor. It brought news of the revolution in France. The colonists' enthusiasm for the revolutionary principles of liberty, equality and fraternity faltered when in 1796, two agents of the Directoire, wearing splendid orange cloaks, arrived from France and informed the colonists that slavery was abolished. The news was received with anger and the agents had to flee for their lives.
The last French governor of Ile de France was appointed by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1803 to bring the colony back to order after 13 years of autonomy. With such a task, it was inevitable that the governor, General Charles Decaen, would be unpopular.
Charles Decaen curried favour with the elite by allowing slavery and privateering, which were both hugely profitable, to continue.
On the 3 December 1810, the British, under General Abercrombie, marched into Port Napoleon where the French surrendered. Ile de France, Port Napoleon and Port Imperial was reverted to their former names, Mauritius, Port Louis and Mahebourg. Soldiers were to be treated as civilians, not as prisoners of war and were allowed to leave the island. Settlers who did not want to stay under a British administrator were permitted to return to France with all their possessions.
In 1810, Robert Farquhar, aged 34 became the first English governor. Under his governorship sugar production increased, Port Louis was transformed into a free port, roads were built and trade flourished. He mixed with everyone and encouraged younger generation to open dialogue with coloured leaders. The British also preserved the island's laws, customs, language, religion and property. The treaty of Paris did restore Bourbon / Reunion island in 1814 but the Ile de France, by now with its former name of Mauritius, was confirmed as a British possession.
Slavery was finally abolished in 1835.
Shortly afterwards thousands of Indians from Madras, Calcutta and Bombay were encouraged to emigrate to Mauritius with promises of a labour contract that included a salary and accommodation and a passage home. They arrived in dreadful conditions at Port Louis where they were housed in temporary depots and distributed to the sugar estates. They were paid very little, subjected to harsh treatment and forced to work long hours. These indentured labourers or 'coolies', were slaves by another name and were to form the majority of the population.
Also in 1907, Mohandas Gandhi (later Mahatma Gandhi) visited Mauritius and as a result sent Manillal Doctor, an Indian lawyer, to Port Louis in 1907 to organise the indentured labourers who had no say in politics and no civil rights.
In 1936, the Labour Party was formed and persuaded the Indians to take politician action and campaign for better working conditions.
The Second World War brought infra structural development. The British based their fleet at Port Louis and Grand Port, as well as building an airport at Plaisance and a sea plane base at Baie du Tombeau. A large telecommunication station was built at Vacoas, although the first underwater telephone cable, linking South Africa to Australia, had been laid to Mauritius in 1901.
In the election held after the war, the Mauritius Labour Party won the majority of seats in the Legislative Council set up under the 1948 constitution. this success was repeated in 1953. After the 1959 election (the first held following the introduction of universal adult franchise), Hindu doctor (later Sir) Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, leader of the Mauritius labour Party became Chief Minister, then Premier in 1965, holding the post until 1982.
Mauritius became an independent country within the Commonwealth of Nations in 1968, Queen Elizabeth II as Head of State represented by a Governor General.
In 1992, Mauritius became an independent republic with the Commonwealth.
Since independence, Mauritius has changed drastically from a sugar producing island to a newly industrialised nation. For many, Mauritius was synonymous with the dodo. Much of its success is attributable to a policy of diversification from its traditional one crop industry, sugar to tourism, textile and agriculture. Mauritius has now the distinction of being one of the most stable countries in the developing world.
Mauritius is also promoted in holiday brochures as one of those faraway places associated with the dodo and desert island dreams. It is a country of diverse cultures justifying the tourist office's claim to being " the most cosmopolitan island in the sun" with a smiling, natural and charming people. Mauritius has an almost perfect year round climate and hotels with excellent service, comfortable accommodation and a full range of water and land sports, dazzling white beaches, deep blue lagoons and an enchanting mountain scenery.
Places visited by Riya
South: Shiva Temple, Volcanic crater, Seven color earth, falls, topmost point
East: Isle Aux Cerf, natural falls, parasailing, speed boat, surfing
North: Port Louis, submarine ride, shopping, grand bay…

Edition 6: IIT entrance guidance


In this article we will discuss some fundamental limits imposed by nature. You definitely have studied the related subjects for IIT-JEE but may not have analyzed the subjects from the point of view that we will discuss.
Problem 1 : Mathematical upper limit on growth
The other day I went to a bank to make some fixed deposit for my father. The bank offered 8% flat interest rate for a period of one year. Upon consulting with my father, I decided to check out the rate at another bank. They too offered 8% annual interest rate however, they offered to deposit & compound the interest every six months thus affectively raising the annual yield beyond 8%. While a third bank offered the same annual rate, they offered to deposit and compound the interest every 4 months and a fourth bank did the same thing every 3 months, thus pushing up the annual yield higher and higher. Perplexed, I returned home and wanted to find out what if there exists a bank which deposits and compounds the interest monthly -> weekly -> daily -> hourly -> minutely -> secondly -> micro-secondly - > …… -> instantaneously ! Would I get infinite annual yield this way?
To solve the problem, let's express the yield in terms of mathematics for the first bank. Suppose the interest rate is r % annually. So if you deposit Rs 1.00, after a year you will get
Net Amount = 1.00 + 1.00 * ( r/100) ; we will denote the quantity (r/100) with x. So we can say
Net Amount = 1 + x .
For the second bank, after six months the Net Amount = 1 + x/2 ; and after another six months the
Net Amount = ( 1 + x/2 ) ( 1+ x/2) = (1 + x/2) ^ 2 ( this is > 1 + x, prove yourself)
For a bank which deposits every 4 month, the
Net Amount = (1+x/3) ^ 3. (this is greater than (1+x/2) ^ 2, prove yourself)
So in general the Net Amount = (1 + x/n) ^ n, where the bank deposits & compounds the money in 'n' equal terms within a year.
So the bank which deposits instantaneously, the
Net Amount = (1 + x/n) ^ n , where n -> infinite.
= exp ^ x ; where exp is the exponential .
This is a finite quantity and therefore it is a limit imposed by nature. This is applicable to quantities which grow/decay instantaneously like growth a bacteria culture, decay of radioactive mass. You can prove the above results with calculus as well. Basically the growth of a quantity Y (net Amount), with respect t X (time), is proportional to the present value of Y (because of compounding)
dY/dX = Y => Y = exp ^X (ignoring the constants)
Problem 2 : fundamental law of propagation of light
Now let's discuss another limit imposed by nature on the propagation of light. This is time it is a minimum limit (physical) and not a maximum.
We have studied refraction in Ray Optics. The law of refraction (Snell's law) says
Refractive index = sine ( i ) / sine ( r ) , which is a constant , given the two media. My question to you is why is this so? What is achieved by nature by following this trigonometric calculation? Typically Sine and Cosine functions occur only in laws involving vector quantities. How does the poor light ray know about trigonometry? Huh !
Let's look at the attached diagram to understand the law of refraction. Light ray starts from point A (0,h) and reaches point B(d, h) after refracting at point C (x, 0).
We have chosen the co-ordinates of these points very carefully to simplify the mathematics. Velocity of light in the media above X axis is V1 while it's velocity below X axis is V2.
We have drawn three lines from A -> B
1. The left most one passes through point 'P' : such a path will be taken if V1 < v1 =" V2"> V2
To generalize the situation we will use the path through C, whose co-ordinate is (x,0). The incident angle and refracted angles are 'I' and 'r' respectively at point C.
Our next objective is to measure the time taken by light to travel between A and B.
The distance between A and C will be travelled in time = [sqrt (h^2 + x^2)] / V1
The distance between C and B will be travelled in time = [ sqrt {h^2 + (d - x)^2}] / V2
This follows from measuring the distances using Pythagoras' rule and dividing the same by velocity in that medium.
So the total time , which is a function of x, is
T(x) = [sqrt (h^2 + x^2)] / V1 + [ sqrt {h^2 + (d - x)^2}] / V2
Now we are interested to find out the maxima and minima of this function T, with respect to x.
To do so, we take first order derivative, T'(x) , and equate to zero. We get
x / [ V1 * sqrt (h^2 + x^2 ) ] = (d x) /
[ V2 * sqrt {h^2 + (d-x)^2 }]
l V1/V2 = [ x / sqrt (h^2 + x^2 ) ] / [(d-x) / sqrt {h^2 + (d-x)^2 }]
Notice that Sine(i) = x/ sqrt (h^2 + x^2 ) and Sine(r) = (d-x)/ sqrt {h^2 + (d - x)^2} Therefore we can write that the local minima or maxima occurs when
Sine(i) / Sine(r) = V1/V2.
I want you to carry on the second order derivative of T(x) and prove that it is indeed a minimum.
So , we have concluded that, light ray will take a path in which the time taken to reach its destination is minimum. And that's the secret behind Snell's law.
Why is this so ? the answer to this question requires reference to very advanced Quantum Theory put forward by Richard Feynman. In short it is “Quantum particles (like photons) can sniff around the vicinity of its path and find out the one which takes minimum time. A macro object like a bullet can't sniff around and hence it would have taken a straight path from A to B. The capability to 'sniff round' empowers light ray at the surface of separation (C) with the knowledge that its velocity would change in the neighborhood of point C and hence it alters it's path. When there is no change in velocity it keeps travelling in the same straight path just like any other macro object will do!”.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Edition 5: What is your Carbon Footprint




As the Copenhagen conference is under way, we attempt to educate our readers about carbon footprint created by us as an individual and as a country.
The measure, as they say of pollution is carbon footprint.
A carbon footprint is a measure of the impact our activities have on the environment, and in particular climate change. It relates to the amount of greenhouse gases produced in our day-to-day lives through burning fossil fuels for electricity, heating and transportation etc.
The carbon footprint is a measurement of all greenhouse gases we individually produce and has units of tonnes (or kg) of carbon dioxide equivalent.
A carbon footprint is made up of the sum of two parts, the primary & Secondary footprints.
1. The primary footprint is a measure of our direct emissions of CO2 from the burning of fossil fuels including domestic energy consumption and transportation (e.g. car and plane).
2. The secondary footprint is a measure of the indirect CO2
emissions from the whole life cycle of products we use-those
associated with their manufacture and eventual break-down. To put it
very simply the more we buy the more emissions will be caused on our behalf.
How to measure your carbon footprint
Step 1. : Track your mileage. Driving your car is the largest portion of
your carbon footprint about the size of your heel and arch put together! Track your mileage and calculate how many gallons of fuel you use each day. For each gallon of gasoline consumed, add 19.6 pounds of CO2. Lower your CO2 emissions by walking or bicycling, car pooling, riding public trans-portation, and planning errands around other necessary trips in town. Maintaining your vehicle keeps it running cleaner and also
helps reduce your carbon footprint.
2. Step 2 : Read your electric meter. Each day record your kilowatt-
hours (kWh) used. Every kilowatt-hour produces 1.5 pounds of CO2.
But for every kilowatt-hour used, 2.2 are wasted, or lost, during
transmission over electrical lines. Therefore, small changes can have a
big impact. Reduce your usage by replacing standard light bulbs to
compact fluorescent. Keep in mind, fluorescent light bulbs contain
mercury so proper disposal at your local recycling center is a must.
Turning off computers when not in use can reduce their carbon footprint
by 50 percent. (See resource section below for more ways to reduce
electrical costs and, in turn, your carbon footprint).
3. Step 3 : Track your natural gas or propane meter. Again, record your ter filters each month during the winter. If you have an older home with single pane windows, consider replacing them this summer for huge savings next winter. Your heating bill and your carbon footprint will shrink from jumbo to petite. daily usage of natural gas. Every 100 cubic feet belches out 12 pounds of CO2. Propane gas uses
slightly more at 12.6 pounds per gallon. Reduce your heating carbon footprint by replacing heater filters each month during the winter. If you
have an older home with single pane windows, consider replacing them
this summer for huge savings next winter. Your heating bill and your
carbon footprint will shrink from jumbo to petite.
4. Step 4 : Measure your carbon footprint. Gather your data and
calculate your carbon footprint online. There are a number of easy-
to-use calculators available and, while they may vary in the level of
detailed information, each one will give you a good indication of where
you stand in your carbon footprint.
http://www.nature.org/initiatives /climatechange/calculator/?src=f1
Indian average : 1.25 tCO2/yr.
World average : 4 tCO2/yr.
US average : 19tCO2/yr.
Europe average : 8 tCo2/yr.
What you can do to reduce your carbon footprint ?
For Individuals : Here's a list of simple things you can do immediately
n Turn it off when not in use (lights, television, DVD player, Hi Fi, computer etc. etc. ...)
n Turn down the central heating slightly (try just 1 to 2 degrees C)
n Turn down the water heating setting (just 2 degrees will make a significant saving)
n Check the central heating timer setting - remember there is no point heating the house after you have left for work
n Fill your dish washer and washing machine with a full load - this will save you water, electricity, and washing powder
n Fill the kettle with only as much water as you need
n Do your weekly shopping in a single trip
n Hang out the washing to dry rather than tumble drying it
n Sign up to a green energy supplier, who will supply electricity from renewable sources (e.g. wind and hydroelectric power) - this will reduce your carbon footprint
contribution from electricity to zero The following is a list of items that
may take an initial investment, but should pay for themselves over the course of 1-4 years through savings on your energy bills.
n Fit energy saving light bulbs
n Install thermostatic valves on your radiators
n Insulate your hot water tank, your loft and your walls
n Installing cavity wall installation
n By installing 180mm thick loft insulation
n Recycle your grey water
n Replace your old fridge / freezer (if it is over 15 years old), with a new one with energy efficiency rating of “A"
n Replace your old boiler with a new energy efficient condensing boiler Travel less and travel more carbon footprint friendly.
n Car share to work, or for the kids school run
n Use the bus or a train rather than your car
nFor short journeys either walk or cycle
nTry to reduce the number of flights you take. See if your employer will allow you
to work from home one day a week. Next time you replace your car - check out diesel engines. With one of these you can even make your own Bio-diesel fuel.
nWhen staying in a hotel - turn the lights and air-conditioning off when you leave your hotel room, and ask for your room towels to be washed every other day, rather than every day.
As well as your primary carbon footprint, there is also a secondary footprint that you cause through your buying habits.n Don't buy bottled water if your tap water is sa

Edition 5:Encouraging Children to Use RTI for Greener Envirponment

Last week Cityblog published news about Hill stations inside Pune. We received a lot of feedback that we should use our forum to explore what can be done by school children to use RTI for greener causes.
From demanding to know the status of and expenses incurred in river-cleaning projects to the level of pollutants being let out into the environment by industries, school students from across the country can learn how to use the Right to Information (RTI) Act to address environmental concerns.
To be able to take any action, we first need to know what is happening in our cities and its environment and the RTI Act can empower school students to do so.
Students should be trained to file applications under the RTI Act to know the status of and expenses incurred on government projects to clean up various rivers and lakes. The students can also ask for the levels of pollution being let out into the air, lakes or land by industries
Sumedh Shah, a Class 8 student Bishops in Pune, said: 'Everyone must be aware of green issues facing our planet. After all every living organism needs oxygen to live.’
Sumedh, has already planted six trees to do his bit in conserving the environment, and now plans to use the RTI Act to make an impact.
Devika Athavale a Class 10 student , said she was concerned about the climate change. 'I have made several power-point presentations in my school to make my fellow students aware of the fact that we are responsible for global warming, and how we can live more responsibly’.
Contrary to popular notion that schoolchildren are too young to understand green issues, the kids show more concern.
Thanks to the RTI Act, students too can make a lot of difference, besides spreading awareness in their homes, neighborhood and schools.
The RTI Act of 2005 is a watershed legislative measure for Indian democracy. A crucial law for the promotion of transparency and accountability from the government, it allows citizens to demand information (in the form of records, documents, samples and orders) from the government regarding any govern-ment department or office. The provision of a penalty clause also reduces the chances of denial of granting information or giving incomplete information on the part of government officials.

Edition 5; Important Events in 2009

January 2009 : At least five people die and more than 50 are injured in serial bombings in Guwahati, India.
A nightclub fire in Bangkok, Thailand, kills 61 people and injures more than 200.
A suicide bombing outside a Shia shrine in northern Baghdad, Iraq, kills at least 40 people and wounds 72.
India faces a major shortage of petroleum products as a strike by employees of the Indian Oil Corporation and 14 other PSUs enters its third day.
A boat carrying eight Somali pirates from the freed supertanker MV Sirius Star capsizes in the Gulf of Aden, causing the deaths of five and the loss of their portion of US$3 million in ransom.
The International Year of Astronomy's opening ceremony is held at UNESCO headquarters in Paris
At least 111 people are killed and 200 injured in Molo, Kenya, after an oil spill ignites
FEB 2009 : The Armed Forces claim to have captured an underground bunker used by the Tamil Tigers.
The United States, European Union, Japan, and Norway urge the Tigers to cease fighting and negotiate with the government.
At least 52 Tamil civilians are killed in recent combat.
Muttiah Muralitharan of Sri Lanka's national cricket team becomes the highest wicket-taker in One Day Internationals with 503
Bushfires in Victoria kill at least 201 people.
Zimbabwe's dollar depreciates and its cholera epidemic has killed more than 3,000 people.
Indian businessman Moninder Singh Pandher and his servant, Surender Koli, are convicted of murder.
A passenger train derails in Bhuba-neswar, Orissa, India, killing at least 15 people and injuring 150 others.
U.S. President Obama signs the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 in Denver, Colorado.
The Taliban and Pakistan agree to a permanent ceasefire in the war in North-West Frontier Province.
The Bangladesh Rifles mutiny in Dhaka, killing one person and injuring eight.
Former Indian Communications Minister Sukhram is jailed for three years for corruption.
MARCH : Seven Sri Lankan cricket players are wounded and six policemen killed in shootings near Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Pakistan.
A suicide attack kills at least 28 people and injures 57 others in Baghdad.
An American drone aircraft's missiles kill at least 12 people in Pakistan's Kurram Valley.
India's Board of Control for Cricket will relocate the 2009 Premier League outside the country.
India and Pakistan exchange gunfire at the Line of Control.
England defeats New Zealand to win the Women's Cricket World Cup.
A stampede kills 22 people and injures at least 130 during a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying match in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
At least 18 people are killed and 95 injured in a Taliban attack on a police academy in Lahore, Pakistan.
APRIL : Five thousand people protest in London as the G-20 begins its summit.
Fourteen people die and 26 are injured during a shooting at the American Civic Association in Binghamton, New York.
At least 207 people are killed and 1,500 injured during a 6.3-magnitude earthquake near L'Aquila, Italy.
The Naxalite movement releases 500 hostages from a hijacked train in Latehar, India.
India's general election begins its second of five phases.
Swine influenza kills at least 68 people and infects at least 1,000 more in Mexico.
The Armed Forces kill more than 50 Taliban militants while capturing Daggar, Buner Valley.
MAY : The Pakistani Army kills approximately 60 Taliban militants during Operation Black Thunder
Nepalese Prime Minister Prachanda resigns.
H1N1 influenza kills a third United States citizen and spreads to Australia and Japan.
Tata Motors intends to raise £1 billion to sustain Jaguar Land Rover.
India and Turkey confirm their first cases of (A)H1N1 influenza.
Sri Lanka's government declares an end to its civil war with the Tamil Tigers.
The Naxalites kills 16 police officers near Nagpur, Maharashtra, India.
Manmohan Singh is inaugurated for his second term as Prime Minister of India.
The Deccan Chargers defeat the Royal Challengers Bangalore to win the Indian Premier League.
One person is killed and 15 others are injured during a clash in a Sikh temple in Vienna, Austria.
An air raid on a people-smuggling convoy in Sudan in January killed 119 people.
A suicide attack kills at least 35 people and injures 250 more in Lahore, Pakistan.
JUNE 2009 : Air France Flight 447 disappears over the Atlantic Ocean, near Brazil.
Indian Member of Parliament Meira Kumar becomes the first female Speaker of the House of the People.
The President of the United States, Barack Obama, addresses the Muslim world in Cairo, Egypt.
Indians in Australia allege more attacks against them in Sydney.
2009 swine flu outbreak: World Health Organisation Director-General Margaret Chan believes "on the surface of it" that a pandemic has been reached.
Air France Flight 447 41 bodies have thus far been recovered.
Iran goes to the polls for its presidential election.
India, the defending champions and favorites at the 2009 ICC World Twenty20, are defeated by England.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh meets with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari.
The Pakistan Cricket Team wins the 2009 ICC World Twenty20 world cup after a hard match against Sri Lanka at Lord's Cricket Ground in London, England.
Bernard Madoff is sentenced to 150 years in prison for investment fraud.
The Taliban scraps the truce offered in February by the Pakistani government, killing approximately 30 Pakistani soldiers shortly after making the announcement.
King of Pop music Michael Jackson dead.
To be Continued.....

Edition 5: Late Lft Cdt Parag Chandrakant Limaye


I remember watching Rang De Basanti. Scene marks out for us is the one in which Aamir Khan jibes Madhavan that he will die with gun salute draped in Tricolor. We lost our friend in MIG crash on 25th Oct 1995 (born on 14th Oct 1973). Parag Limaye our batchmate at katariya Highschool, was never destined to be designated a Fighter Pilot: A dream which he shared with us in primary school. This is one man who had clear objective in school days when all of us mere mortals decided to join rat race of medical/engineering to be later evolved most of us into IT coolies of new age India. Parag was lone son of Sujata and Late Chandakant Limaye who used to work with Defense accounts. Right from school days he got into preparatory mode for NDA entrance. That mainly comprised of entrance exam books, exercise, and expert advice from defense guys. To top that he attended a gliding course at Hadapsar. He went into SP College in 11 and 12th with main focus on NDA entrance. He cleared the first attempt but was denied airforce in first attempt. So he had to do engineering course at COEP (had got good marks in 12th to manage that). But he attempted twice. He then cleared PAPT and health test to enter India squadron of NDA. Throughout he remained an enthusiast about trekking and other adventure sports. We still remember his comments in his soft spoken style and unique voice during our treks to places like rajgad, makarandgad, etc. We used to meet him at NDA or in Pune on his Sunday offs. He used to tell us stories of hardships in NDA life and most importantly the fun part of it as interpreted by him. He then went into Air-force training academy at Allahabad. He completed his solo flight; instructor led flight and had just few routines to be designated as Fighter Pilot. That was never to be…
During routine instructor led flight alongside Sq ldr Anuj Baid, on fateful day of 25th Oct 1995, his MIG developed a technical snag and crashed into Ganga river near sangam.. His dreams and parents aspirations were killed on same date…
His mother and few friends, relatives brushed aside the loss and decided to keep his memory alive in form of a Trust in his name. Lt Flt Cdt Parag Chandrakant Limaye memorial trust was formed in 1998 to stand for everything he stood for. The main cause is to promote defense entrance, support adventure sports and other social causes. The Trust carries out activities every October. It has donated the best cadet trophy for Pune NCC camp, defense entrance books to SP College, Rani Laxmi School. The Trust Constituted trophy for punt race at COEP boat club. Trust conducted defense entrance lectures by experts at Nerlekar school, SP College. Trust conducted treks for underprivileged children, sponsored Ramkrishna Math students to Bhosala military school, had rappelling, parasailing camps. Trust wishes to continue this work further and enliven his memory. You can contact newsdesk@cityblogpune or on 9403185508 for any support.

Edition 5: What is web2.0?


The term "Web 2.0" is commonly associated with web applications which facilitate interactive information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design and collaboration on the World Wide Web. Examples of Web 2.0 include web-based communities, hosted services, web applications, social-networking sites, video-sharing sites, wikis, blogs, mashups and folksonomies. A Web 2.0 site allows its users to interact with other users or to change website content, in contrast to non-interactive websites where users are limited to the passive viewing of information that is provided to them.
The term is closely associated with Tim O'Reilly because of the O'Reilly Media Web 2.0 conference in 2004.
Although the term suggests a new version of the World Wide Web, it does not refer to an update to any technical specifications, but rather to cumulative changes in the ways software developers and end-users use the Web. Whether Web 2.0 is qualitatively different from prior web technologies has been challenged by World Wide Web inventor Tim Berners-Lee who called the term a "piece of jargon"- precisely because he intended the Web to embody these values in the first place.
Web 2.0 websites allow users to do more than just retrieve information. They can build on the interactive facilities of "Web 1.0" to provide "Network as platform" computing, allowing users to run software-applications entirely through a browser. Users can own the data on a Web 2.0 site and exercise control over that data. These sites may have an "Architecture of participation" that encourages users to add value to the application as they use it.
The concept of Web-as-participation-platform captures many of these characteristics. Bart Decrem, a founder and former CEO of Flock, calls Web 2.0 the "participatory Web" and regards the Web-as-information-source as Web 1.0.
The impossibility of excluding group-members who don't contribute to the provision of goods from sharing profits gives rise to the possibility that rational members will prefer to withhold their contribution of effort and free-ride on the contribution of others. This requires what is some-times called Radical Trust by the management of the website. According to Best, the characteristics of Web 2.0 are: rich user experience, user participation, dynamic content, metadata, web standards and scalability. Further characteristics, such as openness, freedom and collective intelligence by way of user participation, can also be viewed as essential attributes of Web 2.0.
Web 2.0 draws together the capabilities of client- and server-side software, content syndication and the use of network protocols. Standards-oriented web browsers may use plugins and software extensions to handle the content and the user interactions. Web 2.0 sites provide users with information storage, creation, and dissemination capabilities that were not possible in the environment now known as "Web 1.0".
Web 2.0 websites typically include some of the following features and techniques. Andrew McAfee used the acronym SLATES to refer to them:
Search : Finding information through keyword search.
Links : Connects information together into a meaningful information ecosystem using the model of the Web, and provides low-barrier social tools.
Authoring : The ability to create and update content leads to the collaborative work of many rather than just a few web authors. In wikis, users may extend, undo and redo each other's work. In blogs, posts and the comments of individuals build up over time.
Tags : Categorization of content by users adding one-word descriptions to facilitate searching, without depend-ence on pre-made categories. This is referred to as "folksonomy."
Extensions : Software that makes the Web an application platform as well as a document server.
Signals : The use of syndication technology such as RSS to notify users of content changes.
While SLATES forms the basic framework of Enterprise 2.0, it does not contradict all of the higher level Web 2.0 design patterns and business models. And in this way, the new Web 2.0 report from O'Reilly is quite effective and diligent in interweaving the story of Web 2.0 with the specific aspects of Enterprise 2.0. It includes discussions of self-service IT, the long tail of enterprise IT demand, and many other consequences of the Web 2.0 era in the enterprise. The report also makes many sensible recommendations around starting small with pilot projects and measuring results, among a fairly long list.
[edit] How it works
The client-side/web browser technologies typically used in Web 2.0 development are Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (Ajax), Adobe Flash, and JavaScript / Ajax frame-works such as Yahoo! UI Library, Dojo Toolkit, MooTools, and jQuery. Ajax programming uses JavaScript to upload and download new data from the web server without undergoing a full page reload.
To permit the user to continue to interact with the page, commu-nications such as data requests going to the server are separated from data coming back to the page (asynchronously). Otherwise, the user would have to routinely wait for the data to come back before they can do anything else on that page, just as a user has to wait for a page to complete the reload. This also increases overall performance of the site, as the sending of requests can complete quicker independent of blocking and queuing required to send data back to the client.
The data fetched by an Ajax request is typically formatted in XML or JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) format, two widely used structured data formats. Since both of these formats are natively understood by JavaScript, a programmer can easily use them to transmit structured data in their web application. When this data is received via Ajax, the JavaScript program then uses the Document Object Model (DOM) to dynamically update the web page based on the new data, allowing for a rapid and interactive user experience. In short, using these techniques, Web designers can make their pages function like desktop applications. For example, Google Docs uses this technique to create a Web-based word processor.
Adobe Flash is another technology often used in Web 2.0 applications. As a widely available plugin independent of W3C (World Wide Web Consortium, the governing body of web standards and protocols), standards, Flash is capable of doing many things which are not currently possible in HTML, the language used to construct web pages. Of Flash's many capabilities, the most commonly used in Web 2.0 is its ability to play audio and video files. This has allowed for the creation of Web 2.0 sites such as YouTube, where video media is seamlessly integrated with standard HTML.
In addition to Flash and Ajax, JavaScript/Ajax frameworks have recently become a very popular means of creating Web 2.0 sites. At their core, these frameworks do not use technology any different from JavaScript, Ajax, and the DOM. What frameworks do is smooth over inconsistencies between web browsers and extend the functionality available to developers. Many of them also come with customizable, prefabricated 'widgets' that accomplish such common tasks as picking a date from a calendar, displaying a data chart, or making a tabbed panel. On the server side, Web 2.0 uses many of the same technologies as Web 1.0. Languages such as PHP, Ruby, ColdFusion, Perl, Python, and ASP are used by developers to dynamically output data using information from files and databases. What has begun to change in Web 2.0 is the way this data is formatted. In the early days of the internet, there was little need for different websites to communicate with each other and share data. In the new "participatory web," however, sharing data between sites has become an essential capability. To share its data with other sites, a web site must be able to generate output in machine-readable formats such as XML, RSS, and JSON. When a site's data is available in one of these formats, another website can use it to integrate a portion of that site's functionality into itself, linking the two together. When this design pattern is implemented, it ultimately leads to data that is both easier to find and more thoroughly categorized, a hallmark of the philosophy behind the Web 2.0 movement.